The Song of Roland

By Carrie Parker and Cara Schell

Scene 1:
Roland, Oliver, Archbishop, Army man 1, 2, 3, Muslim soldiers 1,2,3, Charles,
Ganelon

Roland, Oliver, Archbishop, Army man 1,2,3 fighting Muslim soldiers 1,2,3

Army Man 1: The battle is fearful and full of grief.

Army Man 2: Flee or find no refuge from death.

Army Man 3: (points upward) Tremendous torment comes forth. The earth trembles.
It’s dark!

Army Man 1: The Last Day! Judgment Day!

Army Man 2: The End! The end of the world is upon us!

Roland: We are outnumbered. I will blow the horn. Charles will hear it.

Oliver: When I urged it sooner, you did not think it right. You will never be
with my sister.

Roland: Why are you so angry at me?

Oliver: People are dead because of you. We’ve seen the last of the battle.
Charlemagne will not aid us now, and your death will shame France. Everything we
are will end today.

Archbishop: Lord Roland! Lord Oliver! I beg you not to quarrel. To sound the
horn would not help us now, but it is better to do it. May the king come, and
avenge us!

Roland: You have spoken well! (blows horn)

Charles: Our men are in battle!

Ganelon: Do not talk of battles! You are old now. Roland is wild and proud. If
anyone else said they were in battle, I would not believe it, but we will go to
our people.

Roland blows horn again. His brains spill out. Roland, Oliver, Archbishop,
Muslim soldiers 1,2,3, Army men 1,2,3 fight. All fall. Roland is unconscious.
Muslim 1 plays dead, gets up, and charges unconscious Roland.

Muslim Soldier 1: Conquered! Charles’s nephew conquered! I’ll carry this sword
home to Arabia!

Roland: (awakes) I do not know you. You are not our own. (Hits Muslim soldier
with horn.)

Muslim Soldier’s eyes pop out!. He falls dead. Roland lays under tree.

Roland: I remember things now: How many lands I have conquered, sweet France,
Charles who hath fostered me. I repent in prayer, my Lord. I must finally ascend
into heaven. (tries to break sword but cannot) I will lie facing the Sacreans
with my sword and horn. I offer my glove, for all my sin, to God.

God: I see Roland. He hath repented of his sins and shall die a martyr’s death.
Go Gabriel to accept his glove. Take Cherubim and Saint Michael with you. Bear
Roland’s soul directly to heaven where he may rest in peace.

Roland dies. Gabriel, Cherubim, Saint Michael take him away.