“Horace” Corneille in brief summary
Longtime allies Rome and Alba entered the war with each other. So far, only small skirmishes have occurred between the enemy armies, but now, when the Albanian army is standing at the walls of Rome, a decisive battle must take place.
The heart of Sabina, the wife of the noble Roman Horace, is filled with turmoil and sorrow: now, in a fierce battle, her native Alba, or her second homeland, Rome, will be defeated. Not only that the thought of the defeat of either side is equally sad for Sabina, the evil will of fate in this battle should expose the swords most dear to her against each other – her husband Horace and her three brothers, the Albanians of the Curia.
Sister Horace, Camilla, also curses the evil rock, which has killed two friendly cities in mortal enmity, and does not consider its position more easy than Sabina’s position, although Julia’s friend confidences it with her. Julia is sure that Camilla should have been rooting for Rome with all her
After worrying about the fate of her hometown and her fiancé, Camilla turned to the Greek prophet, and he predicted that the dispute between Alba and Rome would end the world tomorrow, and she would connect with Curiatia to never be separated again. The dream that Camille dreamed the same night, dispelled the sweet deception of the prediction: in a dream, she saw a cruel massacre and piles of dead bodies.
When suddenly the live unharmed Kuriatia appears before Camille, the girl decides that for the sake of love for her, the noble Alban has sacrificed his duty to his homeland, and in no way condemns the lover.
But it turns out, it’s not like that: when the two agreed to fight, the leader of the Albanians appealed to the Roman king Tullu with the words that fratricide should be avoided, because the Romans and Albanians belong to one people and are connected by numerous
At the choice of the Romans for the honor of their native city to fight the three brothers Horace. Curated and envies the great fate of Horatius – to exalt the homeland or lay down her head for it – and regrets that at any outcome of the fight he will have to mourn either the humiliated Alba or the dead friends. Horace, the embodiment of Roman virtues, it is unclear how one can grieve over who passed away to the glory of his native country.
Behind these speeches, the Albanian warrior finds the friends, who brought the news that Alba elected her defenders the three Kuriatzi brothers. Curiatius is proud that it was for him and his brothers that the choice of compatriots fell, but at the same time in his heart he would like to avoid this new blow of fate – the need to fight the husband of his sister and brother of the bride. Horace, on the other hand, warmly welcomes the choice of the Albanians, who intended for him an even more exalted lot: great honor is to fight for the fatherland, but at the same time to overcome the bonds of blood and human attachments – few have ever had such glory.
Camilla is trying hard to discourage Curiatia from entering into a fratricidal duel, conjuring him in the name of their love and almost succeeding, but the noble Alban still finds the strength to not change for the love of duty.
Sabina, unlike her relative, does not think to discourage her brother and husband from the fight, but only wants that this duel does not become fratricidal, for that she must die, and with her death the related ties that link Horace and Kuriatzev will be interrupted.
The appearance of the old Horace stops the conversations of the heroes with the women. The honored patrician commands the son and the son-in-law, relying on the judgment of the gods, to hurry to fulfill a high duty.
Sabina tries to overcome the spiritual sorrow, convincing herself that, no matter who fell in the battle, the main thing is not who brought him death, but in the name of what; she inspires herself that she will certainly remain a faithful sister if her brother kills her husband, or a loving wife – if the husband hits his brother. But everything is in vain: Sabina confesses again and again that in the winner she will first of all see the murderer of her dear man.
Yulia’s troubled reflections are interrupted by Julia, who brought her news from the battlefield: barely six soldiers came out to meet each other, a murmur rumbled over the two races: both the Romans and the Albanians were outraged by the decision of their leaders who had condemned Goratziev and the Curators to a criminal fratricidal duel. King Tull heeded the voice of the people and announced that sacrifices should be made to find out from the insides of the animals whether the choice of fighters is pleasing to the gods or not.
