| The scene is the seashore, where fishermen are holding fete preparatory to their choosing a chief. Emphasis is on the shattering power of love to change lives and transform perception. It's called the Cathedral of Erotic Misery, or K de E for short, this is an age of abbreviations. The heroine mustn't come across as weak, though she may be a bit naive. "Do just what I've told you," the old woman said, "and you might escape alive." As these fisherfolk sing and dance, selecting Zurga as king, Nadir appears and describes his adventures in the tropics. The hero may often have been sought, but for one reason or another (use your imagination) he has avoided marriage. Then the old woman disappeared into the oak tree, and the shepherd's daughter was once again alone in the damp woods. |
