Three Major Plays (15 page)

It to the ground. I shall obliterate

425

The memory of their names.

SOLDIER. It's best you calm yourself, my lord. They now obey the King. It would Not do to anger him.

MASTER. How can

They serve the King when they have sworn

430

Allegiance
^*
to the Order?

SOLDIER. The courts Would have to settle it.

MASTER. No court
Will give to me what was initially
Within his power. The King is sovereign,

I must accept it. And if they swear

435

Their loyalty to him, I must
Control my rage
^*
and now submit
To his authority. If I
Have made mistakes, my youth will be

My saviour and salvation. I feel

440

A sense of shame, but even so
My honour is what matters most.
I know full well my obligations.

They leave. Enter
LAURENCIA.

LAURENCIA. When we're in love, our fear for

The one we love becomes true anguish,

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And adds to love a greater care
When it concerns the one we cherish.
Although our love be strong and true,
Our fears affect our sense of trust,

And haunt us with the dreadful thought

450

The one we love may be lost to us.
I worship my beloved husband.
I know my life will be as nothing
If fortune does not favour him.

I only think of his well-being;

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His presence here adds to my worry,

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And yet I die when he's not with me.

Enter
FRONDOSO.
^*

FRONDOSO. Laurencia!

LAURENCIA. My dearest husband! It isn't safe. You shouldn't be here!

FRONDOSO. Am I to think my love for you

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Deserves such coolness?

LAURENCIA. Your life's at risk. You must stay hidden.

FRONDOSO. Heaven forbid I ever give you cause to grieve.

LAURENCIA. You've seen how cruelly the rest

Are treated, how furiously this judge

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Proceeds to punish them. You have
To save yourself, avoid the risk,
Not seek it out.

FRONDOSO. You think I could
Behave like that? Turn my back on all

My friends when they most need me? Leave

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You here to face the danger? No!
Don't ask me to! It isn't right
For me to save my skin and not
Concern myself with all of you
At such a time.

[
Cries off-stage

Listen! Someone

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Is being tortured. Listen!

JUDGE [
off
]. Speak! Old man, I want the truth!

FRONDOSO. Laurencia, They are torturing one of the old men!

LAURENCIA. They show no mercy.

-71-

ESTEBAN [
off
]. All right! All right

JUDGE [ off ]. So let him speak! Who killed Fernando?

480

ESTEBAN [
off
]. Fuente Ovejuna!

LAURENCIA. Such a noble father!

FRONDOSO. The bravest of men!

JUDGE [
off
]. The boy!
Still tighter! I know you know.
Say who it was. Why won't you speak?
Pull tighter still!

BOY [ off ]. Fuente Ovejuna!

485

JUDGE [
off
]. In the King's name, I'll hang you all With my own hands. Who killed the Commander?

FRONDOSO. They torture a mere boy and still He will not tell them!

LAURENCIA. Such brave people!

FRONDOSO. Each one courageous!

JUDGE [ off ]. Bring the girl! Stretch

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Her on the rack! Tighten the screw!

LAURENCIA. He's blind with anger!

JUDGE [
off
]. Believe me, the rack Will see to all of you! Who killed The Commander?

PASCUALA [
off
]. Fuente Ovejuna!

JUDGE [
off
]. Once more. Tighten!

FRONDOSO. He's wasting his time.

495

LAURENCIA. Pascuala refuses to tell him.

FRONDOSO. Why be surprised? The children do So too.

JUDGE [
off
]. You're only tickling them!

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Much harder!

PASCUALA [
off
]. Oh, God, have mercy!

JUDGE [
off
]. Again! Are you deaf?

PASCUALA [ off ]. Fuente Ovejuna!

500

JUDGE [
off
]. The fat one there, the one half-naked. On the rack with him!

LAURENCIA. It must be Mengo!

FRONDOSO. I'm afraid he'll tell them!

MENGO [
off
]. No! No!

JUDGE [
off
]. Now tighter!

MENGO [
off
]. No!

JUDGE [
off
]. Do you need assistance?

MENGO [
off
]. No, please!

JUDGE [ off ]. Then tell me, peasant! Who killed

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The Commander?

MENGO [
off
]. All right, I'll tell you.

JUDGE [
off
]. Ease off a little.

FRONDOSO. He's going to tell him!

JUDGE. Apply more pressure!

MENGO. No more, no more! I'll tell you.

JUDGE. Who killed the Commander?

MENGO. Fuente Ovejuna! Our little town! *

510

JUDGE. Who ever saw such scoundrels? They mock
Their pain. The very one I thought
Would crack is most defiant. Release them!
This has become most tiresome.

-73-

FRONDOSO. God bless you, Mengo! I was scared

515

Beyond belief, but you have overcome My fear!

Enter
MENGO, BARRILDO,
and the
ALDERMAN.

BARRILDO. You were brilliant, Mengo!

ALDERMAN. Oh, very good indeed!

BARRILDO. A star!

MENGO. Oh, ah!

BARRILDO. Here, have a drink! Take this!

MENGO. Oh, ah! What is it?

BARRILDO. Lemon curd. *

520

MENGO. Aaahh!

FRONDOSO. Get it down you!

BARRILDO. That's the way.

FRONDOSO. He's drunk it all. Now he'll be fine.

