SQUIRE: (entering)
You see him yonder, sir? In the clearing near the bridge? His armor
is white as the moon, sire. It shines like nothing I've ever seen.
ARTHUR: And he will not
tell his name, you say?
SQUIRE: He refuses.
Says he will not make himself known to any knight less worthy than himself.
ARTHUR: (steely determination)
I shall know his name or I shall die! Call him here!
(KNIGHT 1 exits. ARTHUR
calls over the wall to unknown knight. Getting no answer, he angrily
pounds his fist on the "wall" and exits up Center. HE
quickly re-enters up left, just as LANCELOT enters up right. LANCELOT
barely notices ARTHUR.)
ARTHUR: You there! Sir
Knight! Who do you serve and what is your mission?
LANCELOT: I have been
cursed, sir, with perfection.
ARTHUR: Perfection, is it?
LANCELOT: Yes. I have
traveled far and wide and I have never met my match in combat or
duel. I am simply the very best knight living, sir.
ARTHUR: Ha! It seems
you do not suffer from the curse of modesty.
LANCELOT: I simply tell
the truth.
ARTHUR: And truth is
the greatest of all knightly virtues! We shall test your boast, sir.
We shall see which of us is true and which of us is false!
LANCELOT: I have come
here to test myself against the Knights of King Arthur's Round Table.
I have heard that his knights are the greatest in all the world.
Sadly, I have found that they lack proper skill and are sorely in
need of...
(HE quickly pulls out
sword, surprising ARTHUR.)
LANCE: ... education.
ARTHUR: In need of
education?! And I suppose you shall do the teaching?!
LANCE: (bowing head)
I feel it is the least that I can do.
ARTHUR: (growling)
You try my patience, sir. I battle best when I am angry. Prepare to
meet your match, oh thou Perfect Humble Knight!
(THEY fight. The fight is a
very exciting sword fight with LANCELOT making very fancy moves,
though ARTHUR holds his own.)
LANCE: You battle well,
sir. King Arthur should be proud of you!
(ARTHUR growls and lunges.
THEY both battle well but clearly LANCELOT is the best man.)
LANCE: I suggest you
quit now, sir. I do not wish to harm you.
ARTHUR: Harm me!!?
LANCE: King Arthur
would surely grieve to see you lost in battle.
ARTHUR: King Arthur?!
King Arthur!?
(ARTHUR is simply lunging
now, acting not out of skill but out of sheer fury. LANCELOT is
holding back now, fighting a half-hearted defense, waiting for ARTHUR
to tire and stop. ARTHUR attempts a final lunge. LANCELOT strikes a
sharp blow which knocks ARTHUR violently to the ground. HE screams in pain.)
ARTHUR: Guenever!!
LANCE: Do you mean the
Queen Guenever? I have heard of her, her beauty is legend around the
world! She is perfection, I am told. She should be championed by a
perfect knight such as I.
(ARTHUR, hearing this,
reels around in rage at LANCELOT who has his back to ARTHUR. ARTHUR
raises Excalibur to bring it crashing down on LANCELOT'S back.
MUSIC CUE #7. Large
cymbal crash. ALL freeze. LANCELOT quietly exits as we hear other
worldly music. The LADY OF THE LAKE enters with long flowing white
veil covering her face. Only one hand is seen and it is clothed in a
kind of glove of brilliant jewels. SHE removes Excalibur from
ARTHUR'S hands and replaces it with a broken hilt. As she drops the
broken blade ARTHUR is released from the freeze. During the
following, LADY OF THE LAKE takes Excalibur up stage, to retrieve
later, then moves silks to represent a lake.)
ARTHUR: (as if in a
dream, picking up the pieces) Merlin, what have I done?
MERLIN: (off, using microphone)
You have broken what could not be broken.
ARTHUR: (grief and
almost tears) Ahhh! (throws the pieces to the ground)
MERLIN: Hope is broken.
Note: This is a
sample from the actual script. To review the entire play, order
the PERUSAL SCRIPT (online instant download).