The German Classics V 20 Masterpieces Of German Literature Tran

This, the last volume of THE GERMAN CLASSICS, was intended to be devoted to the contemporary drama exclusively. But the harvest of the contemporary German Short Story is so rich...

Ancient hall of the manor. Broad and spacious. Low ceiling. In the rear wall, toward the garden, the bare trees of which are visible, three wide windows with white crossbars. Ch...

The forenoon of the following day. The gloomy light of a winter day comes in through the wide windows at the background of the hall, as on the day before. Outside, white bushes...

The same hall as on the preceding days. The two corners in the foreground, on the right the fireplace with its chairs, on the left the sofa and other furniture are both separate...

Afternoon, two days later. The banquet hoard and oleanders have been removed, every trace of the funeral has been carefully obliterated. Clear sunlight comes in from the garden...

A room in the garden house. The door in the background leads out-doors. There are windows at both sides of the door and also in the right wall. They all look out upon the garden...

Sleeping chamber in the house of the wealthy MERCHANT. To the rear an alcove with dark curtains. To the left a door, to the right a small door leading into the garden, and a win...

A wainscoted room in SHALNASSAR'S house. An ascending stairway, narrow and steep, in the right background; a descending one at the left. A gallery of open woodwork with openings...

The garden of the rich merchant. The high wall runs from the right foreground backward toward the left. Steps lead to a small latticed gate in the wall. To the left a winding pa...

VALET. No, he isn't in. (Exit elevator boy. Valet goes into the adjoining room, returns with another armful of clothes. Knock on the door. He lays the clothes aside and walks to...

GERARDO. Be quick about it. I have some work left to do before I go. Come, let me have a look at things. (He reaches into one of the trunks.) Great Heavens, man! Don't you know...

GERARDO (alone, looking at his watch). Half an hour left. (Picks out the piano arrangement of "Tristan and Isolde" from under the flowers on the piano and, walking up and down,...

MISS COEURNE (sixteen years old, short skirts, loose-hanging light hair. Has a bouquet of red roses in her hand, speaks with an English accent, looks at GERARDO with a full and...

GERARDO (alone, tries to sing). "Isolde! Beloved! Art thou ..." I should think these women might get tired of me _some_ time! But, then, the world holds so many of them! And I a...

Professor Duehring, seventy years old, dressed in black, long, white beard, his aquiline nose tinged with red, suggesting fondness for wine, gold ringed spectacles, frock coat a...

GERARDO (alone, comes forward, sinks into an armchair, with basket of champagne in front of him, looks at the bottles). For whom am I raking together so much money?--For my chil...

HELEN (of striking beauty, twenty-seven years, street dress, muff; greatly excited). I am just likely, am I not, to let that creature block my way! I suppose you placed him down...

ELEVATOR BOY (enters, looks at GERARDO and at HELEN). Mr.--Mr. Gerardo! (GERARDO does not move. Boy steps up to HELEN. Two chambermaids and a scrubwoman, scrubber in hand, edge...

ISEULT'S apartment at St. Lubin.--A curtain hung from the ceiling cuts off one-third of the room. This third is raised one step above the rest of the room. The background is for...

Lord Tristram slew mighty Urgan, Lord Tristram the loving, the true, And pitying sorrowful lovers He carried away Peticru. Lord Tristram, the thoughtful and valiant, Lord Tristr...

PARANIS. Ay, like the sea the gale whips up. The wind Swept all the covers from my bed and left Me cold and trembling. Branches beat the wall Above my head like demons of the st...

ISEULT. Lord Tristram has kept true unto my name At least--if not to me! 'Tis now the tenth Year that I mourn for him! In countless nights Of endless agony have I repaid Those o...

BRANGAENE and PARANIS go. MARK and the barons remain standing at some distance from ISEULT. DENOVALIN remains in the background and during this and the following scene stands al...

ISEULT. When last thou stoodst before my face, my Lord, Naked I was, and men at arms prepar'd The glowing pyre whereon thy jealousy Had doomed my youthful body to be burned! Cal...

ISEULT. Oh God, how bitter are his words! They cut Like sharpen'd swords and burn like hissing flames! What is his will? His speech, though witless, ay, And senseless too, insul...

The High Hall of St. Lubin Castle.--Bay windows. On the right, in the background is a wide double-door. On the left, in the background, and diagonally to it stands a long table...

A BARON. And canst thou tell us now. Lord Ganelun, What's taking place that we are summoned here In council while our legs are scarcely dry From our long ride?

MARK and DENOVALIN enter; behind them comes a man-at-arms who closes the door and stands against the wall beside it. MARK holds a parchment in his hand, and, without noticing th...

ISEULT. And may I ask thee now What this extraordinary custom is, That twice thou dost repeat it, Mark? In mine Own land of Ireland I never saw A man thus treat his wife. So, if...

The Inner Courtyard of the Castle.--In the foreground at the left is the Castle gate. In the background on the right, at the top of a broad flight of steps, under an arcade of c...

1ST GUARD (pushing the child back into the crowd). My little friend, get back! Now see, I'll make A line upon the ground, and if thy toes, But by a hair's breadth, cross that li...

SHEPHERD. Oh there! Behold, she is a fairy! Yea, And she is fairer than Gimella far! I'll fall upon my knees when she goes past. She's wondrous fair, ay, fairer than a flower, A...

The lepers enter the courtyard. They are a wild pack dressed in gaudy rags, and rumpled, armless cloaks with hoods; carrying long staves and crutches; with colored cloths bound...

STR. LEPER. Who spoke? Which one of you? Tell me, who spoke? Scabs! Vultures! Curs, away! Be off! If one Of you but speaks again I'll trample you Beneath my feet and grind you i...

The Strange Leper, whose hood has fallen back during the conflict, goes quickly to the foot of the steps. His forehead is bound with a narrow band. ISEULT stands motionless with...

VOICES. Oh listen! See, 'Twas God that struck Denovalin, since he Had falsely testified against the Queen! Then let the executioner strip off His arms, and hang them in my armor...

The High Vaulted Hall of the Castle.--In the middle of the hall on the left opens a high, wooden staircase. In the background on the left, bay-windows; on the right, a broad, ba...

GANELUN. King Mark has bid us play, and order'd wine For us to drink, since otherwise 'twould be A dull and sombre evening here tonight Within the castle hall, for Queen Iseult,...

MARK. I thank You all, my Lords, that ye were not enraged And angered at a weak old man, and came Again to me. I would not willingly Have spent this night alone.

ISEULT. I beg of you, My Lords, consider what is past as 'twere A dream, since otherwise we could not find Fit words or proper sentiments to stand Before each other with unblush...

MARK opens the grating and lets the Strange Jester in. The Jester advances a few feet on the right, and stops to stare at ISEULT. UGRIN walks about him, examining him.

UGRIN. Ay, so they are! "Whip, whip the fool!" We wrack Our weary brains to make a jest and then, In payment, we are whipped if they so feel Inclined! They treat us more like do...

Same as Act IV.--The first glow of dawn shines through the grated door and windows, becoming brighter until the end of the Act. The Strange Jester sits cowering on the steps of...

BRANGAENE (looking for something on the ground). Methought King Mark had paid thy jests with whips and had Then driven thee away; and yet thou sitst Here in the self-same place...

BRANGAENE disappears above; the Strange Jester cowers motionless, his head buried in his hands. After a moment ISEULT, in a white night robe, comes down the stairs with BRANGAEN...

ISEULT (jumps on to the bench before the window and waves her hand joyously). Oh Tristram, Tristram, thou dear fool! My dear beloved friend!--He does not turn! --Oh call! Oh cal...