Chapter 18Act V, Scene 1

Act V Scene 1 The sea-shore. Andromeda chained to the cliff. ANDROMEDA O iron-throated vast unpitying sea, Whose borders touch my feet with their cold kisses As if they loved me! yet from thee my death Will soon arise, and in some monstrous form To tear my heart with horror before my body. I am alone with thee on this wild beach Filled with the echo of thy roaring waters. My fellowmen have cast me out: they have bound me Upon thy rocks to die. These cruel chains Weary the arms they keep held stiffly out Against the rough cold jagg`ed stones. My bosom Hardly contains its thronging sobs; my heart Is torn with misery: for by my act My father and my mother are doomed to death, My dear kind brother, my sweet Iolaus, Will cruelly be slaughtered; by my act A kingdom ends in miserable ruin. I thought to save two fellowmen: I have slain A hundred by their rescue. I have failed In all I did and die accursed and hated. I die alone and miserably, no heart To pity me: only your hostile waves Are listening to my sobs and laughing hoarsely With cruel pleasure. Heaven looks coldly on.

Perseus the Deliverer Yet I repent not. O thou dreadful god! Yes, thou art dreadful and most mighty; perhaps This world will always be a world of blood And smiling cruelty, thou its fit sovereign. But I have done what my own heart required of me, And I repent not. Even if after death Eternal pain and punishment await me And gods and men pursue me with their hate, I have been true to myself and to my heart, I have been true to the love it bore for men, And I repent not. She is silent for a while. Alas! is there no pity for me? Is there No kind bright sword to save me in all this world? Heaven with its cold unpitying azure roofs me, And the hard savage rocks surround: the deaf And violent Ocean roars about my feet, And all is stony, all is cold and cruel. Yet I had dreamed of other powers. Where art thou, O beautiful still face amid the lightnings, Athene? Does a mother leave her child? And thou, bright stranger, wert thou only a dream? Wilt thou not come down glorious from thy sun, And cleave my chains, and lift me in thy arms To safety? I will not die! I am too young, And life was recently so beautiful. It is too hard, too hard a fate to bear. She is silent, weeping. Cydone enters: she comes and sits down at Andromeda’s feet. CYDONE How beautiful she is, how beautiful! Her tears bathe all her bosom. O cruel Syrians! ANDROMEDA What gentle touch is on my feet? Who art thou?

Act V, Scene 1 CYDONE I am Cydone. Iolaus loves me. ANDROMEDA My brother! lives he yet? CYDONE He lives, dear sweetness, And sent me to you. ANDROMEDA (joyfully) It was a cruel lie! He’s free? CYDONE No, bound and in the temple. Weep not. ANDROMEDA Alas! And you have left him there alone? CYDONE The gods are with him, sister. In a few hours We shall be all together and released From these swift perils. ANDROMEDA Together and released! Oh yes, in death. CYDONE I bid you hope. O child, How beautiful you are, how beautiful, Iolaus’ sister! This one white slight garment Fluttering about you in the ocean winds, You look like some wind-goddess chained in play By frolic sisters on the wild sea-beaches. I think all this has happened, little sister,

Perseus the Deliverer Just that the gods might have for one brief hour You for a radiant vision of childish beauty Exposed against this wild stupendous background. ANDROMEDA You make me smile in spite of all my grief. Did you not bid me hope, Cydone? CYDONE And now I bid you trust: for you are saved. ANDROMEDA I am. I feel it now. CYDONE Your name’s Andromeda? ANDROMEDA Iolaus calls me so. CYDONE I think he cheats me. You are Iolaus changed into a girl. Come, I will kiss you dumb for cheating me With changes of yourself. Kisses her. If I could have My Iolaus always chained like this To do my pleasure with, I would so plague him! For he abuses me and calls me shrew, Monster and vixen and names unbearable, Because he’s strong and knows I cannot beat him. ANDROMEDA The world is changed about me.

Act V, Scene 1 CYDONE Heaven’s above. Look up and see it. ANDROMEDA There is a golden cloud Moving towards me. CYDONE It is Perseus. Sweetheart, I go to Iolaus in the temple, — I mean your other fair boy-self. Kiss me, O sweet girl-Iolaus, and fear nothing. She goes out over the rocks. ANDROMEDA I shall be saved! What is this sudden trouble That lifts the bosom of the tossing deep, Hurling the waves against my knees? Save me! Where art thou gone, Cydone? What huge head Raises itself on the affrighted seas? Where art thou, O my saviour? Come! His eyes Glare up at me from the grey Ocean trough Hideous with brutish longing. Like great sharp rocks His teeth are in a bottomless dim chasm. She closes her eyes in terror. Perseus enters. PERSEUS Look up, O sunny-curled Andromeda! Perseus, the son of Dana¨e, is with thee To whom thou now belongest. Fear no more Sea-monsters nor the iron-souled Poseidon, Nor the more monstrous flinty-hearted rabble Who bound thee here. This huge and grisly enemy That rises from the flood, need not affright thee. Thou art as safe as if thy mother’s arms Contained thee in thy brilliant guarded palace

