Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

house of Shamus, who is at the moment encouraging the peasants to rebel again. Shamus,
however, cleverly assumes the character and bearing of the village " natural," or fool, and deceives
the English Captain so successfully that he even allows him to act as a guide in his own search.
After he has departed Nora is full of fear for his safety, having heard the mysterious " Banshee
"twice; and she trembles lest she should hear it a third time, which will mean dire misfortune, or
even death to one she loves. She is comforted by the cheery words of the good old priest, Father
OFlynn; and presently, to her joy, Shamus returns. He has scarcely kissed his wife and little child,
however, when the weird wailing of the " Banshee " is heard again; and at that moment the
soldiers rush into the house, brought thither by the base Mike, and Shamus is captured and
dragged away to await execution as a rebel.
In Act 2 Captain Trevor is harried first by Mike Murphy, who demands his prize, disgusting the
honest soldier by his eager claiming of "bloodmoney " ; and secondly, by the entreaties of the
distracted wife, Nora, and her pretty sister; Kitty OToole, the latter having already caused him to
succumb to her charms. In spite of his love for Kitty, however, his duty prevents him from
granting the release of the doomed man; but he permits Nora to visit her husband and take a last
farewell of him. When Nora comes weeping from this pathetic interview, she is accosted by Mike
Murphy, who suggests that if she will accept his love and elope with him he will give evidence
which will save Shamus. Nora declines to listen to such a vile suggestion; and consequently the
patriotic rebel is tried-and condemned to death.
In Act 3 the unhappy Nora and Kitty await with Father OFlynn near the scaffold where Shamus is
to be hanged; and here the treacherous Mike again vainly tries to persuade the weeping wife to
agree to his infamous proposals. When Shamus appears in the cart with the soldiers, he bids a
tender, last farewell to his wife and friends; and then Father OFlynn steps into the cart to pray with
the condemned man. But the good old priest, who has known and loved Shamus from childhood,
and admires him as a true patriot, has determined to give him a chance of escape; and by a
dexterous movement he manages to cut the cords which bind the captive. Freed from his fetters,
Shamus makes a bold dash for liberty, and succeeds in getting to a safe distance almost before the
soldiers have realised that he has gone. Mike Murphy springs forward in order to stop the daring
fugitive; and as the soldiers fire at, that moment, he receives the volley intended for Shamus and
falls dead. Shamus, therefore, gets safely away, to the great joy of all - not excepting Captain
Trevor, who rejoices for the sake of his pretty sweetheart, Kitty, and her thankful sister, Nora.
148. THE BAT
Opera Comique in Three Acts By Johann Strauss
Libretto By Hofiner and Genée
First Produced Vienna, July, 1874
Chief Characters Rosalind, Adele, Baron Eisenstein, Dr Falke, Franck, Prince Orlofsky
ADÉLE, the maid of Rosalind, Baroness Eisenstein, desires to attend a grand ball to be given by
the rich Russian Prince, Orlofsky, an invitation having been sent to her by her sister, who is a
ballet dancer; and, after much persuasion, she receives permission to go. Baron Eisenstein has