by Lope de Vega
To cost a good few lives.
ALDERMAN. The mast 40
Of our ship is broken, all
Of us are overcome by panic.
They violently seize the daughter of
An honourable man, the man
Who justly rules this town of ours, and on 45
His head unjustly break the very rod
Of justice. When was any slave
So vilely treated?
JUAN ROJO. So what do you think
The town should do?
ALDERMAN. The town should die,
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Or kill these tyrants. We are many, they 50
Are few.
BARRILDO. Take arms against our overlord?*
ESTEBAN. In the eyes of God the King alone
Is our lord, not men like these,
No better than wild animals.
If God is on our side, why should we be 55
Afraid?
MENGO. Listen to me, my friends.
I beg of you, take care. I speak
For all the common peasants. They
Are the ones who suffer most, and so,
Although I know how fearful 60
They are, I also know that they
Are sensible.
JUAN ROJO. If all of us
Are made to suffer equally,
What are we waiting for? They burn
Our houses and our vineyards. I say 65
We take revenge!
Enter LAURENCIA, dishevelled.
LAURENCIA. Let me in! This meeting is for men,
I know, but if a woman has no vote,
She has a voice! Don't you know me?
ESTEBAN. Are you my daughter?
JUAN ROJO. Who else is it
But your Laurencia?
LAURENCIA. You see? I am 70
So changed, you even wonder who I am.
ESTEBAN. My dear daughter!
LAURENCIA. No, not your daughter!
ESTEBAN. Why not, why not, Laurencia?
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LAURENCIA. For many reasons.
The first is that you let them take
Me off and did not seek revenge 75
For it, did not attempt to make
Those traitors pay. I'm not Frondoso's wife
As yet, which means I have no husband to
Avenge my name. You are responsible*
For that. Until the marriage-night, 80
That obligation is a father's, not
A husband's; it's like a precious stone:*
I'm not responsible for seeing that
It's safe from thieves until it's in
My hands. When Fernán Gómez took 85
Me off, you let him do it, just
As shepherds stand and watch the wolf
Which steals their sheep! They threatened me
With knives, abused me with their words,
Did everything they could to force 90
My chastity to their foul desires!
You see my hair? You see these marks,
These cuts and bruises? These stains of blood?
Do you believe that you are men
Of honour? Do you believe you are 95
True fathers? How can you see me here
And not feel all the pain I feel pierce
Your very souls? You are like sheep,
The name of our town* well chosen.
I'll take up arms, pursue my cause 100
Myself. You are like stones, unfeeling bronze
Or jasper . . . tigresses . . . But no,
Not tigresses!* For when the hunters steal
Their cubs, they chase and kill them in
Their rage, then plunge into the sea 105
Until they drown. But you are more
Like timid hares. True Spaniards, no!
Barbarians, yes! Or clucking hens!
You allow others to carry off
Your wives! You should bear distaffs!* 110
Your swords are ornaments that serve
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No purpose! I swear to God above
That women alone shall be responsible
For their honour, for their blood,
And make these traitors, these tyrants pay. 115
As for yourselves, you should be stoned
For what you are: housewives, men who are
Not men, effeminate cowards who would
Look better dressed in our skirts
And bonnets, rouge upon your cheeks 120
And lipstick on your lips! No doubt
You know our great Commander plans
To have Frondoso hanged upon
The battlements, without a charge
Or trial. He'll do the same to all 125
Of you. And I'll rejoice in that,
You men who are not men, for then
This town will have more dignity,
And once again we'll see that age
Return when there were women who 130
Were strong, true Amazons,* whose deeds
Amazed the world.
ESTEBAN. Listen, daughter. I will
Not take these insults lying down!
I'll go alone, no matter who
The enemy.
JUAN ROJO. Me too, no matter what 135
His strength and number.
ALDERMAN. All of us
Shall die together.
BARRILDO. A pole shall bear
Our banner on the wind. We'll put
An end to all these monsters!
JUAN ROJO. What order shall
We march in?
MENGO. We'll keep no order. We are 140
As one, a single voice. We're all
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Agreed. The tyrants have to die!
ESTEBAN. Take bows, lances, staves, sticks!
MENGO. Long live
The King and Queen!
ALL. Long may they live!
MENGO. And all the traitors die!
Exit the men
LAURENCIA. Go now, 145
And may God guide you! Women of
This 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 155
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.
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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?
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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.
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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 215
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!
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BARRILDO [off]. There's Flores!
MENGO [off]. Get him! He's the one who flogged me!
FRONDOSO [off]. I'm not 220
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 not be moved
By your tears, you puffed-up marquesses!
