The Moor of Seville: ACT V
ACT V
SCENE I. A street in Cyprus.
Enter RODRIGO, with a wound; GASPAR following him.
GASPAR
He has hurt thee? The lieutenant?
RODRIGO
Ay, past all surgery. I die, I die.
O, that I had never listened to thy schemes!
Gaspar, thou art a villain, and I'm a fool.
GASPAR
Die then, for I must shift for myself. The Moor will have my life if I am found.
Exit GASPAR.
RODRIGO
Dies.
SCENE II. A bedchamber in the castle. LEONORA in her bed, asleep. A light burning.
Enter ANTONIO with a sword and a candle.
ANTONIO
It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul:
Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!
It is the cause. Yet I'll not shed her blood,
Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,
And smooth as monumental alabaster.
Put out the light, and then put out the light:
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,
I can again thy former light restore,
Should I repent me; but once put out thy light,
Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Promethean heat
That can thy light relume.
She wakes.
LEONORA
Who's there? Antonio?
ANTONIO
Ay, Leonora.
LEONORA
Will you come to bed, my lord?
ANTONIO
Have you prayed tonight, Leonora?
LEONORA
Ay, my lord.
ANTONIO
If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.
LEONORA
Alas, my lord, what may you mean by that?
ANTONIO
I would not kill thy unprepared spirit.
LEONORA
I am not guilty of any crime.
LEONORA
Then Lord have mercy on me!
ANTONIO
I say, Amen.
LEONORA
And have you mercy too! I never loved the lieutenant.
ANTONIO
The handkerchief! The handkerchief!
LEONORA
He found it, I say! Send for him hither.
ANTONIO
He's dead.
LEONORA
My fear interprets his hard usage well.
ANTONIO
A guiltless death I swear!
He smothers her.
LEONORA
O Lord, Lord, Lord!
She dies.
Enter BIANCA.
BIANCA
BIANCA
What ho, my lord, my lord!
ANTONIO
What noise is this? Not dead? Not yet quite dead?
BIANCA
O, my good lord, Rodrigo's dead, and for the handkerchief—
ANTONIO
Ha! What say you?
ANTONIO
O, fool! Fool! Fool!
I found it in his hand; 'twas Gaspar gave it him.
O, bloody period!
Enter the DUKE, ALONSO, OFFICERS, with GASPAR as prisoner.
DUKE
What is the matter here?
ALONSO
My daughter dead? O, O, O!
ANTONIO
I have done the state some service, and they know't.
No more of that. I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe.
Antonio turns on Gaspar.
ANTONIO
You, rogue!
Antonio stabs Gaspar.
GASPAR
I bleed, sir, but not die.
ANTONIO
I am content to be thus judged.
He stabs himself.
I kiss'd thee ere I killed thee: no way but this,
Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.
He falls upon Leonora's body, and dies.
DUKE
O fatal period!
This heavy act with heavy heart we bear,
To tell the world the tale of rage and fear.
The villain Gaspar shall a death receive
Beyond all torture that the world can give.
For Antonio, the noble Moor, a monument
Of pity and of shame shall stand. Alonso,
Your sorrow is too great to be borne.
Let us away; this deed is fit for tears.
The time, the place, the torture, O, enforce it!
The story of the Moor is told
Curtain
ANTONIO
"Think, my lord!" By heaven, thou echo'st me,
As if there were some monster in thy thought
Too hideous to be shown.
ANTONIO
Confess thee freely of thy sin; for else
Thou diest.
BIANCA
My husband, Gaspar, found it in the path,
He bade me copy out the work! O, she was innocent!
The Duchess's Dilemma, or The Venetian Vexation: ACT I
Dramatis Personae
ISABELLA: The young Duchess of Venice.
ANTONIO: Her uncle and guardian, a Duke.
LORENZO: A noble suitor favored by Antonio.
MARCO: Isabella's true love, a young scholar.
SERVANTS, GUARDS, &c.
ACT I
SCENE I. A room of state in the Duke of Venice's palace.
