blood wedding - act iii, scene i [remix]
In the second to last scene of the play, Federico turns what has been a fairly realistic play into magical realism. It is the dead of night out in a humid forest. Somewhere in it Leonardo and the Bride are stumbling forward while search parties out for blood seek them everywhere. Three clown-like Woodcutters emerge to talk about the ever changing events; they reveal that that Leonardo and the Bride will be caught soon if the Moon comes out. Soon the Moon arrives, a ghostly androgynous boy, and the Woodcutters flee the stage. The Moon delivers a soliloquy in which it laments its isolation and loneliness and proclaims its desire to drink blood in order to punish the world for ignoring it at night. It shines its light over the forest, illuminating the paths for the wedding hunters. Soon it is joined by a Beggarwoman, Death personified. As the Moon departs the Bridegroom, enters along with a Boy from the wedding party. The Boy is disturbed by the dark forest but the Bridegroom vows to kill Leonardo and reclaim his wife. They stumble upon the Beggarwoman who tells the Bridegroom that she has seen Leonardo and can lead him to where he wants to go. In another part of the forest, Leonardo and the Bride pause in their fleeing and discuss their future together. Both are filled with anguish and consumed by their out of control passion for each other. The Bride begs Leonardo to escape alone but he refuses. The couple hears footsteps approaching. The Bride and Leonardo exits and suddenly two screams can be heard in the darkness.
……………………………………………..
A forest at night. Everywhere are vast, humid tree trunks covered in moss. Two violins can be heard as three Woodcutters enter. [1]
Woodcutter 1: Are they found yet?
Woodcutter 2: No, not yet. They are searching everywhere.
Woodcutter 3: Then they'll find them.
Woodcutter 2: Hush …
Woodcutter 3: What?
Woodcutter 2: They are on the road, closing in … they seem to fly down every road.
Woodcutter 1: As soon as the moon rises they will find them.
Woodcutter 2: They should really leave them alone.
Woodcutter 1: The world is wide, there is room for all sorts of people.
Woodcutter 3: They will kill them.
Woodcutter 2: It is the right thing to run away, to make your own road.
Woodcutter 1: They were just fooling themselves; but hot blood can never be fooled.
Woodcutter 3: Blood!
Woodcutter 1: And when following the beat of your own blood … what else could they do?
Woodcutter 2: Blood that sees the sun is quickly sucked up by the earth.
Woodcutter 1: So what? It is better to die with the blood gushing from you than to live with it dead in your veins.
Woodcutter 3: Hush …
Woodcutter 1: What? What do you hear?
Woodcutter 3: The crickets, the frogs … and the terrible night waiting in ambush.
Woodcutter 1: But the horse?
Woodcutter 3: No, not the horse.
Woodcutter 1: Then they must be making love.
Woodcutter 2: His body belongs to her … and her body for him.
Woodcutter 3: They will find them and kill them.
Woodcutter 1: By then their blood will be mixed together and drained away, like two empty cups, two streams that run dry.
Woodcutter 2: The night is heavy. Perhaps the moon will not rise?
Woodcutter 3: With or without the moon, the bridegroom will find them. I saw him rush from the wedding like a furious star and his face was the color of ash. All the weight of his dead father and brother bent his shoulders down.
Woodcutter 1: His whole dead family laying murdered in the street.
Woodcutter 2: Murdered.
Woodcutter Do you think they will break the circle?
Woodcutter 2: Never. There are knives and guns for ten miles in every direction.
Woodcutter 3: But … he has a good horse.
Woodcutter 2: There are two of them now.
Woodcutter 1: Is this the tree?
Woodcutter 2: Forty branches high and we'll soon bring it crashing down.
Woodcutter 3: The moon is rising, we'll have to hurry.
[A blinding light begins to rise off left]
Woodcutter 1:
The moon is
rising over the forest.
Woodcutter 2:
Cover their blood
with white jasmine.
Woodcutter 1:
The lonely, lonely moon
moon with green leaves.
Woodcutter 2:
Silver all over the bride's face.
Woodcutter 3:
Evil, evil moon
leave the world to lovers
and darkness.
Woodcutter 1:
Sad, sad moon
leave the world to lovers
and darkness.
[They exit. Enter the Moon [2] bathed in blue light dressed as a young woodcutter with a skull-white face.]
Moon:
I am a round swan on the river,
I am the cathedral's eye,
I am the false dawn among the leaves
I am all these things and they won't escape!
Who can hide from me? Who sobs there
in the valley's thorn brush?
on the darkest side of the mountain?
The moon hangs a knife in the sky
a cold trap made of lead
that seeks the hot cry of blood.
Let me in! I come frozen and numb
through walls and windows!
Open your doors and breasts
so I can warm myself.
I freeze. I seek to warm my body
of ash and brooding
metals, searching for the crest of fire
in every street and mountain.
But instead
I ride the back of the dark night
through snow and water
as cold as the dead.
But this night
red, red blood shall stroke
my blue cheeks
in the stillness of reeds
over the wild feet of the wind.
Let there be no shadow to hide in.
