Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

Chief Characters Maria, Sesella, Luigino, Cicillo, Pascale, Pichillo
THE scene is laid in Naples at the Lower Harbour; and Act 1 takes place outside the Inn of
Pascale, where a number of sea-folk and idle youths are gambling. Amongst these is Luigino, the
son of Maria, who complains that his vicious habits are ruining her. His sister, Sesella, also
remonstrates with him; but the youth only replies roughly to these reproaches, and, taking no heed,
presently continues his play and loses ten lire to Pascale. Maria pays the money out of her scant
means, and retires sadly into her house; whilst Sesella has an angry scene with her brother, who
threatens her with his dire vengeance should she continue to accept the attentions of a new
admirer, Cicillo, whom he declares to be a spy upon the Harbour band of the Camorristi, of which
he, Luigino, is one. Cicillo presently enters, declaring that the Camorristi members have been
betrayed to the authorities by a traitor in the camp; and he infers that Luigino is the spy, although,.
as a matter of fact, he is himself the false member. Cicillo has an interview with Maria, and it then
transpires that there is a blood feud between the pair, who were once lovers. Cicillo, however,
deserted Maria for another girl, Carmela; and when Maria learnt of this, in her rage and grief she
accused Carmela of many base crimes and secured her execution. She then married; and after the
death of her husband endeavoured to find comfort and happiness in her two children. But Cicillo is
determined to revenge himself upon Maria; and he intends to strike at her through her children. He
therefore leads Luigino into every kind of extravagance and vice; and he also proceeds to make
love to Sesella, intending to compass her dishonour and leave her to her fate. Maria, suspecting his
evil designs, implores him to spare her children; but Cicillo only spurns her and laughs scornfully
at her own threat of denouncing him as a traitor to the Camorristi band-a fact which she strongly
suspects.
In Act 2 Cicillo meets Sesella again, and gets her to promise to elope with him, telling her a
version of his former relations with her mother, which shows up Maria in a very evil light, and so
overcomes the girls reluctance to leave her home; but after he has retired, Maria herself comes
forward, and, suspecting the conversation which has taken place, implores Sesella not to trust to
Cicillo, who has only evil designs on her, and by telling her the true facts of the bygone sordid
story she enlists the girls sympathies with herself, so that she determines to renounce her false
lover.
In Act 3 Maria denounces Cicillo to the members of the Camorristi as the real traitor who has
betrayed them, so that Luigino is released from suspicion ; and the latter, now repenting of his
vicious conduct, pleads forgiveness of his mother and promises to aid in bringing Cicillo to
justice. The Camorristi determine to slay Cicillo, and appoi;nt Luigino to do the deed; and in spite
of Marias prayer to spare her beloved son from performing such a terrible task, they keep to their
intention, and make all arrangements for lying in wait. Maria, however, determines that her
repentant son shall not do the deed; and at night, just before the Camorristi band approaches, she
intercepts Cicillo, and telling him of the fate that awaits him at the street corner, she offers to save
him yet if he will promise not to molest her children again, but to leave her to dwell in peace.
Cicillo laughs her warnings to scorn, believing himself to be safe from the Camorristi; and he
vows that he will pursue his evil designs on her loved ones until he brings them both to the dust in
disgrace. Then Maria is in despair; and hearing the signal of the hidden assassins she springs
forward and stabs Cicillo to the heart as the Camorristi band rush forward, headed by Luigino.