The Courtroom
Villagers
From every corner, every street and field
From every hovel, every hut and farm
Call every witness willing to take part
Tell everyone the trial’s about to start
Pierre
There is no doubt my friends that we are right
Just tell the truth as we discussed last night
Court Official
Leave your pitchforks in a pile
They’re forbidden in the trial
Just be calm and dignified
Keep your fighting for outside
Pierre
Come along, everyone, to the court
(they leave the stage)
(the Protestants enter)
André
We must stand by Martin!
Protestants
We must stand by Martin!
Catherine
Did he lie, can we trust him now?
André
He is not to blame, he shared our bread, and loved our Lord
Protestant
If they condemn him, they will kill us all!
All Protestants
Fierce and bright burns the light
By that banner we shall march till morning
As we sing Hosanna into Bethlehem
(the entire village is in the courtroom, Catholics on one side and Protestants on the other, Arnaud on the Protestants’ side. Benoit is pulled over to the Catholic side.)
Judge Coras
Let me make one thing clear before we begin
In the eyes of the law every man is the same
I’m not here to pass judgment on anyone’s faith
But to find out if this man has stolen a name
(A witness platform is carried in. Bertrande, who is very pregnant, is brought in. She tries to go to Arnaud but is restrained)
Who brings the case against this man?
Pierre
(he stands on the platform)
I do, my Lord. Pierre Guerre.
Judge Coras
The accused, state your name.
Arnaud
(stepping on the platform)
My name is Guerre. Martin Guerre!
(the Catholics protest)
Pierre
(pushing Arnaud off the platform so he can stand on it)
If justice finds he lived a lie, then justice says he has to die!
My lord!
Villager
Well justice says!
Pierre
The only penalty is death
Villager
And justice needs
Pierre
To strangle every lying prayer
Villager
The law demands
Villagers
Justice, we want justice for us, justice
(the only penalty is death)
Give us justice now
My lord, to burn this simple strip of flesh
Judge Coras
Silence!
Villagers
To shed his evil from our hearts
Judge Coras
Silence!
Call the first witness.
(Lubin stands on tthe platform)
State your name.
Lubin
Me, I’m Lubin the tailor, I should know
I made and measured Martin’s wedding suit
I tell you this man’s bigger than Martin
He’s broader now, of that there’s no dispute
Arnaud
A kitten grows into a cat
Is that so odd, what’s odd in that?
I’d been away for seven years
Galoche
(he stands on the platform)
Me, I’m Galoche the cobbler, I should know that this man’s feet are smaller than Martin’s
Answer that!
Arnaud
This swindler always made shoes overlarge
Galoche
That’s a lie!
Arnaud
That’s why Galoche can always overcharge!
Hortense
(she stands on the platform)
When he saw me, he could not recall my name
Arnaud
What I recall, Hortense, is that you were so drunk you had forgotten it as well
(Guillaume steps on the platform)
Guillaume
Martin Guerre never loved Bertrande
Arnaud
He speaks the truth, I was too young to love
But who can say they’re proud of all they’ve done?
Judge Coras
Where’s the boy who first saw the stranger?
Let him speak
Don’t be shy, come and take the stand
(several people help Benoit onto the platform)
You don’t have to worry, boy
Just relax, tell the truth loud and clear
Everyone’s looking to you
Me
Benoit
Me?
Who’s Me? Who – me?
Is me meant to reply?
But who’s that meant to be?
I see, now you mean I
Who’s I?
Oh I see!
And you want me to tell
No, I won’t
Anyway I don’t remember that well
I remember there was me and my love, Louison
I remember there was sky above, ah, Louison
Me
Villagers
Me
Benoit
And her
Villagers
Her
Benoit
The sky
Villagers
Sky
Benoit
The sky, her and me
Me and her and sky
The sky, her and me
Me and her and sky
The sky, her and me
Villagers (overlapping with above)
What about the morning when the stranger came
You were the first to see him, did he say his name?
Judge Coras
I’ll have no nonsense in this court
We must sort out this whole affair –
Boy, what do you know of Martin Guerre?
Benoit
Ah…he…
Who’s he?
Search me
I’m me, not him
He’s who he ought to be
You thought that that meant him
Ask him, not me
It’s not for me to say, so I shan’t
Anyway I can’t remember that day
I remember there was me and my sweet Louison
I remember dancing down the street with Louison
Me
Villagers
Me
Benoit
And her
Villagers
Her
Benoit
The sky
Villagers
Sky
Benoit
The sky, her and me
Me and her and sky
The sky, her and me
Me and her and sky
The sky, her and me
Villagers (overlapping with above)
What about the morning when the stranger came
You were the first to see him, did he say his name?
Judge Coras
I won’t have all this crowd interference in here
I won’t have the witnesses led
Boy, just stay calm, you shall come to no harm
But you must tell us all that he said
Benoit
He told me his name…
And I call him M-Martin!
(the villagers protest)
Martin Guerre (reprise)
Arnaud
(he stands on the platform, and is heckled after everything he says)
Look, I’m Martin Guerre!
There’s no disguise, look in my eyes
I’m him I swear
Yes! I’m Martin Guerre!
Why this attack?
When I came back weren’t you all there?
