For Love of the King

By Oscar Wilde, 1922

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For Love of the King

For Love of the King Summary

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For Love of the King Excerpt

ACT I

SCENE I

The palace of the king of burmah.  The scene is laid in the Hall of a Hundred Doors.  In the distance can be seen the moatthe waiting elephantsand the peacocks promenading proudly in the blinding sunshine of late afternoon.  The scene discovers king meng beng seated on a raised cushion sewn with rubiesunder a canopy supported by four attendantsmotionless as bronze figures.  By his side is a betel-nut boxglittering with gems.  On either side of himbut much lower downare the two ambassadors of the king of ceylonbearers of the King of Ceylon's consent to the marriage of his only daughter to Meng Beng in two years' timemen of gravemajestic mienclad in flowing robes almost monastic in their white simplicity.  They smoke gravely at the invitation of meng beng.

Round about are grouped the courtiersthe poonygeesand the kneeling servantswhile in the background wait the dancing girls.  Bannerspropelled with a measured rhythmcreate an agreeable breeze.  On a great table of gold stand goblets of gold and heaped-up fruits.  Everywhere will be observed the emblems of the Royal Peacock and the Sacred White Elephant.  Burmese musical instruments sound an abrupt but charming discord.  The poinsettias flower punctuates points of deepest colour from out of vases fashioned like the lotus.  Orchids are everywhere.  The indescribable scent of Burmah steals across the footlights.  The glowthe colourthe sun-swept vista sweeps across the senses.  the king claps his hands.  The dancing girlsat the signaladvance.  They are clad in dresses made of fish scaleswhich are fastened with diamonds and pale emeraldsto imitate the upthrown spray on the crest of a wave.  The dance concludedthe cingalese ambassadors rise and prepare to take ceremonious leave of the kingwho hands to themthrough his vizierhis message to His Majesty of Ceyloninscribed on palm leaves and enclosed in a bejewelled casket.

Many flowery speeches pass.  Exit (L.), walking backwards.

the king expresses a desire for rest before starting by the Moon of Taboung for the Pagoda of Golden Flowers.

Exit meng beng (C.), an alcove of satin hangings which commands a view of the great hall.

The Crowd break up into groups.  u. rai gyan thoo and moung pho mhin converse on the tendency of the King to interference in affairs of Statehis extreme youth and delicacy of temperamentthe pity that the marriage is to be so long delayedthe necessity to find him some distraction in the meantime.

Suddenly the tom-toms sound loudly.  There is much movement.  The moon rises over the sea.  Torches flare as the attendants move to and fro in the gardens beyond.

The White Elephant of the Kingwith its trappings of goldis led to the entrance whereat a wordit sinks obediently to the ground.

the king appears.  He has changed his gay apple-green dress to one of more sombre hue.  He enters the howdah-the elephant rises-the procession starts.  It consists of not fewer than two hundred personskeeping in view of the audience until lost by a bend in the avenue.