Berliner Ensemble Adaptations

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Berliner Ensemble Adaptations Page 17

by Bertolt Brecht


  Cominius A few of us are with you. Arms will be distributed. On my responsibility.

  Citizens Long live Cominius!

  (A Second Citizen enters)

  Second Citizen Volumnia, his mother, and four women of the foremost families request a pass to see Caius Marcius. They want to plead with him to turn back.

  Sicinius Request rejected.

  Brutus Granted.

  Sicinius You mean to let those traitors out of the city?

  Brutus A few patrician families are living in fear of being stoned for their connection with him. They seem to have appealed to her. I don’t believe the old lady is afraid of us, but I doubt if she wants to see the Volscian senate meeting on the Capitol. She’s a patriot in her way: she’d rather see us plebeians trampled on by Romans than by Volscians. What do you think, Cominius?

  Cominius Let them go, but … Do you see that cornerstone on the Capitol?

  Sicinius Why, what of it?

  Cominius If you can move it with your little finger, there is some hope that the ladies of Rome will get somewhere with him.

  Brutus Her words may be powerless to move him—though that’s not so sure, she will be able to tell him certain things that are new to him. That stone you see there is immovable. Give me an earthquake and perhaps I’ll move it after all.

  Cominius There’s no more mercy in him than milk in a male tiger.

  Sicinius They say he loved his mother.

  Cominius He loved me too. And he no more remembers his mother now than an eight-year-old horse would remember his.

  Brutus The interview may give us a breathing spell. Tonight and tomorrow we’ll be short of men to defend the walls. (To the Citizen) They can go. But send one of their serving women with them, one you can trust, to report their conversation. Agreed?

  Sicinius Agreed. Two hard days ahead of us.

  Brutus

  I have the feeling, shared, I’m told, by many

  Others, that Rome’s a better place

  With that man gone, a city worth defending

  Perhaps for the first time since it was founded.

  (All go out)

  4

  The Volscian camp.

  Coriolanus, Aufidius, a sentry.

  Sentry

  No, sir, no smoke.

  Aufidius

  How long do you mean to wait?

  Coriolanus

  We’ll camp tomorrow before the walls of Rome.

  Aufidius

  Why not today?

  Coriolanus

  You are my partner in this action.

  You must inform the lords in Antium

  How loyally I’ve gone about this business.

  Aufidius

  Of course. Of course. You’ve been the very soul

  Of loyalty.

  Coriolanus

  That old man now, whom I sent

  Back to Rome broken-hearted, loved me more

  Than had he been my father, worshiped me as

  A god—sending him was their last resort.

  Aufidius

  Yet even that old man who worships you

  Showed no submission, only entreaty and

  An invitation to go and hang yourself.

  (Shouts backstage)

  Coriolanus

  What’s the noise?

  (A Soldier enters)

  Soldier

  A delegation, sir

  Some ladies of the foremost Roman families

  Are here in camp. It may be rumor, but

  They say your mother’s here, sir, and your wife

  And little boy.

  Coriolanus (looking Aufidius in the eye)

  Control your feelings! Clench

  Your teeth, for fear the gods above will laugh

  And say this scene’s unnatural. The

  Volscians can plow up Rome and harrow Italy

  Before you’ll see me bow to nature or

  Grovel before my instinct.

  (Volumnia, Virgilia with Young Marcius, and four Roman ladies have entered)

  Virgilia

  My lord and husband!

  (Coriolanus approaches and greets them)

  Coriolanus

  Woman, these eyes are not the same as

  They were in Rome.

  Virgilia

  Yes, troubles change a man.

  Volumnia

  You know this lady?

  Coriolanus

  Young Publicola’s

  Illustrious sister. Rome’s chaste Luna.

  My dear Valeria!

  Virgilia

  Here’s a small extract of yourself, which by

  The interpretation of the years may grow

  To be entirely like you.

  Coriolanus

  Yes, my boy

  The gods, I trust, are busy making you

  A fighter, who amidst the battle’s tumult

  Will stand, for all who see you, like a beacon

  Invulnerable to shame as well.

  Volumnia

  Kneel, child.