Enter ANTONIO and LORENZO.
ANTONIO
My Lord Lorenzo, you do press me hard;
My niece, the Duchess Isabella, is yet
But green in judgement, tender in her years,
And her poor father scarce is cold in earth.
LORENZO
My lord, I know her father was your brother,
And that his will made you her guardian.
But the state craves an heir, and my estate
Doth match her title. I do love the lady,
And all Venice knows my suit is honest.
ANTONIO
Honest, I know, but I must have her will.
LORENZO
Her will is your command. You are her guardian.
'Tis whispered in the streets she loves another,
A scholar, Marco, who is banished hence
Upon your word.
ANTONIO
That matter is resolved; Marco shall ne'er
Set foot in Venice whilst I hold the power.
For Isabella, I shall sound her mind;
Expect my word tomorrow morning.
Aside
This match secures my power; she must consent.
Exeunt ANTONIO and LORENZO.
SCENE II. A private chamber in the palace.
Enter ISABELLA and a serving woman.
ISABELLA
He presses me again for Lord Lorenzo?
SERVING WOMAN
Indeed he does, my lady, and doth look
As though he'd brook no answer but "I will."
ISABELLA
"I will" is easy said, but hard to do
When all my heart cries "no." O, Marco, Marco,
My banished love, what villainy is this
That keeps us thus asunder? My uncle's pride,
His own ambition, is the cause of all.
He'd have my lands, not me, for Lord Lorenzo.
SERVING WOMAN
What will you do? They say the Duke is stern.
ISABELLA
I have a plan that needs a woman's wit,
A man's attire, and a bold, swift heart.
My father's physician did teach me once
A rare and subtle drug, which, when I drink,
Shall stop all natural breath and pulse of life
For four and twenty hours. I shall seem dead.
SERVING WOMAN
Dead, madam?
ISABELLA
Ay, dead. My uncle, in his haste,
Shall bury me with speed. Marco is near,
In Padua, where he studies law.
I've writ to him of this; he'll rescue me
From the cold vault. Then, in a scholar's garb,
I shall return to Venice and observe
My uncle's actions, and regain my due.
Thou art my trusty maid; wilt thou assist?
SERVING WOMAN
With all my life and loyalty, my lady.
ISABELLA
Then give me that small vial from my cabinet.
This night I drink it, e'er the morning light
Shall force a "yes" from my unwilling tongue.
Exeunt.
SCENE III. A hall in the palace
Enter ANTONIO and ISABELLA.
ANTONIO
The time is short; the state requires an heir.
You shall be wed to Lord Lorenzo.
ISABELLA
I pray you, uncle, give me time to grieve;
My father's death is fresh upon my soul.
ANTONIO
Grieve for a week, but you shall marry straight.
I have decreed it.
ISABELLA
If I must, I must. My duty stands accused.
But grant me this one night of lonely prayer
To reconcile my spirit to this match.
ANTONIO
One night, no more. Tomorrow at high noon,
You meet your groom.
Exit ANTONIO.
ISABELLA
(Alone)
Tomorrow I shall meet a colder groom,
The grave. And then a scholar's robe shall hide
The Duchess's heart and all her vexed pride.
Exit.
The Duchess's Dilemma, or The Venetian Vexation: ACT II
ACT II
SCENE I. A street in Venice. Morning.
Enter MARCO, disguised as a young male scholar named 'Caius', with the SERVING WOMAN (also in disguise).
MARCO
My heart doth beat a fearful, hurried tune.
The letter said that she would drink the potion
On the very eve before her forced wedding.
SERVING WOMAN
She did, good master Caius. My uncle Antonio
Did find her "dead" this morn, cold as the marble.
The house is full of wailing, speed, and woe.
MARCO
Good. 'Tis well. Now is the second act
Of our small play begun. They'll bury her
In haste, to seal the inheritance for Lorenzo.
Where is the tomb?
SERVING WOMAN
In the great chapel by the sea, my lord.
