AN EXCERPT FROM THE MUSE'S _LEAR 2020_
Act III
Scene 1
Animation of “Three Angels” (suggestion -- black screen, and words t the
song as they are heard, with three lights responding to the words) Three
Angels, first part:
Three angels bore home their burden with care
One had feet burning and one had a cane
And one came with mumbles and tangles hair
Grim was their journey and cruel was their trot
And short was their time, and long was their pain
And pain was their burden and time was their lot
The tracks that they made left a bloody red stain
The tracks that they made left a bloody red stain
The Beast they hunted was just out of sight
The Beast they hunted was just out of sight
And all of them knew the voice deep within
And all of them knew the voice deep within (end animation)
(Kent in the black city raining night, meeting with another man, probably a
member of the Motley retinue, speaks under a shelter.)
Kent: Who’s there?
Man: It’s me.
Kent: Good! Where’s Lear now?
Man: Out there, howling. (Indicating a broad direction)
Kent: There’s trouble.
Man: I know.
Kent: More than you know.
Man: What happened?
Kent: This thing between Goneril and Regan is getting worse -- they can’t
work it out -- they never could. And Woom is the bait. It’s no secret to
those who have ears and eyes, even if they think it is.
Man: And so?
Kent: France has ears and eyes you know. His lawyers are gathering now.
Woom has a thousand loopholes in it, you know - a legal nightmare! A
corporate lawyer’s Disneyland! The sharks are coming ...! At each other’s
throats. Woom is open prey! The contracts, the sub-leases, the union
settlement, even the home studio!
Man: Oh. But Lear ... ?
Kent: Lear never gave a damn! He made Woom. No one dared touch it as long
as he was it. But he’s not! He’s not! Not it, now -- not since..
Man: No, that he’s not. Who’s getting rid of who first then? Goneril?
Regan?
Kent: It doesn’t matter! It’s too late. It’s Cordelia we have to reach now
-- Cordelia. She will help him.
Man: Him?
Kent: Him. Lear. The man himself. He’s our only hope -- the rest is snake
soup. I never realized. Oh well -- Lear was musician first, remember?
Then a producer. Then the world’s greatest magical music-making mogul.
Woom incorporate, Amen. Lear never gave a damn.
Man: I’ll help.
Kent: Take this to Cordelia -- she’s in Suite 16 at the studio. France is
opening on the Way. You know the one. Put it in her hand yourself.
Act III
Scene 2
Kent watches, as we watch Kent. Scene is suddenly to Lear’s face, city
skyline behind him, in the rain -- thunder, lightening.
Lear: (softly) More lows. More lows. (Louder) Where’s the midrange?
Where’s the midrange? The snare? There, there, there! Cymbals? Cymbals?
Cymbals of what? Lightening? Pan it! Right, right, right! No, wrong,
wrong, wrong! On, where did I go wrong? Go on, go on. Drown us all. Who
cares? Who’s counting? I’ll count: one, two, three! Gone! All gone, all
gone. No thank you, no thank you. I say! Any Woom up there left for me?
Ha ha ha ha ha ...! How about a little Woom down here? Just a little, huh?
Fool: Yuncle Lear. I love you. Let’s go in. Oh please, let’s go in.
Lear: I’m sorry, I gave the Woom Inn away, my boy. To my daughter, Regan I
believe.
Fool: Good God’s holy water.
Lear: Go on, go on -- drench me to the bone. You don’t owe me one kind
word. Oh pity! You owe me nothing.
Kent: (appearing) Lear! Lear! What are you doing out here in this?
Lear: Watch! Watch them scramble, the cowards! The ones with secrets in
their hearts - the ones that have no hearts. They’ll be by here in a
minute, on their way to hell. Watch! The gods are driving them out to
judgment! See -- see? I’m not afraid. I am a man more sinned against than
sinning.
Kent: (putting his arm around Lear) Help me bring him in out of all this. I
know a place near here.
Lear: Ohh, I’m losing it, losing it. Fool?
Fool: Yuncle?
Lear: Come one, then, we’ll go as he says. Are you cold? I’m cold too.
Come on.