She is my wife, she carries new life
And look! Look at what we became
For by heaven you’re sure to see there’s more to Martin Guerre than a name!
I’m a Protestant, yes
Of this crime I am proud
But to bring down your lives
This is not what I vowed
I vowed to love the Lord
(to Catherine and the Protestants)
I won’t stand and see destroyed the precious times we’ve all enjoyed
Look, I’m Martin Guerre!
Broken and torn, I was reborn out of despair
Yes! I’m Martin Guerre!
This is my land, and here I stand
I’m him I swear
I’ve come so far
I’ve found my way home
And look, look at what I became!
And by heaven you’re sure to see there’s more to Martin Guerre than name!
Catholics
Can’t you see he’s playing games, my Lord
Can’t you see the Protestant’s a fraud
He stole a name, a wife, and then he planned to give the fucking Protestants the land!
Prostestants
Who are you to condemn this man?
Catholics
He pretends to be a Guerre!
Protestants
As he is!
Catholics
He was never Martin Guerre!
Protestants
When it suited you he was
Then you saw he was Protestant
And then you wanted him no more
Judge Coras
Silence!
Catholics and Protestants
Father save us from hypocrites like them!
Judge Coras
Silence!
All I’ve heard in this room is the chattering of fools
Bitter words, angry howls like the braying of mules
Without truth all this noise is as empty as the air
Come Bertrande, you must know
Is this man Martin Guerre?
(Catherine helps Bertrande onto the platform)
Bertrande, who is this man?
Someone
Bertrande
Someone who’s kind and someone who cares
Someone who laughs and someone I can cry with
Someone who dreams and someone who dares
Who makes love as the night falls
And is there when the morning comes
I prayed for the day I would grow to be strong
I prayed for the day I would love and belong
He answered my prayers, who can say love is wrong?
(She reaches out to Arnaud, he comes to her and takes her hands)
Someone returned and someone reborn
Someone who’s yearned to spend his years beside me
Someone who’s vowed
Arnaud
See the light in her eyes
Bertrande
And someone who’s sworn
Arnaud
Let the sun always rise
Bertrande
Husband to wife
Both
With my/his heart, with my/his soul
For the whole of my/his life!
Someone I see
Someone I love
Someone who lives loving me…
(they embrace)
Judge Coras
Words…
Noble words, to be sure
You speak of love
I, the law!
In here nothing is above the law
Bertrande
My lord, I just wanted…
Judge Coras
No! Bertrande, not even love
Now the moment has come
You must all leave this place
There are words to be weighed
There are truths you must face
(Bertrande and Arnaud are separated)
The Imposters
Villagers
When he arrived he was our truth
He was the answer to our prayers
He was the truth that gave us hope
The one who’s there when no one cares
Is he really the one to blame?
Was the truth just a lie that we chose to believe in?
Father Dominic
Who are the imposters here?
We who live our lives deceiving
Hiding from the truths we fear
We are always make-believing
We are caught like captive flies
In this web of lies were weaving
Day by day and year by year
Tell me who are the imposters here
Pierre & Mme de Rols
Who is the impostor here?
There behind a mask he’s hiding
Waiting like a mutineer
To destroy the law-abiding
We will send him to his grave
Pierre
Justice is the wave we’re riding
Pierre & Mme de Rols
Soon the mask will disappear
Then we’ll burn the vile imposter here
The imposter is here
Villagers
The imposters are here!
Father Dominic
The imposters are you and I
Look inside and you’ll see
It is we who are dying
Villagers
Who are the imposters here?
Christians who would hunt and seize us
Worshipping the bloodied spear
Killing in the name of Jesus
Only love will see us through
Only faith in you, Lord, frees us/Jesus save us, lead us, free us
Lead us out of mortal fear
Save us from the true imposters here!’
The imposters are here!
Prostestants
In their hatred and lies!
Villagers
God knows by daybreak
The judgment will come
Guillaume
And then he’ll hang by his neck and I’ll watch his face
As he dies, so I’ll rise to my rightful place!
Villagers
Let us pray for the day bringing light to the lie
When the truth will shine like the sun in the sky
By that burning star, we’ll find out who we are
Who are the imposters here?
Those who live their lives deceiving
Who are the imposters here?
Those who live their lives deceiving
Hiding from the truths they fear
They are always make-believing
They are caught like captive flies
In the web of lies they’re weaving
Day by day and year by year
God knows who are the imposters here
Arnaud, Bertrande & Guillaume
She is/You are my life!
Pierre & Mme de Rols
This man will perish for deceiving us
Arnaud, Bertrande & Guillaume
She/He always will be
Pierre & Mme de Rols
Watch him dying in the web of lies he’s weaving
Arnaud, Bertrande & Guillaume
Until my dying day
Villagers
The imposter is here
Father Dominic & Protestants
Like a sickening blight
Villagers
The imposter is here
Pierre, Mme de Rols & Guillaume
Like a thief in the night
The whole village
(back in the courtroom)
He is the imposter here!
Judge Coras
Never have I heard such a pitiful case
The law demands dignity, never disgrace
I have every word that you’ve said, every lie, every grudge
On the word of the fool, there is no case to judge
(The villagers protest vehemently)