play by Ruth Salles
This play, for students aged 12 to 13, was written based on the narrative by Maria Christiane Benning¹, in the book König Artus und Merlin, which tells the birth and childhood adventures of Mérlin, the legendary wizard known as King Arthur's advisor.
CHARACTERS:
chorus of characters
choir of demons
Merlin
the evil one
demon 1
demon 2
Demon 3, who makes himself king
Merlin's Young Mother
the hermit Blasius
Chief of guards (guard 1)
Guards (2 and 3)
angels
Merlin's Voice Choir
vortex
builders
astrologers (7)
Children (one is the talking boy)
two dragons
uther
Pendragon
Arthur
SCENE 1
Place where demons live
CHORUS OF DEMONS (sings, while the Evil One walks desperately from one side to the other, also singing):
"Who is this man?
Who is this man,
that brings down the gates of hell?
I feel the inner fire burning in me!
Who is this man?
Who is this man,
who came my captives to redeem?
His power I cannot resist!”
CHORUS OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS (speaking):
– The Evil One roared, enraged,
for having Christ Jesus
down to hell,
saving souls with its great light.
MALIGNANT:
- I've always believed so much
that all beings born of women were mine…!
DEMON 1:
– But this one was conceived by the Holy Spirit
in the body of a virgin, by the will of God!
CHORUS OF DEMONS:
– We have to regain our power!!
DEMON 2:
- Let's try to find
a means of generating
in the body of a virgin another being,
conceived by our spirit!
DEMON 3:
- I can! I can! I will!
I will take the form of a king and descend.
There is a virgin who does not know who I am.
I know she will feel my fascination.
It will be under my domain.
From her will our Servant be born,
to defeat Christ the Redeemer.
SCENE 2
Clearing in the woods where the virgin lives
CHORUS OF CHARACTERS (sings, while the girl takes care of the plants and the hermit approaches):
“The young woman lived there in the woods,
full of love and grace.
Of the sufferers always treats
and there is no good that it does not do.
A good hermit, on his mountain,
descend from the heights.
Know the Evil One and his fury
against pure souls.”
HERMIT:
- Good girl, when you lie down,
never forget to pray.
This is how God gives protection
to the purity of a heart.
Who is of God does not despair,
nor has hate in thought.
For the Evil One takes hold
who has these feelings.
(The hermit blesses the girl and leaves; the girl withdraws. Demons take off their red cloaks and appear to her in the form of girls and boys.)
BOY DEMONS:
- Come soon! What softness is this?
Leave this dull life!
Our wine is a party!
Let's eat a good game!
GIRLS DEMONS (as the young woman struggles to escape):
– Look at the guys peeking…
Make the craziest hairstyle!
Come soon and show yourself!
Get out of this quiet place!
YOUNG WOMAN (fighting and then talking to herself):
– Let go of me! Leave me! Get out of here!
(They leave)
- I'm starting to despair...
Every night someone comes to attract me,
and I can't even pray!
YOUNG WOMAN (reclining, dreaming, singing along with the chorus of characters, while the demon-king walks around her):
“I dream that I am tired, so sad, alone.
I live in a beautiful kingdom and I am the queen.
I dream that a king is coming and that we are going to get married.
Everyone at the big party is dancing…”
(At this point, the young woman and everyone else dance. Afterwards, they surround the young woman, forming the tower, which spins.)
YOUNG WOMAN (reclining, sings again with the choir; the demon-king has disappeared):
“I dream that I was sad, tired, alone.
A kingdom appeared, and I was the queen.
I dream that a king came and that we were married…
A dense cloud descends, I'm about to wake up..."
YOUNG WOMAN (waking up, startled):
- Oh my God, what tower is this?
What holds me, what surrounds me?
Who raised me to this height?
Everything turns! How silly...
Hermit! Holy Master!
O God, what torment is this?
HERMIT (arriving):
- My daughter, here I am!
It was the Evil One who imprisoned her.
But how he did it, I don't know...
YOUNG:
– My holy master, I will tell you.
In the despair of my heart,
I totally forgot about prayer.
When I slept, I dreamed that a king came,
and at the party with him I got married.
Everyone danced, in my dream.
But now I feel a dreadful terror,
because I predict that it will be born
of myself a strange being.
Sorry, my father! It's on your knees
I beg your good advice!
HERMIT:
– God forgives your pure soul,
but don't wallow in bitterness.
We will win at last,
delivering your child from evil.
I give you my blessing, and the tower crumbles.
(add the tower)
Come to the mountain to live in holy peace.
(The two walk to the mountain; one of the musical themes may be played.)
SCENE 3
Mountain where the hermit lives
HERMIT:
– Now listen: be careful
with what you eat, my daughter.
