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1''L'Italiana in Algeri'' (The Italian girl in Algiers) is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini (music) and Angelo Anelli (libretto)
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3The plot revolves around Isabella, a beautiful Italian girl who expertly juggles her admirers. Even when shipwrecked in Algiers, she never loses her confidence in her own abilities and manages to turn the head of Mustafà, the Bey of Algiers. Using his infatuation to her advantage, the smart Italian girl tricks him into making a fool of himself: in order to be worthy of the entirely fictitious title of Pappataci, he must eat, drink and be silent no matter what happens around him, allowing her to sneak away with all the freed Italian slaves right under his nose.
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5!!''L'Italiana in Algeri'' provides examples of the following tropes:
6* ArrangedMarriage: by Mustafà between Lindoro and Elvira, so he can get rid of her. Privately, Lindoro and Elvira agree not to go through with it.
7* BetaCouple: Mustafà and his wife Elvira
8* ButtMonkey: Taddeo
9* ClingyJealousGirl: according to Mustafà, Elvira is this.
10* ContrivedCoincidence: Looking for Lindoro, Isabella just happens to be shipwrecked where he's held prisoner at the right time to start the whole plot.
11* CrowdSong: played straight in both acts and at the beginning of almost every scene. Subverted by act II, scene II, which opens with a recitativo
12* DidNotGetTheGirl: Taddeo, the comic relief.
13* DrowningMySorrows: Taddeo says he'd rather do this than hold the candle to Isabella and Lindoro
14* GuileHero: Isabella
15* HappyEnding
16* IAmSong: ''Già so per pratica''
17* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Taddeo is repeatedly threatened with this. It's PlayedForLaughs.
18* IncrediblyLamePun: ''Pappataci' does contain the words "eat" and "hush", but in reality it's the Italian word for "sandfly".
19* IWillFindYou: Isabella and Lindoro during Act I.
20* LetsDuet
21* LoveDodecahedron: Elvira loves Mustafà, who is infatuated with Isabella, who is also courted by Taddeo but loves only Lindoro.
22* LoveTriangle: one is averted. Elvira has been promised as a wife to Lindoro, but she only loves Mustafà and he is faithful to Isabella
23* MadeASlave: Lindoro sometime before the beginning of the opera.
24* MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber: there are three, ''all'' expressing confusion:
25** ''Confusi e stupidi''
26** ''Va sossopra il mio cervello'' at the end of act I
27** ''Sento un fremito, un foco, un dispetto'' in the middle of act II
28* MayDecemberRomance: what Taddeo is hoping for.
29* MisogynySong: played straight with Mustafà's ''Delle donne l'arroganza'' (Women's arrogance), inverted with Haly's ''Le femmine d'Italia'' (Women of Italy)
30* {{Nepotism}}: Mustafà makes Taddeo his Kaimakan (Liutenant) to please Isabella and have "Uncle" Taddeo help him woo her. Taddeo is not pleased.
31* NotWhatItLooksLike: Lindoro has to do some fast talking about his supposed engagement to Elvira. Luckily for him, Isabella believes him.
32* OfficialCouple: Lindoro and Isabella
33* OhCrap: Lindoro's reaction when Isabella is told he's to marry Elvira. Briefly during the Pappataci ceremony as well, when Mustafà is angered by Isabella and Lindoro's flirting.
34* OpeningChorus:
35** ''Serenate il mesto ciglio'' (Dry your sad eyes) for act I
36** ''Uno stupido, uno stolto'' (A fool, an idiot) for act II
37* {{Pirate}}: Haly
38* PlayingTheVictimCard: to be fair, Isabella is a victim of cirumstances. However, in her previous aria she cheerfully explained how she's not afraid of men and is confident she can manipulate them to her advantage.
39* RelativelyFlimsyExcuse: Taddeo and Isabella claim to be uncle and niece so he won't have to do hard work and she won't be alone among enemies.
40* SpicyLatina: the reason why Mustafà wants an Italian girl. It turns out Isabella is too spicy for him.
41* TwoFacedAside: Isabella in ''Per lui che adoro'', Isabella and Lindoro in ''Maledetto quel balordo''. The arias of the Pappataci ceremony are ''built'' on this.
42* ThePowerOfLove: In ''Pensa alla patria'', Isabella claims that's what makes her brave enough to try and trick the Bey.
43* TheStoolPigeon: Taddeo tries to tell Mustafà that he's being tricked when he realizes one of the Italian slaves is Lindoro, Isabella's true love. Unfortunately for him, Mustafà assumes it's just part of the test for the title of Pappataci and ignores him.
44* ZanyScheme: the escape plan

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