(Louder.) Get down on your knees! (PLIMPTON sinks in horror. PRINCE HAGEN turns Upon RUTHERFORD.) Down! (RUTH: Mercy!) (As they kneel before him, his anger vanishes; he steps back.) There! (Waving his hand.) You asked me what I wanted? I wanted this... to see you there... upon your knees! (To spectators, who appear right and left.) Behold! (RUTH: Oh!) (Savagely.) Stay where you are!... To see you on your knees! To hear you crying for mercy, which you will not get! You pious plunderers! Devourers of the people! Assassins of women and helpless children! Who made the rules of this game... you or I? Who cast the halo of righteousness about it... who sanctified it by the laws of God and man? Property! Property was holy! Property must rule! You carved it into your constitutions... you taught it in your newspapers, you preached it from your pulpits! You screwed down wages, you screwed up prices... it must be right, because it paid! Money was the test... money was the end! You were business men! Practical men! Don't you know the phrases? Money talks! Business is business! The gold standard... ha, ha, ha! The gold standard! Now someone has come who has more gold than you. You were masters... now I am the master! And what you have done to the people I will do to you! You shall drink the cup that you have poured out for them... you shall drink it to the dregs!

Hagen Monologue from Prince Hagen

About this piece

Rehearse Hagen's monologue

More from Prince Hagen

Browse