Life Is a Dream

Bugle opens the first scene with a brief monologue, reflecting on his captivity and his silence, “which is the greatest sacrilege” (133). As voices and banging sound, Bugle realizes that he is no longer alone in the tower; the intruding soldiers mistake him for Sigismund. Amid calls to “[c]ome forth and restore [his] rule” (134), Sigismund enters the scene and introduces himself to the soldiers, who explain that they want Sigismund to “break out of this tower and recover [his] imperial crown and scepter” (135). Sigismund is shocked by this turn of events, but he claims that he “won’t be fooled this time” (136) and reveals his doubt to his supporters. They are persuasive, however, and Sigismund agrees “to liberate [them] from slavery” (136). Clothold enters, and Sigismund understands Clothold’s declared allegiance to the king; he releases Clothold with his life, determined to “do what’s right even in dreams” (137).

At the start of the second scene in Act III, King Vasily and Aistulf talk at the palace about “the clashing cries of Poland’s rival parties” (138). Aistulf is determined to “turn [his] arrogant thunder into a bolt of lightning” (138) and leaves as

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