{"id":736,"date":"2013-07-13T01:30:04","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=736"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:30:04","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:30:04","slug":"09-act-three-scene-1-vol-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/01-sabcl\/06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06\/09-act-three-scene-1-vol-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","title":{"rendered":"-09_Act Three-Scene-1.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

\n
\nAct Three <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\nSCENE I<\/font><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe women apartments of the Palace.
\nAndromeda, Diomede.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA<\/font><\/p>\n

\nAll’s ready, let us go.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nAndromeda,
\nMy little mistress whom I love, let me
\nBeseech you by that love, do not attempt it.
\nOh, this is no such pretty wilfulness
\nAs all men love to smile at and to punish
\nWith tenderness and chidings. It is a crime
\nFull of impiety, a deed of danger
\nThat venturous and iron spirits would be aghast
\nTo dream of. You think because you are a child,
\nYou will be pardoned, because you are a princess
\nNo hand will dare to punish you. You do not know
\nMen’s hearts. They will not pause to pity you,
\nThey will not spare. The people in its rage
\nWill tear us both to pieces, limb from limb,
\nWith blows and fury, roaring round like tigers.
\nWill you expose yourself to that grim handling
\nWho cry out at the smallest touch of pain ?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nDo not delay me on the brink of action.
\nYou have said these things before.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE<\/font><\/p>\n

\nYou shall not do it. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI will not go with you.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 76 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nSo you expose me
\nTo danger merely and break the oath you swore;<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nFor I must do it then unhelped.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nD<\/font>IOMEDE
\n, <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI’ll tell
\nYour mother, child, and then you cannot go.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA<\/font><\/p>\n

\nI shall die then on the third day from this.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nWhat! you will kill yourself, and for two strangers
\nYou never saw? You are no human maiden
\nBut something far outside mortality,
\nPrincess, if you do this.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nI shall not need.
\nYou threaten me with the fierce people’s tearings,
\nAnd shall I not be torn when I behold
\nMy fellows’ piteous hearts plucked from their bosoms
\nBetween their anguished shrieks ? I shall fall dead
\nWith horror and with pity at your feet:<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThen you’ll repent this cruelty.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nShe weeps.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nD<\/font>IOMEDE <\/font><\/p>\n

\nChild, child!
\nHush, I will go with you. If I must die,
\nI’ll die.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nHave I not loved you, Diomede?
\nHave I not taken your stripes upon myself,
\nClaiming your dear offences ? Have I not lain<\/font>
\n<\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 77<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nUpon your breast, stealing from my own bed
\nAt night, and kissed your bosom and your hands
\nFor very love of you? And I had thought
\nYou loved me: but you do not care at last
\nWhether I live or die.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tDIOMEDE <\/font><\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nOh hush! I love you,
\nI’ll go with you. You shall not die alone,
\nIf you are bent on dying. I’ll put on
\nMy sandals and be with you in a moment.
\nGo, little princess. I am with you; go.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nShe goes.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/i><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nO you poor shuddering men, my human fellows,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nHorribly bound beneath the grisly knife<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nYou feel already groping for your hearts,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPardon me each long moment that you wrestle<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nWith grim anticipation. O, and you,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIf there is any god in the deaf skies<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThat pities men or helps them, O protect me!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nBut if you are inexorably unmoved<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nAnd punish pity, I, Andromeda,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nWho am a woman on this earth, will help<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nMy brothers. Then, if you must punish me,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nStrike home. You should have given me no heart;<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIt is too late now to forbid it feeling.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nShe is going out. Athene appears.
\nWhat is this light, this glory? who art thou,
\nO beautiful marble face amid the lightnings ?
\nMy heart faints with delight, my body trembles,
\nIntolerable ecstasy beats in my veins;<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nI am oppressed and tortured with thy beauty.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE<\/font><\/p>\n

\nI am Athene.<\/font>
\n<\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 78<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nArt thou a goddess ? Thy name
\nWe hear far off in Syria.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nI am she
\nWho helps and has compassion on struggling mortals.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>{falling prostrate<\/i>)<\/font>
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nDo not deceive me! I will kiss thy feet.
\nOjoy! thou art! thou art!<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nLift up thy head,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nMy servant.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThou art! there are not only void
\nAzure and cold inexorable laws.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nStand up, O daughter of Cassiope.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nWilt thou then help these men of Babylonia,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nMy mortals whom I love ?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nI help myself,
\nI When I help these.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nTo thee alone I gave
\nThis knowledge. O virgin, O Andromeda,
\nIt reached thee through that large and noble heart
\nOf woman beating in a little child.
\nBut dost thou know that thy reward shall be
\nBetrayal and fierce hatred? God and man
\nShall league in wrath to kill and torture thee<\/font>
\n<\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 79<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nMid dire revilings.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nMy reward shall be
\nTo cool this anguish of pity in my heart
\nAnd be at peace: if dead, O still at peace!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThou fear’st not then? They will expose thee, child,
\nTo slaughter by the monsters of the deep
\nWho shall come forth to tear thy limbs.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nBeyond too
\nShall I be hated, in that other world?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPerhaps.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nWilt thou love me ?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThou art my child.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nO mother, O Athene, let me go.
\nThey linger in anticipated pangs.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>THENE <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nGo, child. I shall be near invisibly.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nShe disappears. Andromeda stands with clasped
\nhands straining her eyes as if into infinity.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/i><\/p>\n

\n
\nDiomede returns.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/i><\/p>\n

\n\tD<\/font>IOMEDE<\/font><\/p>\n

\nYou are not gone as yet? what is this, princess?<\/font>
\n<\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 80<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nWhat is this light around you! How you are altered,
\nAndromeda!<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tA<\/font>NDROMEDA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nDiomede, let us go.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nThey go out.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/i> <\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 81<\/font><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Act Three SCENE I   The women apartments of the Palace. Andromeda, Diomede. ANDROMEDA All’s ready, let us go. DIOMEDE Andromeda, My little mistress whom…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","wpcat-15-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}