MARCO
We must be swift. Now to my scholar's role.
I shall present myself to Duke Antonio,
As a bright youth from Padua, full of law,
Seeking employment at his court.
SERVING WOMAN
A bold design!
MARCO
Only the bold do win the fairest prizes.
If I can win his trust, I can observe
His villainies and bring them to the light.
Come, let's observe the funeral procession.
Exeunt.
SCENE II. A vault
SCENE II. A vault in the chapel by the sea. Night.
Enter ANTONIO, LORENZO, OFFICERS, and a procession carrying a bier with the 'body' of ISABELLA. They place the bier in the vault.
LORENZO
My intended bride, now married to the worms.
A sad, sad day.
Exeunt all, locking the vault.
After a pause, ISABELLA wakes from her slumber. She sits up.
ISABELLA
The potion worked. I live, though cold and damp.
My Marco should be here.
She puts on a man's scholar clothing she brought with her.
Now am I Caius, Marco's friend. A youth
To cozen my own uncle. The time is ripe.
The vault door swings ajar; Marco has come.
Enter MARCO (disguised as 'Caius' from earlier, but now playing his own role, meeting Isabella disguised as 'Caius' friend').
MARCO
Isabella! Thou art safe!
ISABELLA
My Marco!
MARCO
Now art thou Caius's friend? (They are both called Caius now in their respective disguises)
We shall confuse the world with our new names.
Come, my bold spirit, let's to the Duke's palace.
The game is now afoot.
ACT III
SCENE I. A room of state in the Duke's palace. The next day.
Enter ANTONIO and LORENZO.
ANTONIO
The city mourns the Duchess, but the law
Must take its course. The lands pass to the state
Until a suit is filed.
LORENZO
'Twas my intention to secure her wealth,
But now I must secure my claim through law.
Enter MARCO (disguised as the young scholar 'Caius').
MARCO
I crave an audience with the noble Duke Antonio.
ANTONIO
Speak, youth, what is your suit?
ANTONIO
A bold youth. Your name?
MARCO
Caius, my lord.
ANTONIO
You have a ready wit. I need a clerk.
You are hired. Attend my chambers after dinner.
MARCO
I thank your Grace. Aside The fox has hired the hound to guard the hens.
Exit MARCO
SCENE II. A public square in Venice.
Enter ISABELLA (disguised as a different young male scholar, 'Caius's friend') and the SERVING WOMAN.
ISABELLA
My Marco is within the lion's den.
Now I must find a way to meet with him
Without suspicion.
SERVING WOMAN
What part shall you play?
ISABELLA
A rival scholar, also seeking fame,
Whom Marco (as Caius) must outwit in public.
We must stage a small debate in the piazza,
To make my Marco seem more excellent
In the Duke's eyes, and gain my own renown
To be a second pawn within the game.
It is a dangerous sport, but all for love.
Exeunt.
SCENE III. The Duke's study. Evening.
Enter ANTONIO and MARCO (as Caius) with papers.
ANTONIO
This reading of the law is sound, young Caius.
You have a clever mind. I trust your judgement.
We shall proceed against Lord Lorenzo's claim.
MARCO
The law is clear, my lord. The will is valid.
But rumour has it that a rival scholar,
A 'Caius Secundus', claims the will is forged.
He challenges me to public debate tomorrow.
ANTONIO
A public debate? Excellent! A show of wit!
You shall accept. I love a good argument.
Win this for me, young Caius, and your fortunes
Are made in Venice.
MARCO
I shall not fail your Grace.
Exit ANTONIO
MARCO
Alone
O, the sweet irony! Tomorrow I debate
Against my very love, my Isabella,
To prove her dead and make her uncle win,
Whilst truly planning his most certain fall.
Venice is now a stage, and we the players.
Exit.
ANTONIO
So young, so fair, and yet so soon removed!
The heavens are cruel when they steal our best.
Lock up the vault; let no man pass this way
Till morning light. We have a state to manage.
Exeunt.
