Three Major Plays by Lope de Vega, Gwynne Edwards Page B

town, come quickly! Restore your honour!
    Enter PASCUALA, JACINTA, and others.
    PASCUALA. What is it? Why this shouting?
    LAURENCIA. See there!
    LAURENCIA. They go to kill FernÁn GÓmez,
Our men, both young and old, as well 150
As boys, all joined in common cause. But do you think that they alone
Deserve the praise for this, that they
Have suffered more than us?
    JACINTA. So what do you have
In mind?

LAURENCIA. We should arrange ourselves
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In ordered ranks to undertake
A task which will amaze the world.
Jacinta, the wrong you suffered means
That you should be the corporal in
Our women's regiment.

JACINTA. But yours 160

Was just as great.
    LAURENCIA. Pascuala, our ensign.
    PASCUALA. I'll find a flagpole for our flag.
    -58-

I'll show you I deserve to be
Our standard-bearer.
    LAURENCIA. No time for that.
Since fortune favours us, our shawls
165
Shall be our flags.
    PASCUALA. Let's choose a captain.
    LAURENCIA. No.
    PASCUALA. Why not?
    LAURENCIA. Because no hero from the past,
No Cid or Rodamonte * is
My match in bravery!
    Exit the women. Enter FRONDOSO * with his hands tied;
FLORES, ORTUÑ, CIMBRANOS, and the COMMANDER.

COMMANDER. The rope you've used to tie his hands . . .
170
There's some left over. Use it to string
Him up. Make him suffer even more.
FRONDOSO. You do your name much good by this,
My lord!
    COMMANDER. Hang him from the battlements.
FRONDOSO. But I'd no intention of killing you.
175

    [ Noise off
    FLORES. Listen! That noise!
    COMMANDER. What is it?
    FLORES. They want
To stop the judgement, sir.
    [ Noise
    ORTUÑO. They try
To break the doors down!
    COMMANDER. The doors of this house,
The residence * of our sacred Order?
    -59-

FLORES. The entire town is there!

JUAN ROJO [ off ]. Come! Break
180

It down, smash everything! We'll burn
It to the ground!
    ORTUÑO. The people rise against us.
We'll never stop them.
    COMMANDER. Against me?
    ORTUÑO. Such is the fury of the crowd,
They've smashed the doors down.
    COMMANDER. Untie him! 185
Frondoso, calm the magistrate.
    FRONDOSO. I'll try, my lord. Their love for me
Inspires them.
    [ Exits
    MENGO [ off ]. Long live the King
And Queen! The traitors have to die!

FLORES. My lord, they must not find you here.
190

    COMMANDER. What they will find is that this room
Is strong and well protected. They'll soon
Turn back.
    FLORES. When people rise against
The wrongs that have been done to them,
They never stop until they've tasted blood
195
Or been avenged.
    COMMANDER. This door will serve
As our portcullis, these swords as our
Defence.
    FRONDOSO [ off ]. Long live Fuente Ovejuna!
    COMMANDER. Oh, what a leader! Let's meet them face
To face, show them how rash they are!
200

    FLORES. My lord, it's you who might be rash.
    -60-

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
Injustices they are. I'll put them right,
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
Are our lords and masters!
    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
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Want vengeance. We'll drink his blood!
    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!
    -61-

BARRILDO [ off ]. There's Flores!
    MENGO [ off ]. Get him! He's the one who flogged me!

FRONDOSO [ off ]. I'm not
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Avenged until I've ripped his soul out!
    LAURENCIA. We should go in.
    PASCUALA. Don't get so worked up!
Just watch the door.
    BARRILDO [ off ]. I'll