Perseus the Deliverer When all was calm, O white Andromeda! Lift up thy eyes’ long curtains: aid the azure With thy regards, O sunshine. Look at me And see thy safety. ANDROMEDA O thou hast come to me! It was not only a radiant face I dreamed of. PERSEUS In time to save thee, my Andromeda, Sole jewel of the world. I go to meet Thy enemy, confronting grim Poseidon. ANDROMEDA O touch me ere you go that I may feel You are real. PERSEUS Let my kiss, sweet doubting dreamer, Convince thee. Now I dart like a swift hawk Upon my prey and smite betwixt the billows. Watch how I fight for thee. I will come soon To gather thee into my grasp, my prize Of great adventure. He goes out. ANDROMEDA The music of his name Was in my brain just now. What must I call thee? Perseus, the son of Dana¨e! Perseus! Perseus, Athene’s sword! Perseus, my sungod! O human god of glad Andromeda! Forgive, Athene, my lack of faith. Thou art! How like a sudden eagle he has swooped Upon the terror, that lifts itself alarmed, Swings its huge length along the far-ridged billows

Act V, Scene 1 And upwards yawns its rage. O great Athene! It belches fiery breath against my Perseus And lashes Ocean in his face. The sea Is tossed upon itself and its huge bottoms Catch chinks of unaccustomed day. But the aegis Of Perseus hurls the flame-commingled flood Back in the dragon’s eyes: it shoots its lightnings Into the horizon like fire-trailing arrows. The world surprised with light gazes dismayed Upon the sea-surrounded war, ringed in With foam and flying tumult. O glorious sight, Too swift and terrible for human eyes! I will pray rather. Virgin, beautiful Athene, virgin-mother of my soul! I cannot lift my hands to thee, they are chained To the wild cliff, but lift my heart instead, Virgin, assist thy hero in the fight. Descend, armipotent maiden, child of Zeus, Shoot from his godlike brain the strength of will That conquers evil: in one victorious stroke Collecting hurl it on the grisly foe. Thou, thou art sword and shield, and thou the force That uses shield and sword, virgin Athene. The tumult ceases and the floods subside. I dare not look. And yet I will. O death, Thou tossest there inertly on the flood, A floating mountain. Perseus comes to me Touching the waves with airy-sandalled feet, Bright and victorious. Perseus returns. PERSEUS The grisly beast is slain that was thy terror, And thou mayst sun the world with smiles again, Andromeda.

Perseus the Deliverer ANDROMEDA Thou hast delivered me, O Perseus, Perseus, My sovereign! PERSEUS Girl, I take into my arms My own that I have won and with these kisses Seal to me happy head and smiling eyes, Bright lips and all of thee, thou sunny Syrian. All thy white body is a hero’s guerdon. ANDROMEDA Perseus! PERSEUS Sweetly thou tak’st my eager kisses With lovely smiles and glorious blushing cheeks Rejoicing in their shame. ANDROMEDA I am chained, Perseus, And cannot help myself. PERSEUS O smile of sweetness! I will unravel these unworthy bonds And rid thee of the cold excuse. ANDROMEDA My chains? They do not hurt me now, and I would wear them A hundred times for such a happy rescue. PERSEUS Thou tremblest yet!

Act V, Scene 1 ANDROMEDA Some sweet and sudden fear O’ertakes me! O what is it? I dare not look Into thy radiant eyes. PERSEUS Sweet tremors, grow Upon her. Never shall harsher fears again O’ertake you, rosy limbs, in Perseus’ keeping. How fair thou art, my prize Andromeda! O sweet chained body, chained to love not death, That with a happy passiveness endures My touch, once more, once more. And now fall down Clashing into the deep, you senseless irons, That took a place my kisses only merit. Princess of Syria, child of imperial Cepheus, Step forward free. ANDROMEDA (falling at his feet and embracing them) O Perseus, O my saviour! Wilt thou not also save those dear to me And make this life thou givest worth the giving? My father, mother, brother, all I love, Lie for my fault shuddering beneath the knife. PERSEUS It was a glorious fault, Andromeda. Tremble not for thy loved ones. Wilt thou trust Thy cherished body in my arms to bear Upward, surprising Heaven with thy beauty? Or wilt thou fear to see the blue wide Ocean Between thy unpropped feet, fathoms below? ANDROMEDA With you I fear not.

Perseus the Deliverer PERSEUS Cling to me then, sweet burden, And we will meet our enemies together. He puts his arms round her to lift her and the curtain falls.