  Coriolanus (preventing him from kneeling)

  That’s my good boy, and now don’t ask me to

  Call off my soldiers and negotiate

  Again with Rome’s bricklayers. And don’t tell

  Me that my conduct is unnatural.

  Aufidius, and you Volscians, listen closely:

  We want no private word from Rome. Your business!

  Volumnia

  If silence were possible, I should keep silent

  For then I should say nothing that would stir

  You or destroy you. Nor should I waste my words.

  For I have not set out like other mothers

  To save her child, but rather to corrupt him

  That is, if he’s still human—and if he’s not

  He’ll turn against me. Son, I cannot pray

  The gods to give you victory, as under

  Usual circumstances would be my duty

  Nor to give victory to our city, as would also be

  My duty. I must either forfeit Rome

  Our family’s cradle, or forfeit you, our mainstay

  In Rome. To me the outcome’s fatal

  In either case, for either you’ll be led

  Through Rome in chains as a traitor, or else in triumph

  You’ll tread the orphaned ruins of your city

  And thereupon be crowned with bronze for shedding

  Your wife’s and children’s blood. For my part, son

  I shall not wait until the war decides which

  Misfortune is to strike me. If I can’t

  Persuade you, you will not set foot in Rome

  Before you’ve trampled on the womb of

  The mother who bore you.

  Virgilia

  And on mine

  That brought you forth this boy to keep your name

  Living in time.

  Young Marcius

  You will not trample me.

  I’ll run away until I’m bigger, then I’ll fight.

  Coriolanus

  Aha!

  If you would not turn womanish and mild

  Don’t look upon the face of woman or child.

  I’ve sat too long.

  (He stands up)

  Volumnia

  Not only in our presence.

  Forget my petty trouble, that I’ll find

  It hard to veil my face from this day on

  Whenever I go out, because your father

  Never gave me reason to. Enough of

  Your childish sentiment. I’ve something else

  To say. The Rome you will be marching on

  Is very different from the Rome you left.

  You are no longer indispensable

  Merely a deadly threat to all. Don’t expect

  To see submissive smoke. If you see smoke

  It will be rising from the smithies forging

  Weapons to fight you who, to subject your

  Own people, have submitted to your enemy.r />
  And we, the proud nobility of Rome

  Must owe the rabble our salvation from the

  Volscians, or owe the Volscians our

  Salvation from the rabble. Come, we’ll go now.

  The fellow had a Volscian for a mother

  His wife is in Corioli, and this child

  Resembles him by chance.

  (The women go out)

  Coriolanus

  O mother, mother! What have you done?

  5

  Rome. A guarded gate.

  Brutus and Sicinius. A Messenger.

  Messenger

  News!

  The Volscians have withdrawn and Marcius with them!

  Brutus

  The stone has moved. The people takes

  Up weapons, and the old earth shakes.

  (Both go out)

  6

  Corioli. The city gate.

  Aufidius with Attendant and Officers.

  Aufidius

  Stand over there and give the senators

  This paper when they come to welcome me.

  Tell them I’ll vouch for the truth of what it says

  Before them and before the people. Right

  Here at the gate I will accuse him, when

  He comes to clear himself with empty words.

  Go now.

  (The Attendant stands off to one side and gives the arriving Senators Aufidius’ paper)

  Senators

  Most welcome home!

  Aufidius

  Why welcome?

  I haven’t earned your welcome. Have you read

  My message?

  First Senator

  Yes.

  Second Senator

  And with dismay. His old

  Misdeeds can pass. But stopping where he should

  Have started, throwing away the advantage

  Leaving us nothing but the bill to pay

  That’s unforgivable.

  Aufidius

  He’s coming. Hear what he says.

  (Enter Coriolanus with drums and banners. Citizens with him)

  Coriolanus

  Hail, gentlemen. I’m back. Your soldier

  No more infected with the love of my country

  Than when I marched off under your

  Supreme command. Through bloody fields I’ve carried

  Your battle to the very gates of Rome.

  The spoil that we’ve brought back accounts for more than

  A third of what the campaign cost.