Tonight I want
a beating heart split wide open
so that I might warm myself.
A human heart!
Over the mountains
of my breast it shall drain.
Let me in, yes, let me in.
[to the branches]
I will have no shadow. My rays
must go everywhere
filling the dark trees
with false dawn,
the cry of false dawn.
So that tonight
my cheeks will feel the touch
of sweet, hot blood
in the stillness of reeds
over the wild feet of the wind.
Ha! Who is that hiding there?
There is no escape for any of you.
I'll make the horse burn
with a fever of diamonds.
[The Moon disappears among the vast tree trunks and the stage falls into darkness. A Beggarwoman enters, dressed in rags of dark-green. She is bare-footed and her face is hidden behind the folds of her cloak. She does not appear as a character on the cast list]
Beggarwoman:
The moon is gone, they are closing in.
They will go no further. Here is dark music
of the river and forest that will drown out their cries.
It must be here, it must be soon. I am weary.
White coffins and white sheets from empty
bedrooms grow restless for the return
of heavy bodies with their throats all cut.
Not a single bird stirs,
the breeze sweeps away their screams
through the black trees to bury
them all in the black wet earth.
[impatient]
Moon! … where are you moon?
[The Moon enters and the blinding light returns]
Moon:
They are closing in.
Some by the river, some through the mountains.
I'll drown them all in my light. What do you need?
Beggarwoman:
Nothing.
Moon:
The wind is blowing hard now, see
how its edge sharpens.
Beggarwoman:
Just shine on their waistcoat buttons, just burn
them for me and their knives, predatory
fish, [3] will follow soon …
Moon:
But let them be slow in their death. I want
to feel their blood in my fingers
like delicate whispers. Already I can feel
the ashy dust of my valley wake
in expectation of that shivering fountain
in rich, red spurts.
Beggarwoman:
We will not let them get beyond the river!
Now I need silence!
Moon:
They are coming!
[The Moon leaves, stage falls again into darkness]
Beggarwoman: Quickly! Light … let there be light everywhere. Do you hear me? They cannot escape!
[The Bridegroom and Boy1 enter. The Beggarwoman sits down and covers herself with her cloak.]
Bridegroom: This way!
Boy1: You'll never find them.
Bridegroom [angrily]: I will find them.
Boy1: They must have gone another path.
Bridegroom: No! I heard the thunder of hooves a few moments ago.
Boy1: Perhaps it was another horse?
Bridegroom [dramatically]: Listen! In this whole wide world there is but one horse. Only one! Do you understand? If you are going to be with me, walk in silence.
Boy1: I only meant –
Bridegroom: I said silence! I know I'll find them here. There's a strength in my arm flowing up from my brother and father, from all my dead family. If I had to I will rip this tree up by its very roots! Let's get moving. I feel their teeth bite into my heart. Ai! I can hardly breathe!
Beggarwoman [moaning]: Ai!
Boy1: What was that?
Bridegroom: Go and see … hurry and work you way back to me.
Boy1: It is like hunting.
Bridegroom: A hunt? Yes, the most terrible hunt you can ever dream of.
[The Boy1 exits. The Bridegroom strides quickly left stage, stumbles over hidden Beggarwoman]
Beggarwoman: Ai!
Bridegroom: Who are you? Speak! What do you want?
Beggarwoman: I am so cold.
Bridegroom: Where are you traveling to?
Beggarwoman [in whiny voice]: Far away, far away from here.
Bridegroom: Where have you come from?
Beggarwoman: Far back, far back from here.
Bridegroom: Quick! Have you seen a man and woman on horseback?
Beggarwoman [slowly]: Wait … [looks up at Bridegroom] … beautiful young man. [stands] … but more beautiful still if he were asleep.
Bridegroom: I – answer me! … did you see them?
Beggarwoman: Not so fast … ah, such broad shoulders! So much easier to lie flat on them to have to walk on such small feet.
Bridegroom [shaking her]: I am asking you if you saw a man and woman? Did they come this way or not?
Beggarwoman [energetically]: Not yet … but they are coming out of the hills nows. Can't you hear them?
Bridegroom: No.
Beggarwoman: You do not know the way?
Bridegroom: Enough! I will find the way somehow.
Beggarwoman: I will take you then, I know this forest well.
Bridegroom: Really? Let us go. Which way?
Beggarwoman [dramatically]: Hurry! Come with me!
[They exit quickly. In the distance two violins can still be heard over the sound of the forest at night. the Woodcutters enter, carrying their axes over their shoulders. They move slowly between the vast tree trunks]
Woodcutter 1:
Death! Death is
rising up over the forest.
Woodcutter 2:
To stem the flow of blood!
Woodcutter 1:
Lonely, lonely death is
the voice of withered leaves.
Woodcutter 3:
Don't let their wedding
grow wild with flowers
Woodcutter 2:
Sad, sad death
let the branches grow green for love.
Woodcutter 1:
Evil, evil death
let the branches grow green for love.
[They continue talking as they exit. Leonardo and the Bride enter]
Leonardo:
Hush!
Bride:
I'll go my own way now.