(Animation break with “Three Angels”)
A journeyman happened upon the spot
Where last the three had exhausted the night
Saw the trampled down flowers, smelt the rot
Of ripeness there, torn pages asunder
What ghastly blunder or demon rite
Here scarred his sight and dazed him like thunder?
As he stood and gazed with wooden wonder
A paradigm in weariness, a sin
In guilt akin he felt, his innocence plundered
Eternity might have passed if it dared
But something awoke him, something akin
To love -- straight he turned and followed it where
(End animation)
Act III
Scene 3
Glous: Edmund! They’ve taken over my house! Edmund, it’s savage what they
are doing to him!
Edmund: Who?
Glous: Lear!
Edmund: Savage? -- Perverted!
Glous: I’m going to do something, Edmund. I have a letter in my lamp -- you
know that lamp?
Edmund: That lamp, yes. A letter?
Glous: Shhh! It’s worse than you think. There’s good reason that Lear will
be restored to Woom. Friends, forces to help him are on their way. Tonight
-- now. It’s all in the letter, and they must never find it out ... because
Lear will be righted -- and the cost will be too great for those who have
wronged him. We have to help him now!
Edmund: Lear?
Glous: Yes!
Edmund: Of course.
Glous: Keep them talking. Keep their minds off me -- if they ask say I am
sleeping -- say anything, but don’t let them know I’ve gone and where. I
must find Lear. Please. Be careful. You’re my son.
Edmund: (watching the door close after him) Yes Father. No, Father. A
letter in the lamp! How quaint. How perfect. How into my hands my fortune
is falling. Oh, Cornwall, oh Lady Regan, Ma’am, I have a letter for you,
you will love to read ... I am going right now to get that letter, and I
am going to give it to Gon and Regan and Cornwall.
Act III
Scene 4
(Animation - Three Angels continues:)
They stood in a clearing, so weary and spent
Their journey was his; for him it was meant
He followed their path as before him the went
A roar from the beast far behind them was sent
They welcomed him in from out in the rain
They welcomed him in from out in the rain
They feasted him well with music and light
They feasted him well with music and light
At last he knew whose was the voice deep within
At least he knew whose was the voice deep within
(End animation)
Lear, Kent and Fool stand at door of warm, colorful, subterranean coffee
house, where the murmur of voices is dim, and the colors and music are most
evident. The other people in the room are members of the motley retinue, but
basically stay in the background. Edgar is there is his monk’s sack with
shaved question mark head. Lear does not recognize him.
Fool: Oh, thank God! (Shivering)
Kent: (to Lear) Go in! Go in!
Lear: Yes, go on in, boy. There.
(Fool goes straight in, trying to pull Lear in with him.)
Kent: It’s wet Lear -- come on in here.
Lear: I don’t care. Here, don’t shiver like that.
Fool: Yuncle, sit down. (To Kent) Make him sit down.
Lear: (remains standing) What is in here? (He squints across the room to
the figure of Edgar, who is looking back at him.) Do I know you? (Looking
down at Fool, who is looking at Edgar too.)
Fool: I see a ghost.
Lear: (beginning to take interest in the rest of the place) Oh, I remember.
You sing your soul out for nothing and it’s worth it. And just when they
begin to glow -- like this: see? See? They close. No money of course -
how could there be? Beauty and truth -- truth and beauty. But I’ve been
.... away.
Kent: Over here, Lear, sit here. She’s going to sing.
Lear: (sitting) I’ve been away too long.
(Squinting toward the stage where the singer’s face is not quite focusable,
however hard Lear squints -- in fact she goes very subtly in and out of
focus with lights and shadows helping the mask. It is Cordelia, but we
realize Lear does not know it.)
Who is she?
(Cordelia nods to Edgar, Edgar walks up to join her, bringing h is bass.
Others in the room are watching and taking notice. One takes out his violin
from under the table and starts to tune it. Another is opening a percussion
kit. We see someone filing past with a flute. As the song begins we see
others getting on stage with jews harp, spoons, and one takes an ancient
trumpet off the wall where it has been hanging, presumably since antiquity.