MARCO
I am a scholar, full of Padua's law.
I hear your Grace has need of cunning counsel
Regarding the late Duchess's estate. I offer service.
The Duchess's Dilemma, or The Venetian Vexation: ACT IV
ACT IV
SCENE I. A public piazza in Venice. A debate stage is set up.
Enter ANTONIO, LORENZO, MARCO (as Caius), ISABELLA (as 'Caius Secundus'), and various citizens.
ANTONIO
Silence, citizens! We are here to hear a battle
Of words and law. Young Caius shall defend
My right to govern my late niece's lands
Against this upstart scholar, Caius Secundus.
Proceed!
ANTONIO
Greed? How dare you, youth?
LORENZO
He speaks with fire, but little sense of law.
MARCO
My learned friend, your passion warms the air,
But cools the brain. The law of Venice stands
Upon the letter, not the spirit's whim.
ISABELLA
Then by the letter, bring the body forth!
Let all the world confirm that she is dead.
For how can we discuss inheritance
If the true owner might yet breathe the air?
The vault was locked too quickly!
ANTONIO
Peace! The girl is dead! My own eyes saw her cold.
ISABELLA
Then let the Duke swear on his noble honour
That no ambition hurried her to grave!
CITIZEN
Hear, hear!
ANTONIO
This scholar is too bold! Guards, seize him!
MARCO
Hold, my lord! His point is sound in law.
For confirmation, let us to the vault.
The people murmur, and the state demands
A public showing of the Duchess's end.
ANTONIO
(Aside to Marco)
You fool, you fool! You aid the rival claim!
MARCO
(Aside to Antonio)
I aid your reputation, good my lord.
Let's prove her dead and silence all these jests.
ANTONIO
Then to the chapel! We shall prove them wrong.
Exeunt all.
SCENE II. The chapel vault.
Enter ANTONIO, LORENZO, MARCO, ISABELLA, CITIZENS, GUARDS.
ANTONIO
Open the vault! And let these doubters see!
(The vault is opened. The bier is empty. The crowd gasps.)
LORENZO
The body's gone! A miracle? A theft?
ANTONIO
By heaven, some trickery! Where is she?
ISABELLA
(Stepping forward)
Perhaps the law demands a living claimant?
Perhaps the Duchess lives?
ANTONIO
You mock me, boy?
Enter MARCO's Serving Woman, now with a letter.
SERVING WOMAN
A letter for the Duke!
ANTONIO
Read it aloud!
SERVING WOMAN
(Reads) "My Lord Antonio, I write to you from Padua, where your niece, the Duchess Isabella, has sought refuge from your cruel and forced marriage to Lord Lorenzo. She lives, and claims her right to the title and her love for the banished scholar, Marco."
ANTONIO
This is a lie! Where is this Marco?
MARCO
(Stepping forward and shedding his disguise)
Here, my lord, Marco stands before you,
The scholar whom you banished, and who loves
Your niece, the living Duchess.
ANTONIO
Treachery!
ISABELLA
(Shedding her disguise)
Nay, uncle, but a lesson in the law.
I am Isabella, the Duchess of Venice.
ALONSO
(Falling to his knees, dumbfounded)
My niece! Alive!
ISABELLA
You sought to sell my hand for gain and power.
I played the corpse to teach you what is true.
My heart is Marco's, and my lands are mine.
Lord Lorenzo, your suit is dismissed.
LORENZO
A wicked play! My suit is lost, my honour stained.
ISABELLA
Your honour was a price tag on a title.
Uncle, if you can grant your blessing now,
We shall have peace. If not, the law shall rule,
And all your scheming shall be made public record
ANTONIO
(Seeing the crowd's reaction, the game is up)
My niece, I see I have been overbearing.
My blessing you shall have, and my repentance.
ISABELLA
Then all is well. Venice, behold your Duchess!
And behold the man who won her not with gold,
But by his learning and his noble heart.
MARCO
And thus a scholar wins a Duchess's hand,
And order is restored within the land.