Leave me. I want you to return.
Leonardo:
I said, be quiet.
Bride:
With your teeth,
with your hands, however you can,
break this metal chain you've placed
around my neck.
If you won't kill me,
as you would crush a newborn viper,
then put your knife in my hand …
these bridal hands that took his orange blossoms …
My head is full of fire
and grief and my tongue
runs wild, pierced
with shards of glass.
Leonardo:
Hush! There is no turning back.
They're hunting us, close by now.
I will never leave you.
Bride:
Then it will be pure force that I will go.
Leonardo:
By what force? Who was it that led me downstairs?
Bride:
I did.
Leonardo:
And who strapped the new bridle
around my horse's mane?
Bride:
I did. I did … I know.
Leonardo:
And whose hands buckled new spurs on my feet?
Bride:
My hands! … which are yours.
But if they could,
watching you now,
I would strangle and snap
the blue murmur in your veins.
I love you! I love you but leave me alone!
You know if I could kill you
I would right now, wrap you up
in a shroud of violet.
Ai! My head if full of fire and grief!
Leonardo:
My tongue runs wild, pierced
with shards of glass.
Since I want to forget
I put up a wall of stone
between our houses.
Yes, it is true! You remember, don't you?
But when I saw you pass by
I rubbed grit in my eyes.
So my horse
took me, blinded, to your door.
The silver pins of your wedding
turned my blood the darkest black
and soured my very flesh.
I grew thick with weeds.
I am not to blame …
… it is the vast earth.
It is the scent of your breasts.
It is your bound up hair.
Bride:
I must be going mad! I have yet to eat
your bread nor lay down with you
and yet there is not a single moment all day
that I do not long for you.
It's as if you drag me along with you … and I
just submit. You have turned my whole world
upside down and I follow you in the wind,
helplessly, like a single blade of grass.
I left behind a man who was my husband,
and his house and his family,
in the middle of our wedding.
You will be the one they'll punish.
No, I do not want that.
Leave me now. Go!
There is no one else who will help you.
Leonardo:
The birds are waking in the trees.
Dawn is upon us.
The night is slowly dying on
the sharp edge of rock.
Let us go from here, find a dark hole
where we can lie together
and not care about poisoned gossip
whispering all about us.
[Leonardo powerfully embraces the Bride]
Bride:
So … I will lie at your feet
and watch over you as you dream.
Naked. Lay naked on the earth.
[Dramatically]
I am like your dog. Because …
because that's what I am. I stare at you
and all I can do it burn. I burn.
Leonardo:
Yes, when fire consumes fire
a single flame
can destroy the whole forest.
[Leonardo pulls the Bride after him]
Bride:
And where will you try to take me now?
Leonardo:
Anywhere, somewhere
those following us can't go.
Somewhere I can look at you.
Bride [sarcastically]:
Oh yes! You will drag me from county fair to fair
in all my shame
so that everyone can stare at me
with my wedding sheets
fluttering in the wind behind me.
Leonardo:
If I thought like that
I would have left you by now.
But I go where you go.
Just like you. Just one more step. Come.
Splinters of the moon have cut deep
into our thighs, our hips.
[The whole forest feels heavy and intense. Leonardo and the Bride stare at each other, full of brutal sensuality]
Bride:
Did you hear that?
Leonardo:
They are upon us.
Bride:
We must hurry.
It's only just that I should die here
laying down beside this stream
with rose thorns in my hair
and only the withered leaves
to mourn this lost virgin
and woman.
Leonardo:
Hush! They are drawing nearer.
Bride:
Flee!
Leonardo:
Quiet. Don't let them hear us.
Go now. Go!
[The Bride hesitates uncertain]
Bride:
Both us of. Both of us together.
Leonardo [hugging her to his chest tightly]:
Both of us then.
If they try to separate us
they will have to kill me first.
Bride:
And me.
[They embrace passionately and exit. The Moon appears very slowly, bathing the stage in its blinding, blue light. The two violins strike up again. suddenly two long screams are heard off stage and the violins break off in an ugly squawk. With the second scream the Beggarwoman enters, her back to the audience. She opens her cloak like the wings of some ragged, giant bird. The Moon shudders and the curtains fall in the middle of dead silence]
Footnotes
1. Three Woodcutters. The Woodcutters are essentially clowns; their function for this play is to narrate the flight of the Bride and Leonardo as well as symbolizing the surreal nightworld of the second half of Blood Wedding.
2. The Moon. For Federico in drama (and much of his poetry) the Moon represents death; a lust for blood and apparent hunger. In that the Moon is the shadow of the hunters from the wedding party; out for blood lust and revenge the escaping lovers. Unlike Marge Piercy, who claimed the moon is always female, here it appears as a young woodcutter with a skull-white face; a gednerless creature that helps reinforce the idea that the order of the world has been turned upside down and dark forces of the human nature usually kept at check are out and at work.
3. Predatory fish. Again the reference to a fish looking like a knife, in this case a shark or something equally aggressive, is made. And like the popular belief of sharks being killing machines the use of the knife by those engaged in endless blood fueds fits nicely here.