A guitar joins as well. We see a rafter view of everyone filing slowly up
to the stage end of the room, leaving Kent, Lear and the Fool alone to view
them at the other end. The song begins:)
“Destiny’s Gait”
Cordelia and Edgar:
Now I know that you sell fortunes
Kneeling by the gate
Destiny spoke in a well-dealt joke
But death it dept it’s date
You could see it thumbing
Down roads you didn’t dare
The face looked in, you saw it grin
It was looking straight at you -- looking straight at you
(Looking straight at Lear)
No I don’t think I’m living
On things I used to be
The song I sing is a golden ring
Hummin’ like a bee
Yes I hear you singing
Your song is everywhere
I can leave behind the hurt and pain
‘Cause I’m singing it with you -- singing it with you
(From Cordelia to lear, it is clear she is singing)
Lear: (suspension in the music) Cordelia?
(Song continues)
No I don’t know where I’m heading
But I do know where I’ve been
the lion roared when I broke my sword
I heard the voice within
Yes I heard you praying
While I rode my blood red mare
The life I led was the blood you bled
Lear: (suspension in the music) The life I led was the blood you bled
(Song resumes)
Now I’ll give mine to you
Now I’ll give mine to you
And yes I know just how it feels
To be so sick inside
You can’t put down that weary clown (Lear looks at Fool, who is grinning at
him)
Or tell the truth from lies
Can you hear what’s coming?
Do you buy it with a prayer?
The price of love is on the wain
And I’m paying it with you -- I’m paying it with you.
Yes my hedge is in a shamble
My wall is falling down
My garden weeds have gone to seed
My price is on the town
And I see you walkin’
The sun is in your hair
I’m bound to catch that homebound train
‘Cause I’m going there with you -- I’m going there with you
Someone said the angels
Come wrapped in ragged clothes(Lear looking at Edgar, then Kent, then the
Fool and back to Cordelia s she says “don’t say you didn’t know”)
The wind their ways across our days
Don’t say you didn’t know.
You’ve seen them walking
The sun shines in their hair. (Lear looking for the first time at the
motley retinue who are silhouetted black against the background light, the
light haloing their hair)
The song they sing is a golden ring
Humming in the air -- humming in the air
(Song in suspension -- loud crack of thunder suddenly deafening the room --
lights flicker, then go out. But as suddenly a light appears. It is
Cordelia, lighting a candle. She gives another candle the flame and it is
passed until all are lit, a kerosene lamp too, a chandelier. The glass in
the room is color stained, so the effect becomes visually like a midnight
mass. Bells begin the song again)
At Christmas time they sing the song
On Easter morning too
The song the sing is an endless ring
The chord is wound round you
And you heard it was coming
The day the saints walk in
The word was on, it struck you dumb
It all was meant for you -- it all was meant for you.
And sometimes in the silence
You know the price you paid
Was much too high -- it cost a lie
So you laid down and prayed.
(Lear has laid his head on his table and is looking into the light of a
candle, eyes open. Camera remains on him as song is heard in background,
though very clearly.)
And you knew it was telling
The truth you had to share
The soul you sell goes straight to hell
And you know that this is true -- you know that this is true
(Lear slowly stands)
Yes I’m dizzy where I’m standing
My heart is skipping rope
My knees can’t feel a place to kneel
I’m rolling down the slope
But I know you’re there to catch me
You caught me in your state
The old world looks so new and sane
When I’m viewing it with you -- viewing it with you
(Lear joins in singing with the others, though at times he is n o
necessarily heard. He is intently caught up in Cordelia)
My head is on the level
Now my legs are feeling lame
The words I seek I just can’t speak
Like it’s some kind of game
But I feel you watching
While I’m walking up that stair
Gonna pawn my crutch and lose my cane
Gonna take a walk with you -- take a walk with you.
(Edgar is standing as he was before the song began, no bass, staring at Lear
as before. Cordelia has disappeared. The other players are sitting at their
seats as though they had been there for hours. Edgar comes over and sits
down beside the Fool.)
Edgar: Do you think he could answer the questions?
Fool: The questions? Who? Him?
Kent: Who are you?