A flourish of trumpets.
Curtain.
MARCO
The law is plain: a guardian holds the sway.
The will confirms it.
ISABELLA
Nay, good Caius, you mistake the intent.
The will did state that she must marry first.
If she dies unwed, the lands revert to kin,
Not to a guardian's greed!
The Moor of Seville (Tragedy)
The Duchess's Dilemma, or The Venetian Vexation (Comedy)
A Midwinter's Masque (Comedy)
Writing in the Shakespearean style is an extensive creative process.
I offer the first act of a fourth play, King Arthur's Fall, a tragedy from the original list.
King Arthur's Fall: ACT I
Dramatis Personae
KING ARTHUR: The aging King of Britain.
QUEEN GUINEVERE: Arthur's Queen.
MORGANA LE FAY: Arthur's sister, a sorceress (appears later in the play).
GAWAIN: A noble knight, Arthur's nephew.
MODRED: Arthur's illegitimate son, a knight.
CORNWALL, ALBANY, GAUL: Loyal Dukes of the realm.
MESSENGERS, GUARDS, &c.
ACT I
SCENE I. A council chamber in Arthur's palace at Camelot. A map of Britain is on the wall.
Enter KING ARTHUR, weary and old, with GAWAIN, CORNWALL, ALBANY, and GAUL.
KING ARTHUR
Our kingdom is too large, our burdens great;
The weight of state doth press my aged bones.
I mean to shake all cares from off my shoulders,
Conferring them on younger strengths, while I
Unburdened crawl toward death. Our purpose is,
To give our kingdom and our power away.
We have three loyal dukes, who govern well,
But we shall split our realm in three more parts,
To see which loves us most.
GAWAIN
My lord, I do beseech you, do not so.
Trust not the words of flatterers; divide not
The kingdom you have made so great and strong.
kingdom you have made so great and strong.
KING ARTHUR
Peace, Gawain! We have considered this;
Our mind is fixed. Duke Cornwall, you shall have
The south; Duke Albany the north; and you, Gaul,
Shall take the lands across the narrow sea.
But ere we sign the papers, speak, which of you
Shall we say doth love us most? Our largest bounty
Shall fall on him who shows the deepest love.
CORNWALL
My lord, I love you more than words can wield
The matter; dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty.
ALBANY
I rate you as highly, sire, no less. My love
Is richer than all treasure.
GAUL
I cannot heave my heart into my mouth.
I love your majesty according to my bond; no more nor less.
KING ARTHUR
How, Gaul? Mend your speech a little,
Lest it mar your fortunes.
GAUL
I am sorry, sire. I have a wife, and while I love her well,
My duty to my king is bound by law and reason,
Not by a gushing, flattering river of false words.
KING ARTHUR
To Gawain
This is a curse! My youngest duke doth scorn me!
We had intended a more richer part
For you, but you are dowerless. Be gone!
We banish you for ever from our sight!
GAWAIN
The king is mad with rage!
Exeunt GAUL, escorted by guards.
SCENE II. A street in Camelot.
Enter MODRED, the King's illegitimate son, and a MESSENGER.
MODRED
The King has banished Gaul? And given all
To Cornwall and to Albany? The old fool
Hath lost his wits along with his domain.
Now is our time, the time my mother, Morgana,
Did prophesy. The crown shall fall to me.
MESSENGER
My lord, the kingdom is in turmoil;
The dukes already plot against each other.
MODRED
Excellent. A divided realm is easy game
For a clever predator. My father, in his dotage,
Hath done the work for me. He thinks he rests,
But he has lit a fire that shall consume him.
Go, spread the word that Arthur is a tyrant.
Exeunt.
SCENE III. Arthur's private chambers.
Enter KING ARTHUR, tormented by his decision, and QUEEN GUINEVERE.
QUEEN GUINEVERE
My lord, you have done ill to banish Gaul.
He was an honest man. The other two
Did flatter you most wickedly.