The devil may have changed
a good dish in a trap.
Eat black bread and drink water,
and you will have no reason to be sorry.
Pray a lot and think about this:
your child will serve Christ.
And it will help a lot men.
Merlin must be your name.
Must be Merlin, don't forget!
Now be in peace and obey me!
YOUNG (with amazement):
– Merlin?
CHORUS OF THE CHARACTERS (with joy):
– Merlin!
CHORUS OF DEMONS (with doubts):
– Merlin…
(Trays of appetizing dishes are passed. The young woman is tempted to eat, but she always turns to her black bread and water. She puts herself in prayer. This whole movement can be accompanied by the music of the song. At the end of the song, they pass through the road with armed men. The hermit goes to meet him.)
HERMIT:
– What are the guards looking for,
armed that way?
HEAD OF GUARDS:
– We searched the forest for a magic tower
where a young and terrible sorceress lives.
This very day she must be burned alive.
The judge ordered us to take her captive.
HERMIT:
- Tell the judge he is wrong
and that the hermit Blasius
sent you this message.
The young woman is a saint who lives in prayer,
keeping the purity of your heart.
GUARDS (laughing and advancing towards the hermit):
– Old liar! Get off the road!
HEAD OF GUARDS:
– Stop! The hermit is an honorable person.
Everything he says is always true.
Let's take your message to the judge.
(They leave)
YOUNG (sings along with the choir of characters):
“I know that my little boy
feel my affection...
It will be born now.
The time has come.
Angels are passing by,
come to comfort me,
everyone preparing
who will arrive...
(Angels pass by. The young woman makes a gesture that she already has the child in her arms.)
CHORUS OF DEMONS (approaching and observing the child):
– Merlin was born big, ugly and hairy!
He took after his father in everything!
It's a mage! Can you read the past?
the present and the future!
he really belongs
to our dark world!
(turn with joy)
YOUNG WOMAN (looking at his son):
– My poor little boy, how strange he is…
My heart is already grieving… (She cries)
Is it to the devil that your soul belongs?
HERMIT (arriving):
- My daughter, do not be worried.
The child will be baptized.
(Baptizes in silence and ends)
In the name of the Father, of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Dry the tears from your tears.
CHORUS OF DEMONS (all agitated):
- Let's call the Evil One!
- It's all over!
- We've lost power!
– He was baptized!
– Love and purity formed a shield!
(fight the shield)
– He will follow Jesus Christ in everything!
(spinning out)
CHORUS OF CHARACTERS (representing the voice of Merlin):
- My mother, don't be so distressed.
I was once beautiful as the rose of the field.
But the flower must die
for the fruit to ripen.
It matured in me, deep inside,
the wisdom of the world.
YOUNG:
– Oh, what a fright! My little boy spoke!
But my soul calmed down...
It's all so empty and poor here,
in this hut where I received him.
Oh, if only I had,
some of my parents' wealth,
my son would be surrounded by beautiful things!
MERLIN'S CHORUS:
- Those who became poor
by the will of the Lord,
no longer seek wealth
and find greater wealth.
(Flute music for scene change.)
SCENE 4
king's castle
CHARACTERS' CHORUS:
– When King Constantine died,
three children he left.
Moines, the eldest, then reigned.
But, for your bad,
still a child,
named Vortigen his seneschal.
CHORUS OF DEMONS (happy):
– Vortex
was a despot,
tyrannical,
maleficent!
EVIL (wringing hands in joy):
- I just know
that Moines, the little king,
in a short time he ordered to kill
and reigned in his stead.
CHARACTERS' CHORUS:
– The two brothers from Moines
were hidden far away.
and Vortigen long reigned,
and all the people hated him.
VORTIGEN:
- A great fear grows
in my heart…
For King Moines had two brothers
who are now men, and will soon return:
One is called Uther, the other Pendragon,
which means "dragon head".
And if they come, they'll soon crush me!
My builders, come here!
(builders enter)
I want you to build it now
a very tall tower,
where i can stay sheltered
if attacked.
BUILDERS (sing with a lot of rhythm and movement):
“– We have the best material
to join sand to stone and lime.
Meters of wall rose.
All the stones have already been firmed
The king will have nothing to fear…”
VORTIGEN (astonished)
- What is that noise?
BUILDER 1:
– The tower is shaking!
BUILDER 2:
– Scales… scales…
BUILDER 3:
- Fell apart…
VORTIGEN (horrified):
- Dropped down!!
BUILDER 1:
– The foundations were not well strengthened!
BUILDER 2:
– That's why the tower must have fallen!
BUILDERS (sing at work):
“– We have the best material
to join sand to stone and lime.
Meters of wall rose.
All the stones have already been firmed
The king will have nothing to fear…”
VORTIGEN (startled):
- What is that noise?