Lear: Yes, without a doubt.
Edgar: All of them?
Lear: Why not? I’ve used up all the wrong ones haven’t I?
Fool: Right!
Kent: Ones? What?
Fool: Twos, threes? Does it matter? That’s not the question.
Edgar: What is not the question? Do you know what is?
Fool: What is or what is not? That is the ontological question.
Lear: Shut up Fool -- he knows the answer.
Edgar: Do I?
Kent: Who are you?
Lear: He is who he is. It’s not ours to ask.
Edgar: Didn’t I once, in the manner of a proper player, play before
millions? Before millions of questions stopped me? Is it yes or is it no?
You answer. (Pointing to all three)
Kent: Me?
Fool: Wrong.
Lear: (to Kent) My friend, here is a creature who asks nothing. No Woom, no
kindness, no gratitude or love. Only questions. I want to join him.
Kent: Poor man. His daughters must have run him out of house and home.
Fool: Obviously.
Edgar: The question is why?
Lear: Yes, really. And you loved them with all your heart, didn’t you? And
you gave them everything? (To Kent) He gave them everything. (Totally
spaces out)
Kent: (to Fool) It’s pulling him apart. (To Lear) Come on, sit down. Get
him something. (Lear sits down to comfort Edgar)
Fool: Something? Something? Immediately, sir! Over here for this
venerable old man. One something, as fast as possible, please. (Blows
mouthpiece)
(Glous enters in shadow)
Edgar: It is a question of music -- is it? Isn’t it really love? Do you
know? I mean, do I know? (Suddenly hollering) Halleleuya! (Quiet) Don’t
you play for love? Our father loves us both, can’t you tell?
Kent: Who’s there?
Glous: Who’s that?
Kent: Harmless. It’s alright. What’s going on?
Lear: When recording, my friend, always remember this: it’s not what’s going
on that counts -- it’s what comes off! (As though giving it a second
thought, starts to unbutton his shirt. Kent stops him gently.)
Glous: Lear? Who have you found here?
Lear: Who are you?
Glous: Who is this? What is it? (Comes close into the light)
Kent: Shelter
Edgar: (beginning to shake) I’m cold.
Glous: Come with me now! Do you know what they would do to me if they knew
I was helping you? But I’m here. (To Kent) Help me bring him, I know a
place. Can you hurry?
Lear: Who?
Glous: Your daughters.
Lear: Daughters?
Kent: Come on.
Lear: First I want to know (to Edgar) what is your main line?
Kent: Please, please come now.
Lear: Just a word in private, please -- have you found the right questions?
Edgar: No, only the ones with answers.
Kent: As him again. His mind is bending.
Glous: I don’t blame him -- so is mine! Kent was right, he saw it, they’re
his daughters, my son. My son -- do the same. You know my son? Edgar --
my beautiful Edgar. I never loved a son so much. I’m out of my mind, right
out of my skull. (Thunder) God, what a night! (To Lear) Lear! Come with
me!
Edgar: I’m cold.
Lear: You stay with me. I have some more questions for you.
Glous: Take him, take him -- I don’t care. Just come.
Lear: Come on.
Glous: Shhh now ... no talking.
Edgar: Shhh..... (They exit)
Act III
Scene 5
The words of the following are seen against the background of Lear, Glous,
Kent, the Fool and Edgar struggling against the wind and rain of the storm,
up alleyways, under doorways, climbing stairs, going through back
passageways, and finally reaching their destination (by the beginning of
Scene 6) a room in one of Glous’ town houses. i.e. this scene (sc.5) is
only heard, not seen.
Edmund: It isn’t a question of loyalties to one’s father any more -- you
realize that don’t you? It’s deeper than that now.
Cornwall: Yes, it’s deeper. It’s much worse than anyone would have known,
if you hadn’t brought this to me. Hand in hand with France. Loyalty? Why
are you so concerned?
Edmund: Well, he is my father, you know.
Cornwall: Oh Father, father ... it took him long enough to call you son
didn’t it? (Long pause) Well, didn’t it? Loyalties? And you were so
shocked that Edgar wanted him dead.
Edmund: And maybe he had his reasons. Poor Edgar.