  Aufidius

  Don’t read

  The inventory. Tell the traitor he has grossly

  Abused your trust, and …

  Coriolanus

  Traitor? Why? What’s wrong?

  Aufidius

  Yes, traitor, Marcius.

  Coriolanus

  Marcius?

  Aufidius

  Did you think

  I’d bow to your theft, your stolen name, and call

  You Coriolanus in Corioli?

  You lords and senators of this state, this man

  Is perjured. He has betrayed your cause. For a

  Few drops of salt he has given away your Rome

  (Your Rome, I say) to his wife and mother

  Breaking his oath like a thread of rotten silk.

  Without so much as calling a council of war

  At the mere sight of his nurse’s tears, he whimpered

  And whined away your victory. The drummer

  Boys blushed, the men

  Looked at each other in silence.

  Coriolanus

  I whimpered?

  Aufidius

  Like a milksop.

  Coriolanus

  Oh, you barefaced liar!

  Milksop! Forgive me, gentlemen, I’ve never railed

  Before in public. Worthy gentlemen

  I’ve thrashed such welts into this cur

  He’ll take them to his grave.

  Second Senator

  Peace, both of you!

  Coriolanus

  Cut me to pieces, Volscians. Let the children

  Redden their penknives in me. Milksop!

  You lying dog! If ever your chronicles

  Should tell the truth, they’ll say that like

  An eagle in a dovecote, I fluttered

  Your Volscians in Corioli. Milksop!

  Aufidius

  Enough! More than enough! Gentlemen

  Will you allow this braggart to remind you

  Of his luck in battle that was your disgrace?

  Officer That’s his death warrant!

  Citizens Tear him to pieces.—He killed my son.—My daughter.—He killed my cousin Marcus.—He killed my father.

  Aufidius

  Kill him!

  (Aufidius’ officers draw and kill Coriolanus)

  7

  Rome. The senate.

  Consul, Senators, tribunes.

  Consul

  The tribunes’ motion to restore the lands

  Taken from the inhabitants of Corioli

  To their owners, is enacted into law.

  Senator

  Motion: that we construct an aqueduct

  From the third hill to the eastern gardens.

  (A Messenger brings in a dispatch)

  Consul

  This message says that Caius Marcius

  Was stabbed to death in Corioli

  Yesterday morning.

  (Silence)

  Menenius

  Motion: He’s dead now, therefore let his name

  So great before misfortune fell upon

  It, be inscribed in the Capitol

  As that of a Roman and a …

  Brutus

  Motion: let the senate proceed

  With current business.

  Consul

  Question:

  His family has petitioned that its women

  As stipulated in the law of Numa

  Pompilius concerning the survivors

  Of fathers, sons and brothers, be permitted

  To wear mourning in public for ten months.

  Brutus

  Rejected.

  (The senate resumes its deliberations)

  The Trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen, 1431

  After a Radio Play by Anna Seghers

  Collaborator: B. Besson

  Translators: Ralph Manheim and Wolfgang Sauerlander

  The proceedings were recorded day by day in the Latin language. The original of the trial record was prepared for Bishop Cauchon of Beauvais and is preserved at the Chamber of Deputies in Paris. The radio play is based on these trial records as well as on the testimony and information furnished by contemporaries. Bertolt Brecht used the radio play for his dramatization for the Berliner Ensemble.

  A. S.

  Characters

  Joan of Arc Jacques Legrain

  Bishop Cauchon of Beauvais Peasant

  Jean Beaupère Peasant Woman

  Jean De La Fontaine Son

  Jean De Chatillon (Chation) Sister-in-Law

  Guillaume Erard Child

  Nicolas Midi Fishwife

  Guillaume Manchon Dr. Dufour

  Jean D’Estivet His Two Nieces

  Jean Lefèvre Well-Dressed Gentleman

  Jean Massieu Loose Woman

  Raoul De Rinel Wine Merchant

  A Clerk Innkeeper

  The Executioner Young Curate

  Nuns War Cripple

  An English Observer Grandfather Breuil and His

  His Adjutant Grandson

  Guards of Joan of Arc Children

  English Soldiers People

  Two Peasant Girls

  1

 

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