Verdi Rigoletto

Rigoletto is a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua He has a hunchback and hes rather unattractive but hes good at his job of humiliating the courtiers for the amusement of the Duke The courtiers of course are not amused The Duke is a ladies man who feels his life would be meaningless if he couldnt chase every skirt he sees In fact we learn as the opera begins that hes recently been noticing a young lady every Sunday on her way to church and hes vowed to have his way with her What nobody realizes is that the girl is the jesters beloved daughter Gilda and that Gilda has seen the Duke every Sunday and is smitten with him Suddenly Count Monterone appears at court furious that the Duke has seduced his daughter Rigoletto ridicules Monterone the Duke laughs and Monterone casts an awful curse on both of them Later the courtiers discover that Rigoletto is secretly living with Gilda