LAURENCIA. Give him some food.

MENGO. Oh, ah!

BARRILDO. Have this On me!

LAURENCIA. He only wants the wine!

FRONDOSO. A man who's said 'no' should have some, yes?

525

BARRILDO. Do you want another?

MENGO. Ah, no, yes, yes!

FRONDOSO. And you deserve it, Mengo!

LAURENCIA. Just look At him knocking them back!

FRONDOSO. Give him

Some clothes. He must be freezing.

-74-

BARRILDO. Do you want Some more?

MENGO. Three or four? Fine, fine!

530

FRONDOSO. He really means 'wine, wine'!

BARRILDO. Here, drink It down. A man who's said 'no' deserves His wine. What's wrong with it?

MENGO. It's rough, That's what. And it's gone to my head.

FRONDOSO. The best place for you is in your bed!

535

Who was it killed the Commander?

MENGO. Fuente Ovejuna! Our little town!

[
Exit all, except
FRONDOSO
and
LAURENCIA

FRONDOSO. They do right to praise him. So tell me, My sweet, who killed the Commander?

LAURENCIA. Why, Fuente Ovejuna!

FRONDOSO. The truth!

540

Who killed him?

LAURENCIA. Oh, my sweet, you don't Half scare me! Fuente Ovejuna!

FRONDOSO. Then tell me! How did I kill you?

LAURENCIA. By making me love you to death, that's how!

Exit both. Enter the
KING
and
QUEEN.

ISABEL. This is a true surprise, my lord.

545

I wasn't expecting you.

KING. And such A joy to see you once again!
^*
I was on my way to Portugal. I couldn't resist breaking my journey.

ISABEL. I trust you will never resist, my lord,

550

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Such welcome opportunities.

KING. What news of Castile?

ISABEL. At last it is At peace. Everything seems calm enough.

KING. I'm not surprised. You are the one

Who fought to bring that peace.

555

Enter
MANRIQUE.

MANRIQUE. The Master of Calatrava attends you. He is outside and seeks an audience.

ISABEL. Then show him in. I wish to speak with him.

MANRIQUE. I would point out that though he's young

In years, he is a valiant soldier.

560

Enter the
MASTER OF CALATRAVA.

MASTER. Rodrigo Téllez Girón, Master
Of Calatrava. I come to seek
Forgiveness, knowing that I was
Deceived and ill-advised in causing you

Displeasure. I was misled both by

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Fernán Gómez and my self-interest.
I humbly beg that you forgive me.
If I am worthy of such favour,
I swear that from this moment on

I am your loyal and obedient servant.

570

The great campaign you plan against
Granada
^*
. . . I promise you you'll see
The valour of my sword. Before
It's even drawn, the Moors shall know

What fear is and see my crimson cross

575

Fly from their battlements.
Five hundred soldiers now in my
Command shall fight on your behalf.
You have my word that I shall not
Offend again.

KING. Rise, Master. You are

580

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Most welcome here and always shall be.

MASTER. Your words, your Majesty, provide True comfort to the penitent.

ISABEL. Young man, you show true spirit. In that

Respect, your deeds are equalled by

585

Your speech.

MASTER. Your majesties, you are The lovely Esther, the mighty Xerxes.
^*

Enter
MANRIQUE.

MANRIQUE. The judge who went to Fuente Ovejuna . . . He has returned and wishes to report, Your Majesty.

KING. You shall decide what's to

590

Be done with these assassins.

MASTER. If it
Were up to me, your Majesty,
They'd get what they deserve. How dare
They murder the Commander!

KING. The matter is
No longer in your hands.

ISABEL. But soon

595

Will be in yours, my lord, God willing.

Enter the
JUDGE.

JUDGE. I went, as you instructed me,
To Fuente Ovejuna, and there
Made every effort to investigate

The crime. I could not find a scrap

600

Of proof as to the murder; the evidence
Is not enough to fill a single page.
The citizens are all of one accord,
United in their fortitude,

For when I asked who was to blame,

605

They all replied: 'Fuente Ovejuna'.

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I tortured them, three hundred on
The rack, including boys of ten
Years old, but none would tell me more.

Whatever method I employed,

610

From force to flattery, had no
Effect. And so, your Majesty, all
Of them must now be pardoned or
Be put to death. They come before you.

They wish to state their case and let

615

You question them.

KING. Then let them enter.

Enter the two
MAGISTRATES, FRONDOSO,
the
WOMEN,
and a group of
PEASANTS.

LAURENCIA. Is that the King and Queen?

FRONDOSO. Rulers Of all Castile.

LAURENCIA. I swear they are
The finest couple. Saint Anthony
^*
bless them!

ISABEL. Are these the villains?
^*

ESTEBAN. Fuente Ovejuna,

620

Your Majesty: your humble and
Obedient servants. The tyranny,
The cruelty, the insults of
The dead Commander, they were the cause

Of all the trouble. He robbed us of

625

Our own possessions, raped our women,
And showed us not the slightest mercy.

FRONDOSO. This girl . . . Heaven favoured me with her,
So making me the happiest of men . . .

Was seized and carried off by him

630

On our wedding-night, as if
She were his property. What would
Have happened is quite plain if she'd
Not fought him off and showed how virtuous
She is.

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