Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

shackles of Rome and proclaims himself the Head of the Church in England, and free to act in
religious matters as he pleases. His divorce from Katherine is now consummated, and he chooses
Anne Boleyn as his new Queen.
In Act 4 Anne is shown as Queen, but full of anxiety as to what her fate may be, the King having
become jealous of Don Gomez. Her anxiety is doubled when Gomez enters and informs her that
Katherine still holds the love-letter he wrote to her when she was Maid of Honour; and she is in
despair, after a stormy scene with Henry, whose fickle affection is already waning, and he is only
waiting for an opportunity to rid himself of her and take another Queen. The last scene takes place
in the chamber of Katherine, who is dying, and who is visited by Anne, who entreats her to give
up the compromising letter she holds. For a long time Katherine refuses to yield up the letter to her
rival, this being her hour of revenge; but when the King himself enters and tries to persuade her to
give him any information which he may use to bring discredit upon Anne and serve as an excuse
for him to make a definite charge against her, her better feelings triumph, and she not only refuses
his request, but also throws the incriminating document into the fire. Then as the divorced Queen
falls back dying, Anne is shown as only temporarily relieved, her anxiety as to the future and the
premonition of her own approaching fate being indicated in the closing passages of the final
chorus.
140. PROSERPINE
Opera in Four Acts By Camille Saint-Saëns
Libretto By Louis Gallet
First Produced Paris, March, 1887
Chief Characters Proserpine, Angiola, Sabatino, Renzo, Squarocca
THE action takes place in Italy during the sixteenth century. Sabatino, a young lord, is in love
with Angiola, whose brother, Renzo, advises him to put his affection to the test by bringing
himself under the fascinating influence of the celebrated courtesan, Proserpine, so that he may
prove himself impervious to the seductive temptations of any other woman but Angiola. Sabatino,
therefore, pays his court to the beautiful Proserpine, who falls desperately in love with him, and
uses all her arts to gain his affection, Sabatino, however, only treats her with the scant courtesy
accorded to her class; and this greatly grieves and enrages the courtesan, whose anger against him
increases when she learns the true reason for his attentions to her. Having discovered that he loves
the gentle Angiola, she instructs a bravo, Squarocca, to kidnap the girl on the day she is to leave
her convent to be wedded to Sabatino. Squarocca carries out her instructions, and manages to seize
Angiola; and the frightened girl is immediately confronted by the jealous courtesan, who, by
relating false and evil tales of Sabatino, endeavours to persuade her to renounce him. Angiola,
however, will believe no evil against the man she loves; and the baffled Proserpine is preparing to
kill her when Renzo appears, and she is forced to beat a retreat. The courtesan next forces her way
into the house of Sabatino, and telling him of the sincere love she has conceived for him
endeavours. to persuade him to give up Angiola; but Sabatino repulses her, never having felt true
affection for her. Proserpine, now beside herself with disappointment and jealousy, appears at the
wedding; and as soon as the nuptial knot is tied, she springs forward and stabs the bride. Instantly
Sabatino turns upon the courtesan and stabs her with her own dagger; and as Proserpine falls dead