Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Who are Zerlina and Masetto in Don Giovanni?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Don Giovanni
Illustration (c. 1914) of a scene from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Don Giovanni (1787), in which Don Giovanni attempts to seduce Zerlina.
In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, Zerlina and Masetto are a peasant couple whose relationship is disrupted by the title character’s predatory behavior.12
- Zerlina is a young peasant woman and Masetto’s fiancée. She becomes a target of Don Giovanni’s seduction, who attempts to lure her away from her upcoming marriage by promising to marry her himself.12
- Masetto is a peasant and Zerlina’s fiancé. Throughout the opera, he is frequently suspicious of Don Giovanni’s intentions toward Zerlina and struggles to protect their relationship from the nobleman's unwanted advances.12
The couple is introduced in Act I while celebrating their engagement, an event that Don Giovanni interrupts to pursue Zerlina. Their interactions with the libertine serve as a recurring source of conflict and tension throughout the story.2