BUILDER 1:
– The tower is shaking!
BUILDER 2:
– Scales… scales…
BUILDER 3:
- Fell apart…
VORTIGEN (terrified):
- Dropped down!!
BUILDER 1:
– The foundations must go deeper!
BUILDER 3:
– It will be the strongest tower in the world!
BUILDERS (sing again at work):
“– We have the best material
to join sand to stone and lime.
Meters of wall rose.
All the stones have already been firmed
The king will have nothing to fear…”
VORTIGEN (desperate):
- What is that noise?
BUILDER 1:
– The tower is shaking!
BUILDER 2:
– Scales… scales…
BUILDER 3:
- Fell apart…
VORTIGEN (furious):
- Dropped down!!!
But what is this fatality?
Get my seven astrologers here quickly!
(Enter the seven astrologers and bow before the king)
VORTIGEN:
- I order you to find out
what makes my tower fall!
(Astrologers look at the sky, make calculations, then gather, facing the audience, so the king does not hear.)
ASTROLOGERS:
1 – The stars are silent.
2 – They don't tell us anything.
3 – But they show that a child will appear,
4 – And when she comes, the king will die!
5 – She is now seven years old, and the daughter of a virgin
and a father who is not human.
6 – We are all in danger. What shall we say to the king?
7 – I know what to say. And I will say it myself.
(turns to the king)
SEVENTH ASTROLOGER:
- Lord King, with what our knowledge reaches,
we discover that there is a child,
daughter of a virgin
and a father who is not human.
It's a boy. He's seven years old.
send the king now
many men around the world,
in order to find and kill him.
Your blood must be spilled, so
the cornerstone of construction.
So the tower will never fall again.
VORTIGEN:
— Well, so be it, and so it will be!
SCENE 5
Place where children are playing with Merlin
(Three of the king's guards arrive and see the children playing; on one side are Blasius and Merlin's young mother. Merlin sees the two guards and then purposely hits a boy, who insults him.)
BOY:
- You suck, filthy boy!
Your father is not even a person of this world!
(the children leave, except for Merlin)
GUARD 1:
- You heard? This could only be the boy.
GUARD 2:
- And even. We arrived at our destination.
GUARD 1:
“Boy, we have to take him to the king.
MERLIN:
– Because of the falling tower, I know.
GUARD 2:
– How does he know about the whole affair?
Is he a sorcerer by any chance?
MERLIN:
– I will go with you willingly.
The king will know the whole truth.
– Farewell, Master Blasius! - Farewell, my mother!
HERMIT:
– Follow your destiny in peace.
YOUNG:
– Go with God, my boy!
SCENE 6
king's castle
GUARD 1:
- We brought the boy. I think he's a sorcerer
for he knows the mysteries of the whole world.
MERLIN (speaks in a strong voice):
– Vortex!
Spilling my blood won't help
so the tower doesn't collapse.
Astrologers lied out of fear.
But I will reveal the secret.
Underneath the building there is a river flowing,
where two blind dragons are living.
The tower's weight is too much for both of them.
The earth shakes and then everything falls.
The ground you must dig, and the river must dry up.
Soon we will see the dragons, and the two will fight.
One is white, the other is red.
Get to work, that's what I advise.
(The work is done and the dragons appear, fighting each other.)
VORTIGEN (distressed):
- Merlin, you won't say
which dragon will win?
MERLIN:
- White will win. And I won't say any more.
The meaning of everything in the end I will reveal.
(The fight continues, and the white dragon wins, dying too, afterwards)
MERLIN:
– Now the tower can be built,
where the lord king wants to hide.
VORTIGEN:
– You know everything. But in your visions,
what did you find out about the two dragons?
MERLIN:
– Know, lord king, that the white dragon
represents the sons of King Constantine.
The red dragon represents the lord
and his reign of force and terror.
Uther and Pendragon will soon arrive
and the royal crown will regain.
The tower so safe will be set on fire,
and there, Vortigen,
your life will be over.
(A great confusion drives the demons away, and Vortigen and his men fall.)
FINAL SCENE
With the dragon's banner, Uther and Pendragon enter, and Arthur behind; to one side, the holy hermit writes with a quill
MERLIN:
– The victors are coming.
It's the future approaching.
And everything I'm saying
the holy hermit is writing.
It's a great book about these heroes,
Uther, Pendragon and Arthur shortly after.
At the round table are the knights,
and all of them, after all,
will go out in search of the Holy Grail.
And how to find it? How to get?
Only the purest God will allow.
(The play may end with one of the play's musical themes or some other song.)
*1: BENNING, Maria Christiane. König Artus und Merlin. Publisher J.C. Melling, 1991.
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