Scene 5
(the same)


Brünnhilde: What is going on here? What kind of spell is on him? How am I going to get out of this one? With everything I know how to do, this one's got me stumped! Oh, this is terrible! Terrible!! I gave him everything, and now I don't have anything left to fight him with! He told me he'd love me forever, and now he's dropped me like a rock, for…for that…that woman! Who could possibly help me now?

Hagen: I'll help you. I'll get your revenge, on whoever's betrayed you.

Brünnhilde: And just exactly who would that be?

Hagen: Well, Siegfried, of course. He's the one who dumped you, right?

Brünnhilde: Siegfried? You?? Ha!! All he'd have to do is look at you, and you'd melt like butter. You wouldn't have a chance against him! I know, because he looked at me like that once - back when he meant what he was saying.

Hagen: But if he lied, then he doesn't stand a chance against my spear. Remember?

Brünnhilde: Oh, you men think that those oaths you take actually mean something. They're just words! You're going to need something a lot sharper than that spear if you want to kill Siegfried!

Hagen: I know how tough Siegfried is in battle, but he's got to have some weakness somewhere. Don't you know of anything that could help me?

Brünnhilde: This is great! Now I have to help kill my own husband! I do know one thing: Once, while he was asleep, when we'd first gotten married, I used my power to protect him. It's a magic spell I learned when I was a God, and it keeps him from getting hurt.

Hagen: So there's nothing I can do?

Brünnhilde: Not if you're fighting him. But, I knew he'd never turn his back on an enemy, so… I didn't protect his back. If you hit him there, well, that's the only way you can kill him.

Hagen: That's what I'll do then! Get up, Gunther! You have a wonderful wife here; why aren't you happy about it?

Gunther: This is terrible! I've disgraced my friend, myself, this woman, everybody!

Hagen: Uh huh. So?

Brünnhilde: (to Gunther) You miserable excuse for a man! I see what's going on here! You wanted me, and you trusted him to help you. Now, you see what's come of it, and you can't deal with the responsibility of knowing what you've done! Some family you come from, if they all act like this!

Gunther: (half to himself) I tried to cheat, and I got cheated. I don't know what to say - my heart's just broken. Help me, Hagen, please! Think of what our mother would say!

Hagen: Nothing can help you now. Siegfried's as good as dead.

Gunther: (horrified) Dead!?

Hagen: That's the only thing that'll help you now.

Gunther: But he's my brother! I swore to it!

Hagen: His death can cure that, too.

Gunther: Why? Will that be his punishment for breaking his promise to me?

Hagen: Right. He betrayed you, didn't he?

Gunther: He did?

Brünnhilde: He betrayed you, and you betrayed me! If I had my way, there wouldn't be enough people in the world for you to kill to try to redeem yourself! But that doesn't matter - Siegfried's death will settle it up for both of us!

Hagen: (to Gunther) His death is only going to be good for you. You'll get his Ring; you can use its power to take over the whole world! But the only way you'll get it is over his dead body.

Gunther: You mean Brünnhilde's ring?

Hagen: I mean the Nibelung's Ring.

Gunther: (resigned) Then Siegfried's as good as dead.

Hagen: I know! Isn't it great?

Gunther: Wait a minute, though - Siegfried is Gutrune's husband. How can I let that happen to her?

Brünnhilde: (suddenly, to herself) That's it! That's what I couldn't figure out before! Now I know - Gutrune's the reason all this is happening to me! She took my husband away from me! I hope she rots in Hell!

Hagen: (to Gunther) You're right, it will hurt Gutrune when Siegfried dies. We'll just have to lie to her about it, then. Tomorrow, we'll go on a hunting trip with him, and when we come back, we'll tell her a wild boar killed him.

Gunther and Brünnhilde: All right, then! Siegfried's a dead man! He caused all this, and now he'll pay for it! He broke his promise to me, and now I'll get my revenge! Wotan! You're the God of promises and vengeance! Help us carry out your will! Help us make things right again!

Hagen: Our great hero will soon be dead! I'll have his Ring, and all his treasure! Alberich! Father! Aren't you proud of me now? I've got it all figured out; I'll get all our power back! It's time the world understood who its true masters are! The Nibelungs will rule the world again!

(The wedding procession comes through, and all are drawn into it as it makes its way up to the mountaintop.)