Zorro the Romantic Hero

1
Zorro the Romantic Hero

• Americans know Zorro as the dashing Hispanic
  swordsman who stole from the rich and gave to the
  poor in Old California

2

• Johnston McCulleys serialized stories of Zorros
  exploits were popular reading in the early 1900s
• Film and TV versions of Zorro increased
  characters popularity from the 1920s until today

3
Zorro the Historical Character

• Zorro was born an Irish gentleman, William
  Lamport, in 1615 and was an opponent of British
  rule
• He served in the Spanish Royal Service where he
  fought against the French in 1643
• He went to the Spanish colony of Mexico, fought
  against Spanish rule and romanced Spanish
  noblewomen in the 1640s
• He was jailed for 10 years by the Inquisitors but
  eventually escaped

4
Zorro the Fictional Character

• Zorro was born Don Diego de la Vega in Alta
  California, Mexico into a wealthy family during
  the 1800s
• Don Diegos father was an Alcade, a local
  political official in Mexican Govt.
• During the 1820s, the Spanish missions were
  losing power governance of Alta California was
  replaced by corrupt local officials who taxed the
  poor
• While Don Diego was being educated in Spain, his
  fathers position was usurped by a corrupt
  Mexican official
• To fight for justice and regain his familys
  position, Don Diego took on the role of a foppish
  gentleman during the day to disguise his
  activities at night, when he wore the mask of
  Zorro the fox

5
Zorro in FilmsAt least 10 Zorro films and
television shows have been created since the
1920s

• 1920s Douglas Fairbanks
• Mark of Zorro
• 1940s Tyrone Power
• Mark of Zorro
• 1960s Guy Williams
• Zorro
• 1990s Antonio Banderas
• The Mask of Zorro

6
Zorro as Romantic Hero

• Noble Birth in Alta California
• Educated in Spain
• Ideas of social justice
• Injustice done to family
• Injustice done to people
• Double identity
• Foppish Gentleman
• Masked Avenger
• Sword fighting and Horsemanship skills

7
Analytic Writing Prompts

• After watching two Zorro films, describe how each
  character possess the traits of a Romantic Hero.
  Then, contrast how in each film different facets
  of the Zorro character are portrayed by the actor
• After a class reading of the Readers Theater
  adaptation of the Curse of Capistrano and
  watching The Mask of Zorro, explain how the new
  Zorro portrayed by Antonio Banderas is a
  different kind of Romantic Hero when compared
  with McCulleys original Zorro.

8
Classroom Resources

• The Curse of Capistrano in Classic Theater for
  young adults by Suzanne L. Barchers and Jennifer
  L. Kroll.
• Free Trade in Images? Zorro as Cultural Signifier
  in the Contemporary Global/Local System by Nadia
  Lie in Nepantia Views from the South 2.3 2001
• The Many Faces of Zorro DVD
• The Legacy of the Fox A Chronology of Zorro
  http//www.pjfarmer.com/worldnewton/zorro.htm
• Zorro The Legend Through the Years
• http//www.geocities.com/thezorrolegend