In the Sunrise by Marianne Su
Digital Art
Death and the Lady, Or, It Is Not for Us to Be by Jules Roach
Shakespearean Style Script
Chorus: Three women, all alike in dignity,
From the world’s best, now to Verona’s night.
As children’s deaths loom to wealth of city.
One’s battle rages, others ne’er did fight.
From forth the mind of one’s death-markèd grief Comes here now the souls of two h*ll-bound saints. With a sinner’s sigh, but their virtue’s thieves
Lie beyond their grasp and their hearts so faint. Fair Ophelia’s father and the Lady’s King,
Deaths bring but guilt and sorrow with the strife While ambiguous ends meet ev’ry thing,
Lady Montague now seeks to cease her life. Insanity plots, its own hand to stay,
What we here shall show, is only a play.
Lady Macbeth: My husband.
Ophelia: My father.
Lady Montague: My son!
Lady Macbeth: All dead.
Ophelia: And for what?
Lady Montague: What did my fatal loins give forth but blood? Lady Macbeth: The blood. The blood...
Ophelia: My father. My father...
Lady Montague: My husband’s conflict... But my heart. My heart... -- Dearest Ophelia... please tell me... Ophelia: Yes?
Lady Montague: Whether ‘tis right to take that escape... that sweet embrace of death... or ‘tis the act of a coward, a commoner?
Lady Macbeth: Worthy companion, ‘tis neither right nor just... but ‘twas most cruel for our actions to become inactions and our deeds to become plots.
Ophelia: Don’t do it! My father should not have died so... His killer should have... They said... *hums softly under her breath*
Lady Montague: *addressing Lady Macbeth* Good lady, didst thou consider the consequences when you came to your end? Didst thou take into the measure of your life’s worth what was needed and subtract your iniquitous deeds?
Lady Macbeth: Aye, madam.
Lady Montague: Then thou shouldst have no say in how I measure mine. Have I done any wrong? Hadst I cared more, hadst I told my son “stay away! beware those women who will take thy heart and wring it such,” could I have avoided this terrible grief as I lose him?
Ophelia: Grief.
Lady Montague: *drawing her stately posture up* I have spoken little in life, so let me have my words in death. Hadst I made my choice before, wouldst thou have told me to stay my hand?
Ophelia: *finding her voice* They buried me... I saw him then... from above... I was a woman once! ‘Twas sweet, fair Ophelia, sweet maid, they called me. They said... Pebbles, not flowers! She didn’t die a Christian... They said... Angel! Unpolluted! ... Get thee to a nunnery! ... Naught did I want but their approval. Nothing!
Lady Macbeth: The poor girl is affected. Unsound. -- Listen to me! Screw your courage to the sticking-place and you’ll not fail in this final act.
Ophelia: But...
Lady Montague: I am tired. This feud, this constant warfare.
“Tired with all these, for restful death I cry,
As to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity.”
Lady Macbeth: “And purest faith unhappily forsworn, And gilded honour shamefully misplaced.”
Ophelia: “And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgraced,
And strength by limping sway disabled
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly, doctor-like, controlling skill.”
Lady Montague: “And simple truth miscalled simplicity, And captive good attending captain ill:”
All: “Tired with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.”
Lady Macbeth: Now, my husband is dead.
Ophelia: My father is dead, and each fount of authority and approval intertwined has gone from me.
Lady Montague: All I have expressed, all that has been expressed to me, is... my son. Now he is gone from me, is there but one course left to take?
Lady Macbeth: Yes!
Ophelia: Wait! *laughs nervously*
Lady Montague: I cannot. My husband! Find peace where I have none. Faithful was I, loyal was my heart always.
Lady Macbeth: My husband... he would have done... But no more! Our faults, our ambitions are our own weight to bear and carry. *Covers mouth with hand* Our responsibility to serve our time.
Lady Montague: I cannot.
*The three women disappear* *blackout*
Montague: (backstage) Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight!
From the world’s best, now to Verona’s night.
As children’s deaths loom to wealth of city.
One’s battle rages, others ne’er did fight.
From forth the mind of one’s death-markèd grief Comes here now the souls of two h*ll-bound saints. With a sinner’s sigh, but their virtue’s thieves
Lie beyond their grasp and their hearts so faint. Fair Ophelia’s father and the Lady’s King,
Deaths bring but guilt and sorrow with the strife While ambiguous ends meet ev’ry thing,
Lady Montague now seeks to cease her life. Insanity plots, its own hand to stay,
What we here shall show, is only a play.
Lady Macbeth: My husband.
Ophelia: My father.
Lady Montague: My son!
Lady Macbeth: All dead.
Ophelia: And for what?
Lady Montague: What did my fatal loins give forth but blood? Lady Macbeth: The blood. The blood...
Ophelia: My father. My father...
Lady Montague: My husband’s conflict... But my heart. My heart... -- Dearest Ophelia... please tell me... Ophelia: Yes?
Lady Montague: Whether ‘tis right to take that escape... that sweet embrace of death... or ‘tis the act of a coward, a commoner?
Lady Macbeth: Worthy companion, ‘tis neither right nor just... but ‘twas most cruel for our actions to become inactions and our deeds to become plots.
Ophelia: Don’t do it! My father should not have died so... His killer should have... They said... *hums softly under her breath*
Lady Montague: *addressing Lady Macbeth* Good lady, didst thou consider the consequences when you came to your end? Didst thou take into the measure of your life’s worth what was needed and subtract your iniquitous deeds?
Lady Macbeth: Aye, madam.
Lady Montague: Then thou shouldst have no say in how I measure mine. Have I done any wrong? Hadst I cared more, hadst I told my son “stay away! beware those women who will take thy heart and wring it such,” could I have avoided this terrible grief as I lose him?
Ophelia: Grief.
Lady Montague: *drawing her stately posture up* I have spoken little in life, so let me have my words in death. Hadst I made my choice before, wouldst thou have told me to stay my hand?
Ophelia: *finding her voice* They buried me... I saw him then... from above... I was a woman once! ‘Twas sweet, fair Ophelia, sweet maid, they called me. They said... Pebbles, not flowers! She didn’t die a Christian... They said... Angel! Unpolluted! ... Get thee to a nunnery! ... Naught did I want but their approval. Nothing!
Lady Macbeth: The poor girl is affected. Unsound. -- Listen to me! Screw your courage to the sticking-place and you’ll not fail in this final act.
Ophelia: But...
Lady Montague: I am tired. This feud, this constant warfare.
“Tired with all these, for restful death I cry,
As to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity.”
Lady Macbeth: “And purest faith unhappily forsworn, And gilded honour shamefully misplaced.”
Ophelia: “And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgraced,
And strength by limping sway disabled
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly, doctor-like, controlling skill.”
Lady Montague: “And simple truth miscalled simplicity, And captive good attending captain ill:”
All: “Tired with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.”
Lady Macbeth: Now, my husband is dead.
Ophelia: My father is dead, and each fount of authority and approval intertwined has gone from me.
Lady Montague: All I have expressed, all that has been expressed to me, is... my son. Now he is gone from me, is there but one course left to take?
Lady Macbeth: Yes!
Ophelia: Wait! *laughs nervously*
Lady Montague: I cannot. My husband! Find peace where I have none. Faithful was I, loyal was my heart always.
Lady Macbeth: My husband... he would have done... But no more! Our faults, our ambitions are our own weight to bear and carry. *Covers mouth with hand* Our responsibility to serve our time.
Lady Montague: I cannot.
*The three women disappear* *blackout*
Montague: (backstage) Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight!