From Pélléas and Mélisande; Alladine and Palomides; Home by Maurice Maeterlinck

A great innocence!... They are greater than innocence!... They are purer than the eyes of a lamb.... They would give God lessons in innocence! A great innocence! Listen: I am so near them I feel the freshness of their lashes when they wink; and yet I am less far away from the great secrets of the other world than from the smallest secret of those eyes!... A great innocence!... More than innocence! You would say the angels of heaven celebrated there an eternal baptism!... I know those eyes! I have seen them at their work! Close them! close them! or I shall close them for a long while!...--Do not put your right hand to your throat so; I am saying a very simple thing.... I have no under-thought.... If I had an under-thought, why should I not say it? Ah! ah!--do not attempt to flee!--Here!--Give me that hand!--Ah! your hands are too hot.... Go away! Your flesh disgusts me!... Here!--There is no more question of fleeing now!-- (He seizes her by the hair.) --You shall follow me on your knees!--On your knees!--On your knees before me!--Ah! ah! your long hair serves some purpose at last!... Right,... left!--Left,... right!--Absalom! Absalom.--Forward! back! To the ground! to the ground!... You see, you see; I laugh already like an old man.... ARKËL (running up). Golaud!... GOLAUD (affecting a sudden calm). You will do as you may please, look you.--I attach no importance to that.--I am too old; and, besides, I am not a spy. I shall await chance; and then... Oh! then!... simply because it is the custom; simply because it is the custom.... [ (Exit.) ARKËL. What ails him?--He is drunk? MÉLISANDE (in tears). No, no; he does not love me any more.... I am not happy!... I am not happy!... ARKËL. If I were God, I would have pity on men's hearts....

Golaud Monologue from Pélléas and Mélisande; Alladine and Palomides; Home

Rehearse Golaud's monologue