In the hearts of Sabina and Camilla, hope reappears, but not for long – the old Horace tells them that at the behest of the gods their brothers entered into battle with each other. Seeing in what grief the women came to this news, and wishing to strengthen their hearts, the father of the heroes starts a speech about the greatness of the lot of his sons, who perform deeds for the glory of Rome; Romans – Camilla by birth, Sabina due to marriage ties – both of them at this moment should only think about the triumph of the fatherland…
Again introducing her friends, Julia tells them that the two sons of the old Horace fell from the swords of the Albanians, the third, Sabina’s husband, flees; The outcome of the duel Julia did not wait, because it is obvious.
The story of Julia hits the old Horace in the heart. Having paid tribute to the two gloriously deceased defenders of Rome, he swears that the third son, whose cowardice was covered by an indelible disgrace honestly named Horatius, will die from his own hand. No matter how his Sabina and Camille ask him to temper his anger, the old patricians are implacable.
To the old Horace the emissary from the king comes Valery, a noble youth whose love was rejected by Camille. He starts a talk about the survivor of Horace and, to his surprise, hears terrible curses from the old man against the one who saved Rome from shame. Only with difficulty, interrupting the bitter outpourings of the patrician, Valery tells of what, prematurely leaving the city wall, Julia did not see: the escape of Horace was not a manifestation of cowardice, but by a military ploy – escaping from the wounded and tired Kuriatia, Horace thus severed them and fought with each in turn, one on one, until all three fell from his sword.
Old Horace triumphs, he is filled with pride for his sons – as a survivor, and laying their heads on the battlefield. Camilla, struck by the news of the death of her lover, father comforts, appealing to the intellect and the power of the spirit, which always adorned the Romans.
But Camille, inconsolable. And not only that her happiness was sacrificed to the grandeur of the proud Rome, this same Rome demands from her to hide grief and, together with all, rejoice at the victory gained by the price of the crime. No, not to be there, Camilla decides, and when Horace appears before her, expecting from her sister praise for her exploit, she brings a torrent of curses upon him for killing the groom. Horace could not imagine that at the hour of the triumph of the homeland you can be killed by the death of her enemy; when Camille begins to abuse Rome with the last words and call upon his hometown terrible curses, his patience comes to an end – the sword, which shortly before was killed by her fiancé, he stabs his sister.
Horace sure that he did the right thing – Camille stopped being a sister to him and her daughter to her father in a moment, when she cursed her homeland. Sabina asks her husband to slay her, for she too, in spite of her duty, mourns for the lost brothers, envying Camilla’s fate, which death has saved from desperate sorrow and connected with her beloved. Horace of great work is not to fulfill the request of the spouse.
Old Horace does not condemn his son for killing his sister – by changing the soul to Rome, she deserved death; but at the same time the execution of Camilla Horace irrevocably ruined his honor and glory. The son agrees with the father and asks him to pass sentence – whatever it is, Horace with him in advance agrees.
In order to personally honor the father of heroes, King Tull comes to the house of Horatius. He glorifies the valor of the old Horace, whose spirit was not broken by the death of three children, and regretfully speaks of the villainy that marred the feat of the last of the surviving sons. However, that the villainy must be punished, speech does not come until the word takes Valery.
Calling to the royal justice, Valery speaks of Camille’s innocence, yielding to the natural impulse of despair and anger, that Horace did not simply kill his blood relative without cause, which in itself was terrible, but also outraged the will of the gods, blasphemously defiling the glory given to them.
Horace also does not think to defend himself or to justify himself – he asks the king for permission to pierce himself with his own sword, but not atonement for the death of his sister, for she deserves it, but for the sake of saving her honor and the glory of the savior of Rome.
Wise Tull listens to Sabina too. She asks her to be executed, which will also mean the execution of Horace, since the husband and wife are one; her death – which Sabina seeks as a deliverance, unable to selflessly love the murderer of her brothers, or reject her beloved – will quench the wrath of the gods, her husband will be able to continue to bring glory to the fatherland.
When everyone who had something to say spoke, Tull delivered his verdict: although Horatio committed a crime usually punishable by death, he is one of those few heroes that on decisive days serve as a reliable stronghold for their sovereigns; these heroes are not subject to the general law, and therefore Horace will live, and further jealous of the glory of Rome.
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