Florante, prince of Albania, and his beloved Laura, daughter of King Flores, are the poem’s central lovers. The story is told chiefly through Florante’s first-person narration to his friend Aladin while both are imprisoned in a forest. Florante recounts his upbringing, his education under the mentor Mentor, his exploits defending Albania against foreign invaders (notably the Turks), and the betrayal he suffers at the hands of his jealous rival, Count Adolfo. Adolfo seizes the throne, persecutes Florante and Laura, and attempts to win Laura’s hand. Parallel subplots include the love story of Aladin and Flerida, and accounts of various battles and trials. Through twists of mistaken identity, exile, and rescue, justice is ultimately restored: Adolfo’s treachery is exposed, Florante and Laura reunite, and peace returns to Albania.
Scene 1: The Crying Youth A dark, wild forest near Albania. Trees are gnarled, vines hang like chains. A young man—FLORANTE—is tied to a tree, half-dead, weeping.
Florante (to himself):
O mad world! I, who once held a sword for Albania, now am food for beasts. Laura… your face haunts me even in this hell.
A lion approaches. Florante struggles. Suddenly, a MUSLIM SOLDIER—ALADIN—appears and kills the lion with his scimitar.
Aladin: Fear not, Christian. I am no enemy to the wretched. florante at laura full script top
Florante (weakly): Who are you?
Aladin: A prince without a kingdom. A son betrayed by his own father. But first—let me untie you.
Aladin frees Florante, gives him water. The two enemies sit as brothers under a broken moon.
Scene 2: Two Broken Hearts They share stories. Florante, prince of Albania, and his beloved Laura,
Florante:
I loved Laura, daughter of King Linceo. But Count Adolfo—handsome, cunning, evil—coveted her. He envied my victories in war, my father’s honor, the king’s trust.
Aladin:
And I loved Flerida. But my father, the Sultan, desired her for himself. He threw me in chains and took her to his tent.
Florante weeps. Aladin weeps. For the first time, a Christian and a Muslim share grief as brothers.
Because the poem is long, it is often divided into distinct "movements" similar to acts in a play. Because the poem is long, it is often
Florante is tied to a tree in the wild forest of Madia-as. He delivers a long soliloquy about the betrayal of Adolfo and his love for Laura. This is the most dramatic section for actors.
Several Filipino literature professors have uploaded type-set critical editions of Florante at Laura. These are often the most accurate because they compare multiple surviving manuscripts from the 19th century.
Available on Amazon and academic databases. This is the top choice for non-Tagalog speakers.