KING ARTHUR
My mind is troubled, Guinevere. The silence
Of Gaul did bite me harder than the praise
Of the others. I feel a storm approach,
A whirlwind of my own devising.
A trumpet sounds outside.
MESSENGER
Entering
My lord! Lord Cornwall and Lord Albany
Have raised their banners! They march on Camelot,
Demanding your abdication! They say
You are no longer fit to rule the realm!
Exeunt.
KING ARTHUR
Traitors! I gave them all, and they want more!
The thunder rumbles, and the rain begins.
My kingdom is a stage for civil war.
Arm me, Gawain! We go to meet the traitors!
O, fool that I was to trust in flattering words!
King Arthur's Fall: ACT II
ACT II
SCENE I. A camp in a field near Camelot. Rain and thunder.
Enter KING ARTHUR, GAWAIN, and loyal KNIGHTS. The King is disheveled and raving.
KING ARTHUR
The thunder rolls, but it doth speak my mind!
You elements, that owe me no subscription,
Let fall your horrible pleasure! Here I stand,
A man more sinn'd against than sinning is!
My daughters, no, my serpent-hearted dukes,
They have my power, and they have my heart-ache.
GAWAIN
My lord, come in, the storm will wrench the trees
From out the earth. The rain doth soak your flesh.
KING ARTHUR
You think I'll weep? No, I'll not weep.
I have a hundred reasons to a wrong,
And more to make my tears free. But I will not.
They'll have to deal with Gawain's honest blade!
Enter MODRED, disguised as a common soldier, watching.
MODRED
(Aside)
The old fool rages at the sky and rain.
His knights are few, their spirits weak and low.
The dukes shall have their way, and then I'll strike
And take the crown that is my bastard right
Exit MODRED.
KING ARTHUR
Let's to some shelter. I am wet and weak.
The storm within my mind doth rage as loud
As any tempest in the heavens above.
Exeunt.
SCENE II. A castle hall.
Enter CORNWALL and ALBANY, drinking wine.
CORNWALL
The old man's driven mad by our demands.
He wanders in the storm, a wretched thing.
ALBANY
'Tis for the best. A mad king is no king.
The realm needs order, and a firm, young hand.
We have the power now, the armies gathered.
Gaul is in exile, Modred is our friend.
CORNWALL
Modred? That bastard son? We must be wary.
He is a snake beneath the summer's grass.
ALBANY
He helps us now. We'll deal with him anon.
The crown is ours to split, and ours to keep.
Exeunt.
ACT III
SCENE I. A field. Arthur's camp.
Enter KING ARTHUR, now completely mad, with a crown of weeds, attended by GAWAIN.
KING ARTHUR
They say the Owl was a baker's daughter. Ay,
For all the world, they are a piece of him.
No, no, no, man; a man may see how the world goes
With no eyes. Look with thine ears: see how yond justice
Rails upon yond simple thief. Hark, hark,
Flush, you royal whore!
GAWAIN
O, see the difference between man and man!
To thee a king, a master, thus be treated?
We must fight, my lord! We have a loyal force,
Though small in number, mighty in their cause!
KING ARTHUR
Let's mock the great ones of the earth, and laugh
At them that think they are so high and mighty.
The great ones eat the little ones. All is for nothing.
Enter a MESSENGER.
MESSENGER
My lord Gawain, a force approaches fast,
Led by Lord Modred, marching with the dukes!
They mean to finish off the King and all his men!
GAWAIN
To arms, to arms! This day we fight for honour,
For the true King, and for the soul of Britain!
If we must die, we'll die like loyal knights!
Exeunt, preparing for battle.
SCENE II. The battle field. The battle commences.
Sounds of war. Shouts and steel clashing. Gawain fights bravely against many.
GAWAIN
The day is lost! The King is captured!
Enter MODRED, triumphant, with GUARDS and the captured KING ARTHUR.
MODRED
The crown is mine! The dukes did serve me well,
But now their usefulness has reached its end.
To a guard
Take Arthur to the tower; secure him well.
