Título: Zorro
Seção: Inspirations
Background: Zorro (Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, and appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles during the era of Spanish California (1769-1821). He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante who defends the commoners and indigenous peoples of California against corrupt and tyrannical officials and other villains. His signature all-black costume includes a cape, a hat known as sombrero cordobes, and a domino mask that covers the upper part of his face. In the stories, Zorro has a high bounty on his head, but is too skilled and cunning for the bumbling authorities to catch, and he also delights in publicly humiliating them.

Conteúdo: The historical figure most often associated with the Zorro character is Joaquin Murrieta, whose life was fictionalized in an 1854 dime novel by John Rollin Ridge. In the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro Murrieta's (fictitious) brother Alejandro succeeds Diego as Zorro. As a hero with a secret identity who taunts his foes by signing his deeds, Zorro finds a direct literary predecessor in Sir Percival Blakeney, hero of the Scarlet Pimpernel pulp series by Emma Orczy.  The character recalls other figures, such as Robin Hood, Reynard the Fox, Salomon Pico, Manuel Rodriguez Erdoiza, and Tiburcio Vasquez. Another possible historical inspiration is William Lamport, an Irish soldier who lived in Mexico in the seventeenth century. His life was the subject of a fictive book by Vicente Riva Palacio; The Irish Zorro (2004) is a recent biography. Another is Estanislao, a Yokuts man who led a revolt against the Mission San Jose in 1827.  The 1890s penny dreadful treatment of the Spring-heeled Jack character as a masked avenger may have inspired some aspects of Zorro's heroic persona. Spring Heeled Jack was portrayed as a nobleman who created a flamboyant, masked alter ego to fight injustice, frequently demonstrated exceptional athletic and combative skills, maintained a hidden lair and was known to carve the letter "S" into walls with his rapier as a calling card.  Like Sir Percy in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Don Diego avoids suspicion by playing the role of an effete dandy who wears lace, writes p

user: What were some of the inspirations behind the character of Zorro?

assistant: Joaquin Murrieta, whose life was fictionalized in an 1854 dime novel by John Rollin Ridge.

user: Was that the only inspiration or were there others?

assistant: The character recalls other figures, such as Robin Hood, Reynard the Fox, Salomon Pico, Manuel Rodriguez Erdoiza, and Tiburcio Vasquez.

user: What other people had inspired the creation of Zorro?

assistant: Another possible historical inspiration is William Lamport, an Irish soldier who lived in Mexico in the seventeenth century.

user: Did any historical events inspire the creation of Zorro?

assistant: The 1890s penny dreadful treatment of the Spring-heeled Jack character as a masked avenger may have inspired some aspects of Zorro's heroic persona.

user: How did treatment of the Spring-heeled Jack character inspire some of the Zorro's characteristics?

assistant: Spring Heeled Jack was portrayed as a nobleman who created a flamboyant, masked alter ego to fight injustice,

user: Was there anything else about Spring Heeled Jack that resembled Zorro?

assistant: frequently demonstrated exceptional athletic and combative skills, maintained a hidden lair and was known to carve the letter "S" into walls with his rapier as a calling card.