Theatre script of The Prose 'Three Questions'

Film/Theatre script

·        Introduction

What is film?

     A film is a series of still images which creates an illusion of moving images when on a screen. This helps us to discover continuous motion between different objects viewed rapidly in succession.

            The process of film-making is both an art and an industry which include an optical sound track, which is a graphic recording of the spoken words, music and other sounds that are needed to accompany the images.

·        What is Theatre?

Theatre is one of the most popular forms of fine art. It is a collaborative form of art. In this form of art we find live performers who present real or imaginary events of our life. It is performed in front of an audience live in an auditorium or sometimes on an open-air state.

·        What is a script?

A script is a written form of outline which contains audio, visual, behavioral and linguistic elements which are needed to present a life-like situation. Script is very important because film and theatre require a team effort consisting of the director, the editor, actors, actresses, technical persons, makeup artistes etc. Together they

Theater Script

Theater Script based on Leo Tolstoy”s Prose, ‘Three Questions’.

Characters: Tsar, Learned man 1, Learned man 2, Learned man 3, Learned man 4, Hermit, Bearded man.

Place: Palace of the Tsar.

                                     Script

                          Seen - I

                                          [Curtains drawn back]

Tsar: (Walking at his palace, thinking and saying in his mind) If I know the right time to begin everything, if I know who are the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid ; and , above all, it I always know what is the most important thing to do, I will never fail in anything I may undertake.

          [Some learned men are coming to the palace and seeing the Tsar]

Learned man -1 : Your Royal Highness, do you have any confusion? Can I help you?

Tsar : Yes, I am just thinking about you all. Can you give me the answer of my questions. If you give me the right answers, I shall give you a great reward to you.

Learned man -2 : (politely) please tell us about your questions.

Tsar : (loudly) I just want to know what is the right time for every action, and who are the most necessary people, and how I may know what is the most important thing to do?

Learned man -3 : My Lord,  I think one must draw up in advance, a table of days, month and years, and must live strictly according to it. Only thus you can be done at its proper time.

Learned man -4 : Your honor, It is impossible to decide before hand the right time for every action: but that, nor letting oneself be absorbed in idle past times, one should always attend to all that is going on, then do what is most needful.

Learned man -1 : Your Royal Highness,  It is impossible for one man to decide correctly the right time for every action, but that he should have a council of wise men, who would help him to fix the proper time for everything.

Learned man -2 : Your honor, it is impossible for the council to make out what is going to happen. It is only magicians who know the right time for every action, one must consult with a magicians. 

Tsar : (Unhappily)  I am not satisfied with your answer. Now tell me who are the most necessary people?

Learned man -1 : Your honour, the most needed are your councilors.

Learned man -2 : My Lord,  I think Priests are the most needed.

Learned man -3 : Your honour, the most needed are the doctors.

Learned man -4 : My Lord, I think the Warriors are the most necessary people.

 Tsar : (In Utter Surprise) No, I think your answers are not fully correct. Now tell me what is the most important thing?

Learned man -1 : Your Royal Highness, the most important thing in the world is science.

Learned man -2 : Your honour, it is the skill in warfare.

Learned man -3 : My Lord, the most important thing in the world is religious worship.

Tsar : (Loudly) Your answers are quite well but I am not satisfied with your answers. Being different answers I do not give any reward to all of you.

                                                    Seen – II

                                 [The Tsar left them and goes to bed]

Tsar : (Saying aside) Now the hermit only can give the answer of my questions because he only has a great innet wisdom. But he only meets with the common folk. So I shall go to meet him indisguish.

[Rising from his bed putting on simple clothes the tsar is going with his body guard to the forest to meet the hermit. Dismounting from his horse and leaving his body-guard behind, going alone to the hermit’s hut.]

Tsar : (Respectfully) your honour, how are you? I have come to ask you to answer of my three questions. How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more attention than to rest? And, what affairs are the most important, and need my first attention?

Hermit:  (listening the and keeping quiet, spit on hand and digging beds)

Tsar : (looking at hermit) You are tired, please give me the spade  and I want to work awhile for you.

Hermit:  (giving the spade and sitting down) Thanks.

Tsar : (digging beds) Excuse me hermit, please give me  the answer of my three questions.

Hermit:  (stretching out his hand for the spade) you have dug two beds. Now rest awhile and let me work a bit.

Tsar : It is a great pleasure to work for you, I am not tired ( continue digging and the sun setting off behind trees, at last striking the spade into the ground) I came to you wise man for an answer of my questions. If you give me none, tell me so, and I will return home.

Hermit:  (pointing out somewhere) Here coming someone running, let’s see who it is?

Tsar : ( turning round and seeing a bearded man come running out of the wood and the holding his hands pressing against his stomach, and blood is flowing from under them) There is a bearded man and a large wound in his belly.

Hermit:  Please do something for him.

Tsar : (unfastening  the man’s cloth, washing the wounds and bandaging with his handkerchief and with a towel of the hermit) Your majesty, the blood is not stopping.

Hermit:  Then again and again remove the bandage soak the wound.

Tsar : (removing the bandage) The blood is ceased and he is reviving and saying something.

Bearded Man :  (moaning) I want to drink water.

Tsar : (bringing a glass of fresh water) Please drink it.

[Lying on the bed the man drinking and closing his eyes and the Tsar crouching down on the threshold and falling asleep]

                                            Seen – III

Tsar : (awaking in the morning) where I am ? Oh! I have come here yesterday.

Bearded Man :  (lying on the bed and gazing intently at the Tsar with shining eyes) My Lord, forgive me!

Tsar : (politely) I don’t know you, and have nothing to forgive you for.

Bearded Man :  My Lord, You don’t know me but I know you. I am that enemy of yours who swore to revenge himself on you, because you executed my brother and sized his property. I knew you have come alone to meet hermit, and I resolved to kill you on your way back. But the day passed you did not return so I came out from my ambush to find you, and I came upon your body guard, and recognized me, they wounded me. I escaped from them, but should have bled to death had you not dressed my wound.

Tsar : Oh! I see.

Bearded Man :  (crying) My Lord, I wished to kill you, and you have saved y life. Now, if I live and if you wish it, I will serve you as your most faithful slave, and will bid my sons do the same please forgive me!

Tsar : I am very glad to have make peace with my enemy so easily, and to gain him for a friend and I not only forgive you, but I would send my servant and my own physician to attend you, and promise to restore your property.

Bearded Man :  (leaving from there) Thanks.

Tsar : (going out into the porch looking around for hermit, seeing the hermit near the beds) your honour, for the last time I pray to answer my questions, wise man.

Hermit:  (sowing seeds in the beds) you and looking at the Tsar) You have already answered.

Tsar : your honour, I can’t understand how you have given the answers.

Hermit:  Do you not see, if you have not pitted my weakness yesterday and have not dug those beds for me, but have gone your way that man would have attacked you, and you would have repented of not having stayed with me.

Tsar : your honour, you are correct but I don’t understand it fully. Please clear it.

Hermit:  So the most important time was when you were digging the beds and I was the most important man and to do me good was your most important business.

Tsar : your honour, I quite understand it. Please define more wise man.

Hermit:  When the man ran to us, the most important time was when you were attending to him, for you had not bound up his wounds he would have died without having made peace with you. So he was the most important and what you did for him was your important business. Remember then: there is only one time that is important – Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows he will ever have dealings with anyone else: and the most important affairs is, to do him good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life.

Tsar : your honour, you are great. I understand clearly. Thank you.

                                                          [Curtains]