I am the King now! Long live King Modred!
KING ARTHUR
(Madly singing)
Hey non nonny, the rain it raineth every day.
MODRED
Silence the fool!
Guards take ARTHUR away. MODRED surveys the field.
MODRED
The battle's won, the kingdom's in my grasp.
But that sweet sister, Morgana, she'll want her share.
No matter, I shall deal with her when I am crowned.
The night is dark, and I am the new moon.
Exit modred.
King Arthur's Fall: ACT IV
ACT IV
SCENE I. A cell in the Tower of London.
KING ARTHUR, aged and mad, lies on a straw pallet.
KING ARTHUR
They told me I was every thing; 'tis a lie,
I am not ague-proof. They call'd me King:
When the rain came to wet me once and the wind
To make me chatter, when the thunder would not peace
At my bidding; there I found 'em, there I smelt 'em out.
Go to, they are not men o' their words: they told me
I was a king.
Enter GAWAIN, wounded, having escaped.
GAWAIN
My lord, my king, my uncle!
I have escaped the slaughter, come to free you.
KING ARTHUR
The little dogs and all,
Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-heart, see, they bark at me.
Thou owest the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool.
We are for the dark.
GAWAIN
His mind is gone. The villains have undone him.
We must rally the remaining knights, fly to Gaul,
And raise an army there to fight this Modred.
The kingdom suffers under a tyrant's heel.
Exeunt, supporting the King.
SCENE II. A hall in the palace. Modred's coronation preparations.
Enter MODRED, with followers. Enter MORGANA LE FAY.
MODRED
Sister, the crown is almost mine. The old fool's mad,
And Gawain has fled. The realm is at my feet.
MODRED
I fear no man. My mother's magic and my sword
Shall keep me safe. I am the King!
MORGANA
A short-lived reign, I fear. The wheel of fate
Doth turn most swiftly for the usurpers.
Your ambition blinds you to the storm to come.
Exeunt.
King Arthur's Fall: ACT V
ACT V
SCENE I. A field near Dover. A great army approaches, banners of Gaul fly high.
Enter GAWAIN with the army from Gaul, led by DUKE GAUL.
GAUL
Behold the shores of England, our true home!
We come to free the King from Modred's grasp,
And right the wrong that Arthur did commit
By banishing the loyal and the just!
Gawain, my general, lead us into battle!
GAWAIN
For Arthur! For Honour!
Exeunt to battle.
SCENE II. The battle field. The final battle commences. Swords clashing, shouts of war.
Enter MODRED and GAWAIN, fighting a duel.
MODRED
The realm is mine! You are a fool to fight!
GAWAIN
You are a traitor to your blood and crown!
(They fight fiercely. Gawain is struck down, fatally wounded.)
GAWAIN
O, my king! My uncle! I have failed you!
He dies.
Enter KING ARTHUR, brought on by guards.
MODRED
The last true knight is dead! The crown is mine!
Enter DUKE GAUL, fighting his way through.
GAUL
Tyrant! Your reign is over!
(Gaul and Modred fight. Gaul kills Modred.)
MODRED
A short-lived reign...
He dies.
(King Arthur, seeing Gawain dead and the field strewn with bodies, collapses.)
KING ARTHUR
Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones:
Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so
That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever!
I know when one is dead, and when one lives;
She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking-glass;
If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,
Why, then she lives.
GAUL
He speaks of Guinevere, who died of grief.
The King is lost in madness, lost in sorrow.
KING ARTHUR
This is a heavy night. This is a heavy night.
He dies of grief.
Curtain.
MORGANA
Not yet, my brother. The people hate you, fear you.
You have no right, no lineage that they love.
Gaul is assembling forces. Beware the honest man.
GAUL
The tragedy is done. The King is dead.
The kingdom saved, but at a fearsome cost.
We bear the bodies hence, a tale for ages,
Of a great king undone by flatterers' wages.
The realm shall heal, but bear these scars for ever.
The wheel of fate hath turned, and order is restored.
