The Green Fisherman (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: ''Il Pescatore Verde'') is a fictional character who appears in

Carlo Collodi Carlo Lorenzini (24 November 1826 – 26 October 1890), better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi (), was an Italian author, humourist, and journalist, widely known for his fairy tale novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio''. Early life Co ...

's book ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pi ...

'' (''Le avventure di Pinocchio''). According to Giacomo Maria Prati, The Green Fisherman is one example of the story's parallels with classical mythology, stating that the Fisherman is evocative of the cyclops

Polyphemus Polyphemus (; grc-gre, Πολύφημος, Polyphēmos, ; la, Polyphēmus ) is the one-eyed giant son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes described in Homer's ''Odyssey''. His name means "abounding in songs and leg ...

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...

''. He also writes that The Fisherman represents murder through ignorance, referring to the fact that he tries to eat Pinocchio, unaware he was not an edible fish.

Role

The Green Fisherman is an

ogre An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world ...

who dwells in a

sea cave A sea cave, also known as a littoral cave, is a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea. The primary process involved is erosion. Sea caves are found throughout the world, actively forming along present coastlines and as relic ...

on the coast of Busy Bee Island (''Isola delle Api Industriose'') where he lives on a diet seemingly composed entirely of sea life. He is described as "...so ugly, he looked like a sea monster. Instead of hair, he had on his head a dense clump of green grass; green was the skin on his body, green were his eyes, green was his long beard which drooped downwards. He looked like a great lizard erected on its hind legs." Encountered in chapter XXVIII, the Fisherman accidentally captures Pinocchio in his net while fishing. He is surprised that Pinocchio is able to talk, but does not understand when he identifies himself as a "puppet". The Fisherman deduces that Pinocchio is a kind of rare "puppet-fish" and refuses to let Pinocchio escape. When Pinocchio breaks down in despair, the Fisherman decides to fry him. Just as the Fisherman is about to lower Pinocchio into a frying pan, his cave is visited by a

mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short ( brachycephalic) and the ears dr ...

named Alidoro, attracted by the smell. The mastiff, upon recognizing Pinocchio, pounces on the Fisherman and takes the puppet away.

Media portrayals

Un burattino di nome Pinocchio - Pescatore verde 3

The Fisherman has so far appeared in three film adaptations of Collodi's book: *In Giannetto Guardone's ''Le avventure di Pinocchio'' (1947), portrayed by

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important productions ...

, in which he is foolish and lets Pinocchio go as he walks out. *In

Giuliano Cenci Giuliano Cenci (Florence, 10 August 1931 - Florence, 12 April 2018) was an Italian animated film director. Biography In 1949 he obtained the Diploma of Artistic Maturity at the Art School of Florence. Still a student, he began working in the g ...

's 1972 animated film ''

'', that shows the Fisherman (voiced by

Arturo Dominici Arturo Dominici (2 January 1916 – 7 September 1992) was an Italian film, television and voice actor. Biography Born in Palermo, Dominici became best known for his many villainous roles in horror and fantasy films. He is best remembered fo ...

in Italian and by

Paul Frees Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...

in English) almost exactly as he is portrayed in the book. *In

Enzo D'Alò Enzo D'Alò (born 7 September 1953) is an Italian animator and director. Life and career Born in Naples, D'Alò moved to Turin in 1979 and there he started his career as animator working with the group "La Lanterna Magica". In 1983 he debuted ...

's 2012 animated film ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

'', voiced by singer Lucio Dalla in Italian and by

Harry Standjofski Harry Standjofski (born May 22, 1959) is a Canadian actor as well as a theater director and playwright. He has appeared in films such as ''Guy X'', '' The Aviator'', '' Protection'', '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' and '' Hidden Agenda'' and has ...

in English.

References

Bibliography

Collodi, ''Le Avventure di Pinocchio'' 1883, Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli Fictional ogres Fictional mermen and mermaids Fictional Italian people in literature Pinocchio characters Literary characters introduced in 1883 Male characters in literature {{child-lit-char-stub