Cornwall: Yes, yes.
Edmund: It went with the letter into your hands -- do you know that?
Cornwall: What went?
Edmund: My loyalties.
Cornwall: Hands ... I’d like to have your father/s neck in my hands right
now -- may I be honest with you?
Edmund: It’s the only way to be.
Cornwall: Is he with Lear?
Edmund: Yes.
Cornwall: I thought so. Lear’s return. How pitiful.
Edmund: I think so.
Cornwall: Let’s get Regan.
Edmund: She should see the letter.
Cornwall: I can tell you now -- we want you in his place.
Edmund: My father? Gloucester?
Cornwall: Don’t be so coy. You’ve dreamed of it yourself, haven’t you?
Edmund: Dreamed? No. I’m strictly a realist.
Cornwall: The sooner we get to Regan, the sooner we can get him.
Edmund: Yes. Let’s get him.
Act III
Scene 6
The scene is one of Glous’ sound studio apartment. Obviously serving his
musical moods. Instruments are everywhere, leaning against walls, hanging,
even in pieces. There is a lavishness about the way obviously very expensive
instruments are simply left around in this room, or encased.
Glous: This will be better than out there. As soon as I can I’ll be back.
I won’t be long.
Kent: He doesn’t know the difference anymore. But thank you, we need to
rest, at least for a while. Thank you. (Glous leaves)
(Kent turns to watch the others. The Fool has quietly begun to see if his
sax mouthpiece will fit a magnificent saxophone he has found hanging from
the ceiling. Edgar has begun to check out the standing bass in a bass
shaped cleft in the wall. As he does so, Lear speaks:)
Lear: Have you played long?
Fool: (saxophone)
Edgar: Long before I found out how to. Not much since though. It’s hard
keeping them both happy.
Lear: Yes, it is.
Kent: Both? Who?
Edgar: The guys up above and the guys down below. The drums of hell and the
heavenly highs. They insist on jamming, you known, the truths and the lies
... Christians and the lions, beggars and kings, and things.
Lear: It’s a matter of love Edgar, around and around and around in a ring.
Fool: (saxophone)
Lear: (discovering Fender Rhodes under a gold threaded cover, and turning it
on) Take it away boys. (Beginning “Now she is a Beggar”, prelude to
“Questions”)
Kent: (tuning his own banjo which has been with him.) Be with you. (Edgar,
who has discovered the xylophone begins to play “Questions” and sing it:)
Questions I do not dare to speak
Lead me easy in and out
And all around and in and out
The gentle touches of your eyes
To answer you and face your face
And bear my chain as light as lace.
(Jam maybe -- short one)
As though the pain just wasn’t there
Unbent, unbound, beneath your care
As though the curse of hate could die
As though the hearse of love could lie
Weightless on my memory.
(Jam maybe again? -- short one)
And make instead a song of me
Laughter lost and unheard cries
The waste and weight of words like lead
Find a way to sing instead
And hear the hushes of your eyes
Bind the seam within without
And answer what could not get out
(There is an agonizing finish followed by dead silence. All eyes are drawn
to Lear who is seen standing and reaching for a very beautiful violin in a
glass case. He starts to talk to the others, hurriedly, almost inaudibly:)
Lear: Come over here, come over here, be my standards of inquiry, my judges
of antiquity -- see? It’s so old, so old -- an ancient enemy, a martyr to
iniquity, a mother so fair, so fair. See how she sines? Cordelia? Is it
you? Can you see? (Passing it to Edgar)
Fool: I can see. Can you? (Passing it to Fool)
Edgar: Is that the question? Don’t you mean “Can you hear?”
Kent: Let it pass. Lie down over here. Let it go.
Lear: Let it pass? But for what? It could be one of the others. It could
be Goneril -- can you see inside? There, there, bring a light -- can we
lift the edge a little? Can you see? (Passes it to Edgar)
Edgar: I see the dark. Tastes -- like dust. Smells -- like over-ripe
history. Feels smoother than a lie ...
Lear: (interrupting) Yes. I thought so. You will find I am right. It’s
Regan. You cannot tell from a distance though. You would never know, would
you?
