Orlando

“He—for there could be no doubt of his sex, though the fashion of the time did something to disguise it—was in the act of slicing at the head of a Moor which swung from the rafters.”

Chapter 1: The Young Nobleman (16th Century)

Orlando begins as a young nobleman in Elizabethan England, serving as a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. He is passionate, poetic, and deeply immersed in the aristocratic world. After the Queen’s death, Orlando falls into melancholy and seeks solace in literature and solitude.

Chapter 2: The Great Frost (17th Century)

During the Great Frost of 1608, Orlando falls in love with Sasha, a Russian princess. Their passionate affair ends in heartbreak when she abandons him. Devastated, Orlando retreats to his estate and immerses himself in writing poetry, struggling with artistic fulfillment.

Chapter 3: The Ambassador (18th Century)

Orlando is appointed ambassador to Constantinople. After a night of revelry, he mysteriously falls into a deep sleep and awakens as a woman. Society now treats her differently, forcing her to navigate new social constraints while retaining her same inner identity.

Chapter 4: The Victorian Era (19th Century)

Returning to England, Orlando faces the rigid gender norms of Victorian society. She marries a sea captain, Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine, but their relationship defies convention. Orlando continues writing, now grappling with literary expectations placed on women.

Chapter 5: The Modern Age (20th Century)

In 1928, Orlando is a 36-year-old woman, having lived for centuries without aging. She publishes her long-gestated poem “The Oak Tree” and reflects on how time, gender, and identity have shaped her life. The novel ends with Orlando embracing her fluid existence.

Key Ideas

• Gender fluidity and societal expectations
• The fluidity of time and identity
• Artistic expression across centuries
• Love and heartbreak as transformative forces
• Critique of rigid social norms

Notable Adaptations