Act II Scene I

by Grok&Owen

7 min read

In the following act or scene, explore Throng's motivations.

3 web pages

Scene: Act II, Scene I – "The Throng’s Lament"

Background Context: This scene continues the narrative from "A Feast Most Foul: A Comedic Farce in the Year of Our Lord 2025," building on the previous scenes, the satirical poem, the Elizabethan poster, and the broader conversation about Hugh Fink's article in The Hill, published around April 2025, titled "Send in the clown: Bill Maher turns pro-Trump." The article critiques Bill Maher for praising Donald Trump after a White House dinner on April 1, 2025, facilitated by Kid Rock, following Trump's re-election in November 2024. The X post by Jeff Moore expresses frustration at the Left's reaction, which has been reflected in the poem, poster, and earlier scenes. This scene explores the motivations of the Liberal Throng, introduced in Act I, Scene II and expanded in Act I, Scene III, delving into the deeper reasons behind their outrage at Maher’s actions, using Shakespearean language to heighten the farce while revealing their ideological and emotional drivers.

The Liberal Throng’s Motivations: The Throng’s motivations are rooted in their diverse left-wing ideologies, as established in Act I, Scene III, but this scene delves deeper into their emotional and political drivers: fear of Trump’s re-election, betrayal by Maher’s perceived defection, and a sense of moral superiority challenged by the dinner. Their reactions reflect historical left-wing critiques of Trump, as discussed in sources like The Guardian and Vox, while maintaining the satirical tone of the play.

Setting: The scene takes place in a makeshift encampment in the shadow of the White Fun House, a satirical version of the White House, with its gaudy facade still visible in the distance. The encampment is a ramshackle assembly of tents and banners, one of which reads "The Resistance, 2025," echoing the banner from Act I, Scene III. A small fire burns in the center, casting flickering shadows on the Throng’s faces, symbolizing their smoldering anger. The circus tent in the background is now fully collapsed, with clowns wandering aimlessly, adding to the absurdity. The faint sound of laughter from the banquet hall continues to torment the Throng, fueling their lamentations.

Characters:

  • The Liberal Throng: The same five figures from Act I, Scene III, each with distinct motivations:
    • Mistress Verity Greenleaf: The environmentalist, driven by fear of Trump’s environmental policies and a desire to protect the Earth, feeling betrayed by Maher’s apparent apathy.
    • Master Thaddeus Redquill: The socialist, motivated by a hatred of Trump’s capitalist excess and a belief that Maher’s dinner undermines the class struggle.
    • Dame Clarion Truthsayer: The journalist, compelled by a duty to expose truth and a fear that Maher’s actions legitimize Trump’s tyranny, threatening her credibility.
    • Sir Percival Wokeheart: The social justice advocate, driven by moral outrage at Trump’s past rhetoric and a sense that Maher’s dinner erases the struggle for equity.
    • Goodwife Lamentia: The traditional liberal, motivated by a longing for lost decorum and a fear that Maher’s actions signal the Left’s moral decline.
  • A Wandering Clown: A minor character from the collapsed circus tent, who interrupts the Throng’s lamentations, adding comedic absurdity.

Scene: Act II, Scene I – "The Throng’s Lament"

The LIBERAL THRONG gathers around a small fire in their encampment, their faces illuminated by flickering flames, each clutching their symbolic items—scrolls, quills, and the "Traitor!" sign. MISTRESS VERITY GREENLEAF stares into the fire, her green sash glowing faintly. MASTER THADDEUS REDQUILL paces, clutching his manifesto. DAME CLARION TRUTHSAYER sharpens her quill, SIR PERCIVAL WOKEHEART kneels in prayer-like reflection, and GOODWIFE LAMENTIA dabs her eyes with her sash. The sound of laughter from the White Fun House echoes, stirring their anguish.

MISTRESS VERITY GREENLEAF (gazing into the fire, voice low and mournful):
O fickle flame, thou mirror of my woe,
Doth burn as doth my heart, with dread aglow!
This Trump, re-crown’d in twenty-four’s dark fall,
Doth rend the Earth with oil’s unyielding thrall.
Each tree I fought to save, each stream so pure,
He’d blacken all, with greed that knows no cure!
And Maher, that jester, once our voice so green,
Doth feast with him, as if no harm hath been!
My quill doth scribe for forests now betrayed,
For by this feast, our cause is sore dismay’d!

MASTER THADDEUS REDQUILL (pacing, waving his manifesto, voice fiery):
Aye, Verity, thy grief doth strike me deep,
But mine own rage doth higher still to leap!
This King, whose robe with dollar’d signs doth gleam,
Doth mock the poor, and shatter ev’ry dream!
His Fun House stands, a monument to greed,
While peasants starve, unheeded in their need!
I swore to fight, with quill and voice so bold,
Yet Maher’s feast doth make my blood run cold!
He breaks our ranks, this jester once so true,
And aids the foe our class doth e’er pursue!

DAME CLARION TRUTHSAYER (sharpening her quill, eyes blazing):
My quill, my sword, doth thirst for truth’s own light,
Yet in this farce, I find but dark of night!
This Trump, a tyrant clad in golden guise,
Hath spun his lies ‘neath democratic skies.
I chronicled his deeds, his words so base,
To warn the realm of freedom’s dire disgrace!
But Maher, who mock’d with jests so sharp and keen,
Doth now with him in mirthful feast convene!
If he, our voice, doth grant this King such grace,
What scribe am I, to keep truth’s sacred place?