Fool: (picks up the violin to play it) But listen!
Lear: (stopping him) No! (Then softly) no. The best one’s make no sound at
all.
Kent: Here. Here. Lie down. It’s all right.
Lear: It’s almost morning. We’ll have supper then.
Fool: And I’ll tell you a story.
Dream this, Lear.
(Lear closes his eyes and we see the Fool standing in animation brightness,
talking blues:)
(Animation)
(I spent my summer dime untieing ties
fish mouth open, open wide
Looking for color; but I’m
Untieing dragonflies)
Fish is me
Of water and shore too dark to see
Can’t see the lure, can’t climb the tree
Don’t have the heart; got caught in the hook
That took the long look
Into the dream
The bait I can see
Is caught in the snag of the double-time tree
Where the faces look and one can see me
Rusting the trust, unloosing the lust
Two facing faces swallow the dream
Where I can be free.
(Reaching down to drown in the dream
Steal fishing bait still waits
To die; and still I’m
Untieing dragonflies)
Fish is me, no hook to see
Shaken, still needing, forsaken, not bleeding
Still dreaming undying free fish is me
Left with the lie to catch and untie
Where dream-dealing, lie-reeling stealing
Still can’t steal me.
(Don’t have to bait my brother’s line
My sister’s still waiting
They swallowed the lie and I’m
Untieing dragonflies)
Dragonflies caught in the double-time tree
Unravel in time, in time to free me
No look to untie, I unhook the lie
That caught in the dream, I took the look
Long into the tie
And saw it was me.
(End animation)
(Glous enters)
Glous: Come with me now, you can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous.
Kent: He needs the rest.
Glous: He can’t stay here -- they’ll find us. Follow me, carry him if you
have to but hurry. I heard them talking. The want me too. I have someone
waiting to take you to the Way Past -- friends will meet you there.
Kent: Help me. (To Edgar and Fool)
Lear: Are we in the country yet?
Fool: Yes, Yuncle, country girls are waiting.
Edgar: Misery loves company. Let me carry him.
(Takes Lear from Fool’s arms. Fool acknowledging the contract in a single
moment. They exit, bearing Lear.)
In a close-up of the Fool’s face we hear the introduction barnyard sounds of
“Country Girl”. As the verse continues, the scene is a vivid sunshining red
rose morning color in the sky, an unlined country road, hay fields and a
tree near. The Fool is seen with his back to the audience dancing up over
the rise in the hill the road is following, to the strains of Country Girl,
as he heads East into the rising sun. He is blowing his mouthpiece, and is
in silhouette against the rising sun.
Sudden slamming of car door by Edgar as he finishes helping Lear into car
with Kent. It is still raining. He gathers his gunny sack around him and
hurries into the darkness, intent obviously on going somewhere in particular
in a hurry.
Act III
Scene 7
Glous’ apartment house, a room within
Cornwall: (to Goneril) Show this to Albany! (Gives her Glous’ letter)
France is closing in on us faster than we thought. (To servants) Find
Gloucester -- find him. He’s hurt us and now we need to hurt him. He’s
trying to help Lear.
Regan: Hang him!
Goneril: Tear his eyes out!
Cornwall: Leave him to me. Edmund, go with Goneril. You don’t want to be
here when we bring your father in. (As they are leaving) Tell Albany just
how things are. (Oswald enters; they pause to hear what he has to report;
as they are leaving:) Where’s Lear?
Oswald: Glous found him and got him to his friends. They’re on their way to
the Way Past, with those friends of his. And more are waiting.
Regan: No doubt.
Cornwall: (to Oswald) Go with them. (Wordless dispatching of the others;
exit Goneril, Cornwall, Oswald.) (To servants:) Get Gloucester. We can’t
kill him, unfortunately, but we can hurt him. We can hurt him.
(Gloucester is brought in by the servant who had gone out earlier)
Regan: Oh, he’s here! We have him!
Cornwall: Tie him -- tight.
Glous: What are you doing? What are you doing?
Cornwall: Tie him.
Regan: Hard. You filthy traitor! You two-facing, gutless drunk!
