Three Major Plays (14 page)
Authors: Lope de Vega,Gwynne Edwards
Tags: #Fiction, #Drama, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Continental European
ESTEBAN [
off
]. We have the tyrant and his vile
Accomplices. Fuente Ovejuna! They
Must die!
Enter
VILLAGERS.
COMMANDER. Wait, all of you!
VILLAGERS. Injustice does
Not wait!
| COMMANDER. You have to tell me what | 205 |
I swear.
VILLAGERS. Fuente Ovejuna! Long
Live King Fernando! Death to all
False Christians and foul traitors!
COMMANDER. Listen!
I am your lord and master.
| VILLAGERS. The Catholic Kings | 210 |
COMMANDER. Wait!
[
Exit the
COMMANDER
VILLAGERS. Fuente Ovejuna! Death to FernÁn GÓmez!
The men of the village leave. The women enter,
*
armed.
LAURENCIA. Halt! Women -- no, brave soldiers! This
Is where our hopes will be fulfilled.
| PASCUALA. He'll see what women are when they | 215 |
JACINTA. Stick
His body on our lances!
PASCUALA. We're all agreed!
ESTEBAN [
off
]. See how the treacherous Commander dies!
COMMANDER [
off
]. Please God, have pity! Help me!
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BARRILDO [
off
]. There's Flores!
MENGO [
off
]. Get him! He's the one who flogged me!
| FRONDOSO [ off ]. I'm not | 220 |
LAURENCIA. We should go in.
PASCUALA. Don't get so worked up!
Just watch the door.
BARRILDO [
off
]. I'll not be moved
By your tears, you puffed-up marquesses!
| LAURENCIA. Pascuala, I'm going in. What use | 225 |
[
Exit
LAURENCIA
BARRILDO [
off
]. Why, here's Ortuño.
FRONDOSO [off]. Slash his face!
*
FLORES
enters running, pursued by
MENGO.
FLORES. Mengo, spare me! I'm not to blame.
| MENGO. It wasn't enough to be a pimp, You went and whipped my arse as well! | 230 |
PASCUALA. Hey, give him to us women, Mengo!
Leave him to us! We'll see to him!
MENGO. He's yours. I know you'll do your best!
PASCUALA. Tit for tat for your flogging.
MENGO. See
To it!
| JACINTA. Come on, the traitor dies! | 235 |
FLORES. At the hands of women?
JACINTA. You think
It's not appropriate?
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PASCUALA. Is that
Why you are crying?
JACINTA. You organized
His pleasures. Now you die.
PASCUALA. Let's kill
The traitor.
| FLORES. Please! Have pity! | 240 |
Enter
ORTUÑO,
pursued by
LAURENCIA.
ORTUÑO. I swear it wasn't me . . .
LAURENCIA. I know
It was! Come! Stain your weapons with
The blood of these vile men!
PASCUALA. I'll kill
Until I have no strength for more!
| ALL. Fuente Ovejuna! Long live Fernando, | 245 |
*
Exit all. Enter
KING FERNANDO and QUEEN ISABEL,
and DON MANRIQUE,
Master of Santiago.
MANRIQUE. Our plan worked well and our hopes
Were quickly realized. Our troops
Faced little opposition, and if
| They had, I doubt it would have caused | 250 |
And will remain there just in case
Our enemies should try to take
It once again.
KING. A wise decision.
| It's best he stays and that his troops | 255 |
Is even more assured. If we
Do this, Alonso cannot do
Us harm, however many men
| He seeks in Portugal. Cabra is well | 260 |
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Advised to stay and demonstrate
His bravery. By doing so
He guarantees our safety here,
And like a loyal sentinel
| Protects the needs of our kingdom. | 265 |
Enter
FLORES,
*
wounded.
FLORES. Oh, noble King Fernando, whom
The heavens have chosen to become
The ruler of Castile:
*
I beg
You let me speak and tell you of
| The foulest deed the world has seen | 270 |
Its daily course.
KING. Control yourself.
FLORES. Oh, sovereign King, my injuries
Are such, my time so short, I must
| Inform you of these terrible | 275 |
*
without delay. I come
From Fuente Ovejuna. The people there
Have mercilessly killed their lord
And master: Fern?án Gómez murdered by
| His faithless subjects, vassals who, | 280 |
Without good cause. These people called
Him tyrant, and on the strength of that
Committed this foul deed. They broke into
| His house, and though he offered, as | 285 |
To their complaints, not only did
They fail to heed his words but rained
Upon the Cross upon his breast
| A thousand cruel blows. And then | 290 |
The ground where all the women caught
Him on their pikes and swords.
They dragged his body to a house
| And there, in competition with | 295 |
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Each other, tore his beard and hair,
And cut his face to shreds. Such was
The fury of the mob, that of
His mutilated flesh his ears
| Remained the largest pieces. They smashed | 300 |
Your coat of arms should take their place,
For his offended them. They then
Ransacked his house, as if he was
| Some enemy they'd overcome, | 305 |
Among themselves. I saw all this
From where I chose to hide, for my
Unhappy fate declared that I,
| Despite this tragedy, should live. | 310 |
But when night came I managed to escape
Unseen and bring you this account
Of what occurred. You are renowned
| For being just, your Majesty, | 315 |
Their evil deeds these criminals
Be made to pay.
