The Setting of Lady Swanwhite
In a faraway kingdom, a long time ago
Synopsis of Lady Swanwhite
Lady Swanwhite, the daughter of a Duke, lives in a medieval castle with an evil-spirited stepmother
who possesses magical powers. Three young ladies of the court are Swanwhite’s devoted
handmaidens, and two blue doves affectionately watch over her.
The Duke tells his daughter that she is the intended bride of the King of a faraway land, and that a
Prince will arrive to prepare her for the role of a Queen. Swanwhite, however, must never know his
name, for to know that is to “love him.”
The Prince arrives and at first, they play childish games. But despite his efforts not to reveal
his name, Swanwhite succeeds in discovering it, and they fall in love. To destroy Swanwhite’s
newfound happiness, the stepmother persuades the Prince to spend a night in the ghastly black
tower, and thereby break the spirit of his love. In her wild imagination, she also thinks to magically
replace the object of his passion with “Magdalena,” an alluringly beautiful maiden. An orchestral
intermezzo marks the passing of the night.
With the dawn, the ghosts of both Swanwhite’s mother, and that of the Prince enter. They unite
their voices in a harmonious contemplation of their children’s happiness. After passing a miserable
night in the black tower, the Prince enters. He and Swanwhite reaffirm their love. A gardener
enters to teach the Prince the difference between conflict and consonance. This provokes a spirited
argument between the lovers with Swanwhite exiting in a fit, leaving the Prince forlorn and
dejected. But the maidens engage Swanwhite in a scheme to upset the stepmother’s intention of
introducing Magdalena, her fantasized creation. They now escort Swanwhite, veiled and dressed as
bride to the Prince whom – by orders of the stepmother – is blindfolded. When the lovers remove
the veil and blindfold, they are joyously reunited. In their ecstasy, the Prince leads Swanwhite to the
bed where they lie together, but not before he places his sword between them. They fall asleep in
each other’s arms.
The stepmother enters, and thinks she sees her magically created Magdalena and the Prince
together. This so softens her heart that she sentimentally recalls the passion that she once
experienced in her youth. When the maidens tell her that the beautiful girl lying beside the Prince is
none other than Swanwhite, the stepmother violently removes the sword, and furiously calls for the
guards to witness the disgraceful sight of Swanwhite and the Prince in bed together!
To distract the stepmother’s anger, the stepsisters tell her that the castle is being invaded. The guards
are now ordered to defend it. In the confusion, the gardener appears to rescue the Prince with
Swanwhite pleading him to “save the Prince for me.”
The Duke arrives and the stepmother tells him with grim satisfaction that his daughter is
dishonored. Unwilling to accept this, the Duke orders the gardener to provide three lilies: a white,
a red, and a blue. The white is to protect Swanwhite against false accusation. The red is the Prince
who bows in love with the White Lady. But the blue is the King who rages in jealousy! The maidens
are called to testify and the three attest to Swanwhite’s innocence.
The Duke would punish the stepmother, but Swanwhite – in a moment of heavenly compassion
– asks that the stepmother be forgiven and calls her “mother.” This magically transforms the meanspirited
woman into a warm and loving soul.
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