LAURENCIA. Pascuala, I'm going in. What use 225
Is any sword still in its scabbard?
[Exit LAURENCIA
BARRILDO [off]. Why, here's Ortuño.
FRONDOSO [off]. Slash his face!*
FLORESenters running, pursued by MENGO.
FLORES. Mengo, spare me! I'm not to blame.
MENGO. It wasn't enough to be a pimp,
You went and whipped my arse as well! 230
PASCUALA. Hey, give him to us women, Mengo!
Leave him to us! We'll see to him!
MENGO. He's yours. I know you'll do your best!
PASCUALA. Tit for tat for your flogging.
MENGO. See
To it!
JACINTA. Come on, the traitor dies! 235
FLORES. At the hands of women?
JACINTA. You think
It's not appropriate?
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PASCUALA. Is that
Why you are crying?
JACINTA. You organized
His pleasures. Now you die.
PASCUALA. Let's kill
The traitor.
FLORES. Please! Have pity! 240
Enter ORTUÑO, pursued by LAURENCIA.
ORTUÑO. I swear it wasn't me . . .
LAURENCIA. I know
It was! Come! Stain your weapons with
The blood of these vile men!
PASCUALA. I'll kill
Until I have no strength for more!
ALL. Fuente Ovejuna! Long live Fernando, 245
Our King!*
Exit all. Enter KING FERNANDO and QUEEN ISABEL,
and DON MANRIQUE, Master of Santiago.
MANRIQUE. Our plan worked well and our hopes
Were quickly realized. Our troops
Faced little opposition, and if
They had, I doubt it would have caused 250
Us problems. Cabra holds the town
And will remain there just in case
Our enemies should try to take
It once again.
KING. A wise decision.
It's best he stays and that his troops 255
Be reinforced so their control
Is even more assured. If we
Do this, Alonso cannot do
Us harm, however many men
He seeks in Portugal. Cabra is well 260
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Advised to stay and demonstrate
His bravery. By doing so
He guarantees our safety here,
And like a loyal sentinel
Protects the needs of our kingdom. 265
Enter FLORES,*wounded.
FLORES. Oh, noble King Fernando, whom
The heavens have chosen to become
The ruler of Castile:* I beg
You let me speak and tell you of
The foulest deed the world has seen 270
From where the sun begins and ends
Its daily course.
KING. Control yourself.
FLORES. Oh, sovereign King, my injuries
Are such, my time so short, I must
Inform you of these terrible 275
Events* without delay. I come
From Fuente Ovejuna. The people there
Have mercilessly killed their lord
And master: Fern?án Gómez murdered by
His faithless subjects, vassals who, 280
Believing they'd been wronged, rose up
Without good cause. These people called
Him tyrant, and on the strength of that
Committed this foul deed. They broke into
His house, and though he offered, as 285
An honourable man, to see
To their complaints, not only did
They fail to heed his words but rained
Upon the Cross upon his breast
A thousand cruel blows. And then 290
They threw him from the window to
The ground where all the women caught
Him on their pikes and swords.
They dragged his body to a house
And there, in competition with 295
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Each other, tore his beard and hair,
And cut his face to shreds. Such was
The fury of the mob, that of
His mutilated flesh his e
ars
Remained the largest pieces. They smashed 300
His coat of arms with pikes and shouted that
Your coat of arms should take their place,
For his offended them. They then
Ransacked his house, as if he was
Some enemy they'd overcome, 305
And, having triumphed, shared the spoils
Among themselves. I saw all this
From where I chose to hide, for my
Unhappy fate declared that I,
Despite this tragedy, should live. 310
I did not move the whole day long,
But when night came I managed to escape
Unseen and bring you this account
Of what occurred. You are renowned
For being just, your Majesty, 315
And so I ask of you that for
Their evil deeds these criminals
Be made to pay.
KING. I promise you
They shall be punished. What you describe
Is so incredible, I shall 320
At once dispatch a magistrate
With orders to investigate*
The case and punish those who are
To blame, so everyone may see
Crime does not pay. He'll have a captain for 325
Protection, for wrongs as great as these
Demand a punishment that is
Exemplary. See to this soldier's wounds . . .
Exit all. Enter the PEASANTS, men and women, with
FERNÁN GóMEZ's head fixed on a lance.*
MUSICIANS. Long life to King Fernando,*
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Long life to Isabel; 330
A cruel death to tyrants,
And let them rot in Hell.
BARRILDO. Let's hear your song, Frondoso.
FRONDOSO. It goes
Like this. If someone thinks he can
Improve on it, then he can try. 335
Long life to lovely Isabel