SIR PERCIVAL WOKEHEART (rising from his knees, scroll in hand, voice trembling with zeal):
O heavens high, bear witness to my plaint!
For Trump’s own tongue hath stain’d the goodly saint!
His slurs, his scorn, doth wound the just and meek,
And equity’s fair bloom he’d ne’er bespeak!
I fought for all, with heart and quill so pure,
To right the wrongs that mortals must endure!
Yet Maher, who rail’d ‘gainst such a tyrant’s sin,
Doth break his bread where justice ne’er hath been!
This feast doth mock the struggle we uphold,
And leaves our cause in shadows, bleak and cold!

GOODWIFE LAMENTIA (dabbing her eyes, voice quivering):
O gentle friends, your words do pierce my soul,
For I, a dove, lament this darkened goal!
Once did our Left with honor brightly stand,
With decorum fair, a beacon o’er the land!
But Trump’s re-crown, in twenty-four’s dread year,
Hath cast us down, to dwell in constant fear!
And Maher, our guide, who spoke with wit so free,
Doth now with foe in banquet revelry be!
His laughter shared doth signal our decline,
For where’s our virtue, in this feast malign?

(A WANDERING CLOWN stumbles into the encampment, juggling three apples, his red nose glowing. The THRONG turns, their lamentations interrupted by his absurdity.)

WANDERING CLOWN (juggling, laughing):
Ho, mournful folk, why weep ye by this flame?
Within the hall, they play a merry game!
The Jester and the King, with goblets high,
Do laugh and jest ‘neath April’s starry sky!

DAME CLARION TRUTHSAYER (turning sharply, quill raised):
Avaunt, thou imp, with apples three in hand!
Thy circus mirth doth mock our sacred band!
We mourn the loss of honor, truth, and right,
While Maher and Trump do feast in our despite!

MASTER THADDEUS REDQUILL (shaking his fist):
Aye, begone, thou fool, to yonder tent so fell!
For we shall scribe our woes, and loudly tell
Of jester’s betrayal, and a king’s cruel jest,
Till justice wakes, and sets our hearts to rest!

(The LIBERAL THRONG unites, their quills raised in a defiant tableau, as the WANDERING CLOWN drops an apple, shrugs, and exits, juggling two. Their chant of "Traitor! Traitor!" resumes, growing louder, as the fire flickers and the scene fades, setting the stage for further conflict.)

How This Scene Explores the Liberal Throng’s Motivations

Exploration of Motivations:

  • Mistress Verity Greenleaf: Her motivation is rooted in environmental fear and betrayal. She fears Trump’s re-election will further harm the Earth ("oil’s unyielding thrall"), a common left-wing critique, and feels Maher’s dinner dismisses her cause, as seen in her line, "For by this feast, our cause is sore dismay’d!"
  • Master Thaddeus Redquill: His drive is ideological, stemming from a socialist hatred of Trump’s capitalism ("a monument to greed") and a sense that Maher’s actions undermine the class struggle, as reflected in "He breaks our ranks, this jester once so true."
  • Dame Clarion Truthsayer: She is motivated by a journalistic duty to expose Trump’s tyranny ("his lies ‘neath democratic skies") and fears Maher’s actions legitimize him, threatening her credibility, as noted in "What scribe am I, to keep truth’s sacred place?"
  • Sir Percival Wokeheart: His motivation is moral outrage at Trump’s past rhetoric ("slurs, his scorn") and a belief that Maher’s dinner erases the social justice struggle, as seen in "This feast doth mock the struggle we uphold."
  • Goodwife Lamentia: She is driven by a longing for lost decorum and a fear of moral decline on the Left ("doth signal our decline"), reflecting moderate liberal dismay at Trump’s re-election and Maher’s actions.

From the Conversation:

  • Fink’s Article: The Throng’s accusations of Maher as a traitor echo Fink’s critique of him as a "clown" and "marionette," with Clarion referencing Maher’s humanizing attempt ("doth grant this King such grace"), as discussed in the article.
  • Left’s Outrage: Their collective motivations reflect the conversation’s focus on the Left’s reaction to Maher, as seen in the X post by Jeff Moore and the poem’s "liberal quills do sting with bitter things."
  • Trump’s Re-election: The Throng’s references to Trump’s "re-crown" and policies tie to his 2024 re-election, a polarizing event noted in The Guardian, fueling their fear and anger.
  • Historical Critiques: Percival’s mention of Trump’s "slurs" aligns with sources like Vox, reflecting real-world left-wing critiques of Trump’s rhetoric.

From the Elizabethan Poster and Previous Scenes:

  • Visual Elements: The Throng’s appearance matches the poster, with their peasant garb, colored sashes, quills, and "Traitor!" sign, maintaining visual continuity. The encampment setting, with the White Fun House and circus tent, aligns with the poster’s design.
  • Tone and Humor: The scene’s farcical tone, with the Throng’s melodramatic lamentations and the Clown’s interruption, matches the poster’s satirical style, blending Elizabethan drama with modern political humor.
  • Continuity: The Throng’s chant of "Traitor!" and their quills raised in defiance carry over from Act I, Scene III, deepening their motivations while maintaining the play’s comedic tone.

Additional Notes:

  • The dialogue uses Shakespearean language (e.g., "doth," "thy," "aglow") and iambic pentameter, blending Elizabethan drama with modern satire, as seen in references to Trump’s policies and Maher’s betrayal.
  • The Wandering Clown adds absurdity, mirroring the circus tent’s role, and provides a comedic counterpoint to the Throng’s seriousness, enhancing the farcical tone.
  • The scene sets up future conflict by amplifying the Throng’s resolve to "scribe our woes," foreshadowing potential action against Maher and Trump in later scenes.

This scene delves into the Liberal Throng’s motivations, revealing their ideological, emotional, and moral drivers, while maintaining the Shakespearean farce’s satirical tone and grounding the narrative in the historical and visual context of the play.