Aldonza or Dulcina?
Aldonza or Dulcina?
In the stage play, The Man of La Mancha, Don Quixote meets a harlot named Aldonza. “You will be my lady” he announced to the whore. Then he added “Yes, you are my lady and I give you a new name “Dulcina” But she laughed scornfully.
But Don quixote followed the approach that Jesus used with Mary Magdalene. Undaunted, he keeps affirming her to be what he wants to believe she is. And of course, the affirmation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The play continues and the stage is empty. It is night. Offstage a woman screams. It is Aldonza. She is being raped in the hay. She appears onstage, hysterical, blouse torn, hair disheveled, dirt on her face, terror in her eyes, breasts heaving with the fast breathing of a panic-stricken soul. Loud and clear comes the voice of the man of La Moncha. “My lady!”
She can’t handle this any more and she screams: “Don’t call me a lady. I was born in a ditch by a mother who left me there naked and cold and too hungry to cry. I never blamed her. I’m sure she left hoping that I’d have the good sense to die.”
Aldonza is weeping now, head downcast, humiliated, shame-wracked. Then her shame turns into violence, and as her head rises, she screams “Don’t call me a lady. I’m only a kitchen slut reeking with sweat. A strumpet men use and forget. Don’t call me a lady, I’m only Aldonza. I am nothing at all.” She then whirls and runs into the night, but Don Quixote calls after her with a loud voice “But you are my Lady Dulcina!”
The curtain drops, but shortly it rises again to the death scene of this glorious dreamer of the impossible dream. He is dying now, like Jesus, of a broken heart—scorned, laughed at, despised, and rejected of men. Suddenly, to his side comes what appears to be a Spanish queen in a mantilla and lace. She kneels and prays. He opens his eyes and asks “Who are you?” The lady rises and stands tall “Don’t you remember?” She is beautiful, perfectly proud and perfectly humble at the same time. She speaks softly “Don’t you remember? You called me your lady. You gave me a new name. My name is Dulcinea!”
In the stage play, The Man of La Mancha, Don Quixote meets a harlot named Aldonza. “You will be my lady” he announced to the whore. Then he added “Yes, you are my lady and I give you a new name “Dulcina” But she laughed scornfully.
But Don quixote followed the approach that Jesus used with Mary Magdalene. Undaunted, he keeps affirming her to be what he wants to believe she is. And of course, the affirmation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The play continues and the stage is empty. It is night. Offstage a woman screams. It is Aldonza. She is being raped in the hay. She appears onstage, hysterical, blouse torn, hair disheveled, dirt on her face, terror in her eyes, breasts heaving with the fast breathing of a panic-stricken soul. Loud and clear comes the voice of the man of La Moncha. “My lady!”
She can’t handle this any more and she screams: “Don’t call me a lady. I was born in a ditch by a mother who left me there naked and cold and too hungry to cry. I never blamed her. I’m sure she left hoping that I’d have the good sense to die.”
Aldonza is weeping now, head downcast, humiliated, shame-wracked. Then her shame turns into violence, and as her head rises, she screams “Don’t call me a lady. I’m only a kitchen slut reeking with sweat. A strumpet men use and forget. Don’t call me a lady, I’m only Aldonza. I am nothing at all.” She then whirls and runs into the night, but Don Quixote calls after her with a loud voice “But you are my Lady Dulcina!”
The curtain drops, but shortly it rises again to the death scene of this glorious dreamer of the impossible dream. He is dying now, like Jesus, of a broken heart—scorned, laughed at, despised, and rejected of men. Suddenly, to his side comes what appears to be a Spanish queen in a mantilla and lace. She kneels and prays. He opens his eyes and asks “Who are you?” The lady rises and stands tall “Don’t you remember?” She is beautiful, perfectly proud and perfectly humble at the same time. She speaks softly “Don’t you remember? You called me your lady. You gave me a new name. My name is Dulcinea!”
posted by Dr. Joe at 6:19 AM
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