KING. I promise you
They shall be punished. What you describe
| Is so incredible, I shall | 320 |
With orders to investigate
*
The case and punish those who are
To blame, so everyone may see
| Crime does not pay. He'll have a captain for | 325 |
Demand a punishment that is
Exemplary. See to this soldier's wounds . . .
Exit all. Enter the
PEASANTS,
men and women, with
FERNÁN GóMEZ's
head fixed on a lance.
*
MUSICIANS.
Long life to King Fernando,
*
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| Long life to Isabel; | 330 |
And let them rot in Hell.
BARRILDO. Let's hear your song, Frondoso.
FRONDOSO. It goes
Like this. If someone thinks he can
| Improve on it, then he can try. | 335 |
And our King Fernando,
They suit each other very well,
Their love is strong, their love is true;
| One day Saint Michael * at the gates, | 340 |
Till then long life to both of them,
And punish tyrants for their sins!
LAURENCIA. Barrildo, your turn.
BARRILDO. Alright,
| Here goes. I've put some effort into this. | 345 |
PASCUALA. Just sing it clearly. It'll be fine.
BARRILDO.
Long life to both the Catholic Kings,
For theirs is the victory;
We welcome them as our Lords
| To rule our lands successfully. | 350 |
We know they'll be triumphant,
Their enemies both great and small,
And down with cruel tyrants!
| MUSICIANS. Long life to King Fernando, | 355 |
A cruel death to tyrants,
And let them rot in Hell.
LAURENCIA. Now Mengo!
FRONDOSO. Yes, come on! Let's hear you!
| MENGO. You know I've a gift for poetry. | 360 |
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PASCUALA. Let's hear about the other gift, On the backside of your belly!
MENGO.
One Sunday morning recently,
He ordered me a whipping;
| I promise you it really hurt, | 365 |
But then we put them on our spit
And gave them all a roasting.
*
Long life to both our Catholic Kings,
| An end to the tyrants' boasting. | 370 |
MUSICIANS.
Long life to King Fernando, Long life to Isabel;
A cruel death to tyrants,
And let them rot in Hell.
ESTEBAN. Take the head down now.
| MENGO. He looks as if | 375 |
Enter
JUAN ROJO
with the royal coat of arms.
ALDERMAN. He's brought the coat Of arms.
ESTEBAN. Let's see.
JUAN ROJO. Where shall I put it?
ALDERMAN. Why, there, outside the Council Chamber.
*
ESTEBAN. It looks magnificent!
BARRILDO. A joy To behold!
| FRONDOSO. As bright as any sun, * | 380 |
ESTEBAN. Long live León and old Castile,
The bars of Aragón, and death
To tyranny! But listen now,
| People of Fuente Ovejuna. | 385 |
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I may be old but my advice
Can do no harm. The King and Queen
Will want to know what's happened here,
Not least because our town is on
| The route they take. You'd best | 390 |
FRONDOSO. So what is your advice?
ESTEBAN. On pain Of death you all say 'Fuente Ovejuna', And stick to it.
FRONDOSO. I think you're right. Fuente Ovejuna did it!
*
| ESTEBAN. Are you all | 395 |
ESTEBAN. Imagine, then, that I'm The judge. We'd best rehearse what we Must do. Mengo's to be tortured
*
first.
MENGO. There must be someone less strong-willed Than me!
| ESTEBAN. We're only pretending, Mengo! | 400 |
MENGO. All right, get on with it!
ESTEBAN. Who killed The Commander?
MENGO. Fuente Ovejuna!
ESTEBAN. You dog, you shall be tortured!
MENGO. Ahhhhh! You can kill me! I'll not confess!
ESTEBAN. Confess, you wretch!
| MENGO. All right, all right! | 405 |
ESTEBAN. Who killed him, then?
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MENGO. Fuente Ovejuna!
ESTEBAN. Turn The screw!
*
MENGO. I shan't confess!
ESTEBAN. To hell With the trial!
Enter the
ALDERMAN.
*
ALDERMAN. What are you doing here?
FRONDOSO. What's happened, Cuadrado?
ALDERMAN. A judge Has just arrived.
| ESTEBAN. Let's go! The other way! | 410 |
ALDERMAN. He's brought a captain with him.
ESTEBAN. Who cares If he's brought the devil himself! All of you know what you have to say.
ALDERMAN. They're arresting everyone.
ESTEBAN. No need
| To be afraid. Mengo, who killed | 415 |
MENGO. Fuente Ovejuna!
All exit. Enter the
MASTER OF CALATRAVA
and a
SOLDIER.
MASTER. You mean this really happened? I can't
Believe it. The poor man! For news
Like this you could be put to death!
*
| SOLDIER. My lord, I'm just the messenger. | 420 |
MASTER. How can a mere village, though Incensed, commit this dreadful crime? I'll take five hundred men and raze
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