Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

Fool
THE scene is laid at Windsor in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Act 1 discovers the rustics near
Windsor Castle enjoying their May-day festivities. The May Queen is overwhelmed by many
suitors, and finally chooses between Big Ben and Long Tom, two of the royal foresters. She is
soon jealous of a lonely maiden, Jill-all-Alone, a forest dweller, reputed to be a witch; for Long
Tom is in love with the gipsy maid. The rustics, however, dislike Jill; and, after listening awhile to
the comical talk of a couple of strolling players, Wilkins and Simkins, they all hurry off to seek
the supposed witch. After they have gone, some of the Court party arrive; for Queen Elizabeth is
expected to shortly take part in the revels. Her maid of honour, Bessie Throckmorton, appears,
followed by her sweetheart, Sir Walter Raleigh. They are anxious lest the Queen should hear of
their love-making, since her anger will then quickly fall on both, Elizabeth regarding all her
courtiers and Raleigh in particular as her own admirers only. After the lovers have strolled away,
the Earl of Essex appears, plotting how he may com-pass the downfall of Raleigh, and establish
himself as first royal favourite. He is presently joined by the strolling players, who entertain him
vastly with their amusing talk. They are next interrupted by the gipsy girl, Jill, who rushes to them
for protection from the angry superstitious rustics, who are about to duck her in the river. Wilkins
has been boasting of his bravery; but when Jill clings to him he is afraid of the approaching
rustics. Jill is, however, rescued by her sweetheart, Big Ben, who then lets the craven Wilkins
know his opinion of him by tossing the player into the Thames, from whence he presently emerges
in a bedraggled condition, just as Queen Elizabeth lands from her royal barge. When the Queen
has returned the loyal greetings of her rustic subjects, Essex produces a letter which Bessie has
dropped in the woods, and which contains a love declaration from Raleigh. This letter he shows to
the Queen, who is delighted at first, believing it to be addressed to herself; but when Raleigh
himself undeceives her and boldly avows his love for Bessie, she is furious, and, in her rage, she
condemns Raleigh to banishment, Bessie to imprisonment, and poor Jill to death. In Act 2 Jill is
seen in her forest retreat, having escaped from the Castle by an underground passage she has
discovered, which leads out beside Herne's Oak; and with her she has brought Bessie, the two girls
having struck up a real friendship. Jill comforts Bessie, telling her that Raleigh, being still in the
neighbourhood, will find a way out of their difficulties. They hide themselves as the rustics appear
with the players, who are arranging a merry masque to play before the Queen. When they have
departed, Elizabeth appears, closely cloaked, to meet an apothecary she has sent for. She bids him
bring her a poisonous draught, intending to administer it to her captive rival, Bessie; and when the
apothecary agrees she returns to the Castle. Raleigh, who has been hovering near and heard all,
now comes forward, and forbids the apothecary to bring such a drug; but on the vendor turning out
to be the Queen's Fool in disguise, who promises to aid him, they try to arrange a plan. When the
players return, Raleigh induces them to let him take part in their play, so that he may thus get into
the Castle; for he does not yet know that Bessie has escaped. However, Jill brings the lovers
together again; and, at that moment, Essex emerges from behind Herne's Oak, having followed
Bessie through the secret passage. He now agrees to befriend the lovers, thinking that if Raleigh
marries Bessie, he (Essex) will be first favourite with Elizabeth. He therefore arranges a plot,
whereby the Queen shall be frightened from her intended wrongdoing by a ghostly appearance of
Herne the Hunter, whose spirit is believed to appear to the Tudor monarchs only when they
contemplate an evil act. He arranges for the rustics to perform their play in this particu-lar spot,
and when the royal party is seated, and the play is proceeding, the sound of a ghostly hunting-horn
is heard, and the head of Herne the Hunter appears (Long Tom having undertaken to play the