ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rigoletto

Okay kiddo, Rigoletto is what we call an opera. Do you know what an opera is? It’s like a really long play, but instead of just acting, they sing the entire time. And Rigoletto is one of the most famous operas ever!

The story is about a man named Rigoletto. He’s a funny-looking guy who works for a prince. But Rigoletto is not just any worker – he is the prince's jester. That means it's his job to make the prince laugh by telling jokes and doing silly dances.

But as the story goes on, we start to see that Rigoletto is not just a funny guy. He has a secret – he has a daughter, but he keeps her hidden away so nobody knows she exists. He does this because he's afraid that someone might try to hurt her, since he's made a lot of enemies in his line of work.

Unfortunately, things start to go wrong for Rigoletto. The prince decides he wants Rigoletto’s daughter for himself, so he kidnaps her. Rigoletto is very upset and tries to get her back, but he isn’t able to do it on his own.

Eventually, all the bad things that have been happening to Rigoletto come to a head. He accidentally helps the prince's enemies kidnap his own daughter, who they think is the prince's lover. Rigoletto is heartbroken and ends up holding his dying daughter in his arms.

So you see, Rigoletto is a very sad story about a man who loves his daughter very much, but isn't able to protect her. But it’s also a very beautiful story, with lots of great music and singing.