ACT 3 Scene 4 THE RATH OF OBERON

 ACT 3



Scene 4

THE RATH OF OBERON

THE RAPE OF OBERON

~ CURTAIN OPENS ~

A dark and dangerous clearing, deep in the forest. The wind howls. There is lightning and thunder.

[ PUCK is on the ground crying in pain and swearing. FORGET-ME-NOT, TOADFLAX, HAREBELLE, YARROW, YEW and FOXGLOVE are tending Puck's wounds. POPPY is standing guard.]

PUCK

( Screams)

I shall chop her to bits and make a bonfire of her rotten wood!

Enter STRAWBERRY.

POPPY

Hail, Strawberry! Help me keep this frightful watch!

STRAWBERRY

Good Poppy, what are these dread noises?

POPPY

Puck hath with all his might, slammed into the tree of Rowan, where upon he sees double and cries out, "Death to both of you, thou treacherous tree witch!"

STRAWBERRY

What is the quarrel?

POPPY

Titania's servant, Rowan, gives to Puck this sealed letter from the Fairy Queen, which I now hold for safe keeping while Puck's wounds are dressed.

[ Poppy pulls a letter from her pockets, shows it to Strawberry, then puts it away carefully.]

STRAWBERRY

O miserable mess! How do they make war over this letter?

POPPY

Puck asks of Rowan why she does not give the letter, since she seeks Oberon herself and that he should not disturb his Captain until Oberon were calm again. Rowan, full of impatience, replies that Great Oberon will likely kill the bearer of this note and if Puck would do the honor, it should greatly please both the fairy kingdom and the realm of man.

[ Poppy makes a fist and rears back to throw a punch, showing Strawberry how it went.]

POPPY

( Continues )

In this way and war-like, Puck dashes to strike Rowan. Rowan transforms herself into a mighty tree, which is the form in which she sleeps. Puck hits her stone-like tree with such a force that brings forth his terrible injury which we now tend to mend.

[LIGHTNING and THUNDER and WIND intensify.]

POPPY AND STRAWBERRY

( Both Shouting)

Hide! Something terrible approaches!

[ The fairies cover Puck's mouth and drag him. They exit.]

Enter QUEEN MAB, backwards, brandishing a great silver sword.

Enter OBERON, also wielding a great sword, forcing her to back away from him and appears to have the upper hand.

OBERON

Answer my question or die, thou filthy hag!

[Queen Mab abruptly stops backing up.]

QUEEN MAB

Here is my reply!

[ With shocking and unexpected force, Queen Mab's sword knocks Oberon's sword out of his hand. She round kicks him to the ground and stands over him with her sword at his neck.]

OBERON

Bear my body to my Queen Titania. Do not leave it for the animals to devour. That is all I ask.

[ Enter QUEEN MAB'S ARMY. They drive stakes into the ground and bind his hands and feet, then stand guard.]

QUEEN MAB

Bear it to her yourself, King Oberon, after I have ravished thee. I am to be thy first and I will get from thee a terrible son who will become the Dread Sovereign of the Fairy Kingdom!

Enter PUCK, STRAWBERRY, POPPY, FORGET-ME-NOT, TOADFLAX, HAREBELL, YARROW, YEW and FOXGLOVE, all SCREAMING with their weapons drawn. They fight valiantly but are outnumbered and driven away by QUEEN MAB'S ARMY.

~ CURTAIN CLOSES ~

~ To Be Continued ~

 

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