Glous: I’m not!
Regan: At your age you should know better.
Cornwall: Get him into that chair, and tie him.
Glous: You are my guests. You shouldn’t do this. What -- what are you
going to do?
Regan: We know the truth.
Cornwall: What other letter have you had from friends of Lear?
Glous: Friends? Friends?
Cornwall: Of Lear. What is your part?
Regan: Where have you sent him? Just say.
Glous: I do have a letter. And it’s not against or for anyone. It’s just
(can’t finish)
Cornwall: You’re lying.
Regan: We know you’re lying.
Cornwall: Where is Lear? Where did you send him?
Glous: The Way Past. Why?
Regan: The Way Past. But we warned you, we told you!
Glous: (silence)
Regan: Why to the Way Past?
Glous: Because I didn’t want to see you strip him naked and then kick him
while he was down. I didn’t want to see your sister nail him again and
again until there was nothing left but a poor old man. Pity him! Pity me!
Cornwall: Hold him! (Preparing to throw acid in his eyes, she holds a small
vial of liquid in her hands and unscrews the top)
Glous: Do you know what’s coming? Can you ..
(his scream breaks off his words as we see Regan pour acid in his eyes from
behind -- i.e. her head intervenes between us and the blinding. Animation
cuts off the scream about as quickly as the scream cut off his last words.)
(Animation of the song “Here”)
Here the wings of heaven touch me
Here the joys of earth surround me
Total goodness grows within me
Cradle sent and gentle borne
God knows whose hands will keep me
Inside the coldest womb of day
Time is kept and shepards prey
On wolves who howl and keep at bay
Their hunger for the silver spoon
The bones of lambs are made of clay
Here might I find a soul to love
Here might I find a soul to love
And sing to it the verse I know
Borne forever on my song
Borne forever on my song
(Scream resumes as though never cut off.)
Regan: Get the other one.
Cornwall: There’s time, there’s ....
1st servant: Stop it!
Regan: Who are you?
1st servant: What are you doing? (Picks up a steak knife from the linen)
Cornwall: You?
1st servant: I’ve been with you before you can remember when. What are you
doing here? I can’t believe this, and while I’m alive I’ll stop you!
(Regan stabs him from behind -- i.e., we cannot see as he comes between
Regan and us, facing us and Cornwall. As he receives the mortal wound he
speaks to Glous.) You have one eye left to see this. (He stabs Cornwall.
Cornwall responds by pouring the rest of the vial in Glous’ other eye,
unseen by us.)
Glous: Oh my God! Edmund, where are you? Help, please help me!
Regan: You fool. He hates you. He was the one who told us everything. He
hates you.
Glous: (close-up) Edmund? (Pause for the idea to focus.) Ed-garrr!
(An anguished extended cry interrupted by animation of “Here”, second part.
The animation interrupting the cry after about the same length of time it
took for the scream to interrupt the word and pause preceding it.)
(Animation of “Here”)
Dimness at the dawning stays
Splintered light dooms the day
What minstrels these who come to play
Their desperate tunes to dull the pain
Of care that turned its cheek away.
Here in morning darkness wait
Here I move between the gates
Of trust in love and the gentle great
Hand of time to bear me out
And find the hand that wears my fate.
Here might I find a soul to love
Here might I find a soul to love
And sing to it the verse I know
Borne forever on my song
(Borne forever on my song) (End animation)
(Sudden return tot he end of Glous’ anguished cry, as though no time had
passed.)
Regan: Get him out of here. He can smell his way to the Way Past.
Cornwall: Regan, I’m hurt. Do something. Get him out of here. I’m
bleeding. Get that out of here. (Indicating body of servant) Regan, help
me! (They exit into adjoining room.)
2nd servant: If anything good happens to him after this, I won’t think twice
about anything I ever do.
3rd servant; The same with her. If these are the ones on the top, where
does that leave us?
2nd servant: (indicating Glous) Let’s get something on his eyes -- I have
something. Do you know anyone who can help him get away from here?
3rd servant: Give him t the Doorman. He’ll know. He always knows what to
do -- he’ll find someone.
|
