Giacomo Paradisi was a man from the world of Cittàgazze and the bearer of the subtle knife before Will Parry. He used the knife on behalf of the Guild of the Torre degli Angeli.
Biography[]
Giacomo won the subtle knife in a fight with its previous owner. In this fight, he lost the ring and little fingers of his left hand, which marked him as the new bearer .[1] In Bakn on the Caspian, Giacomo met John Parry who healed his wound. In exchange Giacomo told John about Æsahættr.[2]
At some point, Paradisi was imprisoned on the roof of the Torre degli Angeli by Tullio, a young man from Cittàgazze trying to keep the Spectres away with the knife. Tullio and Giacomo probably fought as Giacomo had bruises on his face. He was then tied loosely with a piece of rope, lying in the full sun and Tullio took the subtle knife from him to try opening a window with it. Tullio, coming up onto the roof, presumably to check on Giacomo, saw Will and Lyra Silvertongue, a girl who was with him, after they had undone Giacomo's rope and spoken briefly to him.
Tullio and Will fought for the knife which led to Will losing the same two fingers as Giacomo. Tullio, defeated, turned and ran out of the tower to be faced with the Spectres. Giacomo took Will and gave him some plum brandy and began to treat his wound with some cream and a bandage. Once Will wasn't bleeding freely, although still in pain, Giacomo quickly taught Will the rules of the knife. Giacomo showed Will how to open and close windows as well as the rules of the knife made by the Guild.
He also told Will about the man Charles Latrom whom Will had gone to get the knife for in exchange for Lyra's alethiometer. Giacomo told Will he knew the man and he was a liar, Giacomo had left the window to the world of Cittàgazze in Sunderland Avenue to try and tempt Charles into entering the world.
After the short training, Lyra Silvertongue and Will left the tower and Giacomo committed suicide by drinking poison to avoid being attacked by the Spectres.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
- Giacomo is played by Terence Stamp in Series 2 of the TV series.[3] Stamp previously voiced Lord Asriel in the radio dramatisation.
- Giacomo's character "comes out of a whole tradition of Italian folk tales and Italian storytelling, which includes such things as the commedia dell’arte." Philip Pullman gave him an Italian name because "that helped create the atmosphere I wanted".[4]
Appearances[]
- The Subtle Knife
- The Amber Spyglass (Mentioned only)
- His Dark Materials (TV series), Series 2
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Subtle Knife, Chapter 8
- ↑ The Subtle Knife, appendix
- ↑ The Guardian
| World of Cittàgazze | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Benin • Brasil • Corea • Eireland |
| Locations | Bergamo • Cittàgazze • Cittàgazze cave • Sant'Elia • Unidentified village |
| Buildings | Belvedere tower • Cittàgazze café • Torre degli Angeli • White villa |
| Natives | Angelica • Giacomo Paradisi • Joachim Lorenz • Paolo • Striped T-shirt boy • Tullio |
| Important | Guild of the Torre degli Angeli • Spectres • Subtle knife |