(The others react, then hold very still)
DON QUIXOTE Don Quixote. (Rubs his forehead, troubled) You must forgive me. I have been ill … I am confused by shadows. It is possible I knew you once, but I do not remember.
(ALDONZA is stunned. DR. CARRASCO smoothly steps forward and takes her by the arm)
DR. CARRASCO (Moving her along) This way.
(ALDONZA allows herself to be led. But she stops, pulls loose suddenly, and in a rush comes back and flings herself to her knees beside the bed)
ALDONZA Please! Try to remember!
DON QUIXOTE (With helpless compassion) Is it so important?
ALDONZA (Anguished) Everything. My whole life. You spoke to me and everything was—different!
DON QUIXOTE I … spoke to you?
ALDONZA And you looked at me! And you called me by another name! (She sings, pleadingly)
Dulcinea … Dulcinea …
Once you found a girl and called her Dulcinea,
When you spoke the name an angel seemed to whisper—
Dulcinea … Dulcinea …
(DR. CARRASCO takes her by the arm, leads her toward the door but she resists, holding back to sing)
Dulcinea … Dulcinea …
Won’t you please bring back the dream of Dulcinea …
Won’t you bring me back the bright and shining glory
Of Dulcinea … Dulcinea …
DR. CARRASCO I’m afraid I must insist—
DON QUIXOTE Let be! (Disturbed, mind stirring) Then perhaps … it was not a dream …
ALDONZA You spoke of a dream. And about the Quest!
DON QUIXOTE Quest?
ALDONZA How you must fight and it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose if only you follow the Quest!
DON QUIXOTE The words. Tell me the words!
ALDONZA (Speaking to music)
“To dream the impossible dream …”
But they’re your own words!
“To fight the unbeatable foe …”
Don’t you remember?
“To bear with unbearable sorrow …”
You must remember!
“To run where the brave dare not go—”
DON QUIXOTE (Remembering, speaks, then sings)
To right the unrightable wrong,
ALDONZA (A whisper) Yes …
DON QUIXOTE
To love, pure and chaste, from afar,
ALDONZA Yes …
DON QUIXOTE
To try, when your arms are too weary,
To reach the unreachable star!
ALDONZA (Seizing his hand, kisses it) Thank you, my lord!
DON QUIXOTE But this is not seemly, my lady. On thy knees? To me?
ALDONZA (In protest as he tries to rise) My lord, you are not well!
DON QUIXOTE (Growing in power) Not well? What is sickness to the body of a knight-errant? What matter wounds? For each time he falls he shall rise again—and woe to the wicked! (A lusty bellow) Sancho!
SANCHO Here, Your Grace!
DON QUIXOTE My armor! My sword!
SANCHO (Delightedly, clapping his hands) More misadventures!
DON QUIXOTE Adventures, old friend! (Rising from the bed, and as ALDONZA and SANCHO support him on either side, he sings)
Oh the trumpets of glory now call me to ride,
Yes, the trumpets are calling to me,
And wherever I ride, ever staunch at my side,
My squire and my lady shall be …
I am I, Don Quixote—
DON QUIXOTE, ALDONZA and SANCHO
The Lord of La Mancha,
Our destiny calls and we go!
And the wild winds of fortune shall carry us onward
Oh, whithersoever …
(DON QUIXOTE falters)
ALDONZA (A cry of apprehension) My lord—!
SANCHO Master—!
DON QUIXOTE (Reassuring them, sings on)
Whithersoever they blow,
Onward to glory—
(A sudden cry. A whisper)
… I … go …
(He crumples to the floor)
ANTONIA Uncle!
(DR. CARRASCO pushes ALDONZA aside and kneels to DON QUIXOTE’s left. He bends over and places his ear to QUIXOTE’s heart, then rises and goes to ANTONIA, who is weeping softly. The PADRE comes to QUIXOTE and kneels. He crosses himself and chants in Latin)
PADRE
De profundis clamo ad te
Domine, Domine,
(ALDONZA goes slowly to SANCHO)
Audi vocem meam
Fiant aures tuae intentae
Ad vacem obse creationis meae
Si delictarum
Memoriam
Serva neris …
SANCHO (Stunned, pathetically) He is dead. My master is dead.
ALDONZA (Quietly) A man died. He seemed a good man, but I did not know him.
SANCHO But—
ALDONZA Don Quixote is not dead. Believe, Sancho. Believe.
SANCHO (In confused hope) Aldonza …?
ALDONZA (Gently) My name is Dulcinea.
(The PADRE’S hymn concludes as the lights dim out. In the darkness comes the snarling roll of the drums of the Inquisition; it gives way to chanting as lights fade in on the prison. The CAPTAIN enters at the head of the MEN OF THE INQUISITION. They descend to the vault. CERVANTES, kneeling, is removing the DON QUIXOTE beard and makeup)
CAPTAIN (Unrolling a scroll) Under authority of the Holy Office of the Inquisition! (Reading) “By reason of certain offenses committed against His Majesty’s Most Catholic Church, the following is summoned to give answer and submit his person for purification if it be so ordered: Don Miguel de Cervantes.”
CERVANTES (With wry bravado) How popular a defendant I am. Summoned by one court before I’ve quite finished with another. Well? How says the Judge?
THE GOVERNOR (Musingly, weighing the package now held in his hands) I think I know what this contains. The history of your mad knight? (CERVANTES nods assent. Handing him the package) Plead as well there as you did here and you may not burn.
CERVANTES I’ve no intention of burning. (To his MANSERVANT, buoyantly) Well, old friend? Shall we go? (He sees that the SERVANT is rigid with fear; comes to put a reassuring arm about his shoulder) Courage!
(He leads him toward the stairs)
THE GOVERNOR Cervantes, (CERVANTES pauses) I think Don Quixote is brother to Don Miguel.
CERVANTES (Smiling) God help us—we are both men of La Mancha.
(The CAPTAIN and the HOODED MEN about-face as the “Inquisition Theme” resumes. The cortège forms toward an exit, starts ascending the stairs.
The PRISONER playing ALDONZA is standing apart from the other prisoners as she always does)
PRISONER (ALDONZA) (Singing, softly at first)
To dream the impossible dream,
To fight the unbeatable foe,
(The other PRISONERS join in one by one, their eyes following CERVANTES)
To bear with unbearable sorrow,
To run where the brave dare not go …
To run where the brave dare not go,
Though the goal be forever too far,
To try, though you’re wayworn and weary,
To reach the unreachable star …
(And now the song, swelling in full chorus, overwhelms the “Inquisition Theme”)
To reach the unreachable star,
Though you know it’s impossibly high,
To live with your heart striving upward
To a far, unattainable sky!
The lights fade out and
the play ends
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Man of La Mancha Page 7
