King Fernando Character Analysis

Take your sword, so far unstained
By blood, and turn it red as the Cross
Upon your breast. How else can I
Address you as Master of the Cross
If the one is red and not the other?
Let both of them be crimson, and you,
Worthy Girón, crown the immortal temple of
Your famous ancestors.

There are new rulers in
Castile who’ll introduce such laws
And orders as will put an end
To all disorder. When they have ceased
To be engaged in war, they would
Do well to rid their villages
And towns of men whose power comes
From wearing crosses. The King alone
Should be allowed to wear the cross.

JUAN ROJO: So what do you think
The town should do?

ALDERMAN. The town should die,
Or kill these tyrants. We are many, they
Are few.

BARRILDO: Take arms against our overlord?

ESTEBAN. In the eyes of God the King alone
Is our lord, not men like these,
No better than wild animals.
If God is on our side, why should we be
Afraid?

VILLAGERS: Injustice does
Not wait!

COMMANDER: You have to tell me what
Injustices they are. I’ll put them right,
I swear.

VILLAGERS: Fuente Ovejuna! Long
Live King Fernando! Death to all
False Christians and foul traitors!

COMMANDER: Listen!
I am your lord and master.

VILLAGERS: The Catholic Kings
Are our lords and masters!

The people there
Have mercilessly killed their lord
And master: Fernán Gómez murdered by
His faithless subjects, vassals who,
Believing they’d been wronged, rose up
Without good cause. These people called
Him tyrant, and on the strength of that
Committed this foul deed. They broke into
His house, and though he offered, as
An honourable man, to see
To their complaints, not only did
They fail to heed his words but rained
Upon the Cross upon his breast
A thousand cruel blows.

Long life to lovely Isabel
And our King Fernando,
They suit each other very well,
Their love is strong, their love is true;
One day Saint Michael at the gates,
Will welcome them and let then in;
Till then long life to both of them,
And punish tyrants for their sins!

I come to seek
Forgiveness, knowing that I was
Deceived and ill-advised in causing you
Displeasure. I was misled both by
Fernán Gómez and my self-interest.
I humbly beg that you forgive me.
If I am worthy of such favour,
I swear that from this moment on
I am your loyal and obedient servant.
The great campaign you plan against
Granada…I promise you you’ll see
The valour of my sword.

ESTEBAN: Your Majesty, we wish
To be your loyal vassals. You are
Our rightful King, and so we have displayed
Your coat of arms in our town,
We pray you will be merciful,
Accepting our innocence as our defence.

KING: There is no written evidence
As proof of your guilt, and so,
Although this was a serious crime,
You must be pardoned.

Take your sword, so far unstained
By blood, and turn it red as the Cross
Upon your breast. How else can I
Address you as Master of the Cross
If the one is red and not the other?
Let both of them be crimson, and you,
Worthy Girón, crown the immortal temple of
Your famous ancestors.

There are new rulers in
Castile who’ll introduce such laws
And orders as will put an end
To all disorder. When they have ceased
To be engaged in war, they would
Do well to rid their villages
And towns of men whose power comes
From wearing crosses. The King alone
Should be allowed to wear the cross.

JUAN ROJO: So what do you think
The town should do?

ALDERMAN. The town should die,
Or kill these tyrants. We are many, they
Are few.

BARRILDO: Take arms against our overlord?

ESTEBAN. In the eyes of God the King alone
Is our lord, not men like these,
No better than wild animals.
If God is on our side, why should we be
Afraid?

VILLAGERS: Injustice does
Not wait!

COMMANDER: You have to tell me what
Injustices they are. I’ll put them right,
I swear.

VILLAGERS: Fuente Ovejuna! Long
Live King Fernando! Death to all
False Christians and foul traitors!

COMMANDER: Listen!
I am your lord and master.

VILLAGERS: The Catholic Kings
Are our lords and masters!

The people there
Have mercilessly killed their lord
And master: Fernán Gómez murdered by
His faithless subjects, vassals who,
Believing they’d been wronged, rose up
Without good cause. These people called
Him tyrant, and on the strength of that
Committed this foul deed. They broke into
His house, and though he offered, as
An honourable man, to see
To their complaints, not only did
They fail to heed his words but rained
Upon the Cross upon his breast
A thousand cruel blows.

Long life to lovely Isabel
And our King Fernando,
They suit each other very well,
Their love is strong, their love is true;
One day Saint Michael at the gates,
Will welcome them and let then in;
Till then long life to both of them,
And punish tyrants for their sins!

I come to seek
Forgiveness, knowing that I was
Deceived and ill-advised in causing you
Displeasure. I was misled both by
Fernán Gómez and my self-interest.
I humbly beg that you forgive me.
If I am worthy of such favour,
I swear that from this moment on
I am your loyal and obedient servant.
The great campaign you plan against
Granada…I promise you you’ll see
The valour of my sword.

ESTEBAN: Your Majesty, we wish
To be your loyal vassals. You are
Our rightful King, and so we have displayed
Your coat of arms in our town,
We pray you will be merciful,
Accepting our innocence as our defence.

KING: There is no written evidence
As proof of your guilt, and so,
Although this was a serious crime,
You must be pardoned.