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THE HAPPY PRINCE
SCENE 1 : OPENING SONG : The Happy Prince
Ladies and gentlemen, May I welcome you to this ceremony to unveil a statue
of Mr David Wong. As you all know, Mr Wong is a well-known philanthropist in Hong Kong and the HKSAR Government has
commissioned a bronze statue, "The Happy Prince", to commemorate
his contribution to education. We are very honoured tonight to have the Chief
Executive and Mrs Lydia Wong as the officiating guests. May I now invite Mrs
Wong . . .
The Happy Prince
If I really wish to be happy/ I might look for someone in the hope of being
loved/ Or first I might have to understand who I am/ In order to know what it
is I need/
The Prince, draped in diamonds from head to toe/ Still needs the Swallow to
assuage his loneliness/ If even he doesn't know how to be happy/ All the more
reason I should sink so low/
* Perhaps all that's needed is that uncomplicated love/ And not fineries of
glittering gold/ Perhaps a piece of music, plus a glass of cola/
Are enough for me to find happiness in adversity/ I don't even know myself
that I'm a good person/ I don't know for what it is that I am crowned/
How do I contain the love he gives/ Isn't that cause for sorrow?/
Interlude
Repeat *
The Prince also wishes for happiness/ He awaits the Swallow to go with him to
Paradise/
If mankind exists for mutual violence/ I might as well pour my loveinto the
sea/
SCENE 2 : Narrator one
Narrator : There are a total of 13 actors in this
production. I am David Yeung, the narrator. I would like to introduce the
first actor, Carson. He is a salesman in real life. In this show, he doesn't
have a lot of lines. He plays a Year 1 law student at a certain university in
Kowloon Tong. Students from that university are known for their lack of English.
Shirley. In real life, she is a university student. The university campus is
in Pokfulam. This university believes it is an elitist institution. Does
Shirley look like an elite student? In the production, she is the model of a
successful China immigrant. At 13, she arrived with her family from a small Shandong village and now
lives in a wooden cubicle in Tuen Mun. She once had no English but now has
three degrees. She is an accountant. Does she look like an accountant?
This is William. He is also an undergraduate in real life. He and Shirley are
in the same institution but he is reading civil engineering, as evidenced from
his well-built physique and perfect profile. He plays a typical rich kid in
the show, a Form 3 student in an international school who was sent to the US for further studies
with a professional degree. Obviously, he read things like medicine or law or
architecture. But I don't really know what he did and whether he graduated.
Excuse me, I think I am taking up too much of your time. What I said just now
is really unimportant and unrelated to the play. Right, now for the main
characters.
Mao Li Hua, one of the top civil litigation barristers in Hong Kong. He looks about 40 and word has it he likes
children. He owns four horses stabled at the Jockey Club, all stallions. He
also wears women's perfume.
Daniel is Li Hua's protégé. In a few months he will be able to practice on
his own. He chose to be a barrister and not a solicitor because he tells
people he wants to be a Judge.
SCENE 3 : Celebrity
Lydia : Your name's Daniel WU, isn't it? You're somebody famous. You're the
actor Daniel Wu, aren't you?
Daniel : No, I'm not the actor Daniel Wu, though a lot of
people do say we look alike. Actually, I'm a barrister - training to be one,
anyway. I'm doing my pupilage at the
moment. But while we're on the subject of fame, well, I dare say more people
will have heard of your name, Lydia, than that
of Daniel Wu.
Lydia : A lot of people know my name or recognize my face, and there may be
quite a few stories about me in the media, but not many people know the real
me at all.
Daniel : I can imagine how fame comes with a price - people
in the public eye certainly have to watch their every step. But then again, fame's
still something worth having, isn't it? To be famous is to wield the power of
influence over others. Take you for example, Lydia. The clothes
you wear, the very image you present - everything that you say or do ? all
have an effect on people, regardless of whether they know the real you or
not.
Lydia : You sound like someone who's given the subject a fair amount of
though. I used to feel the same way about fame. But do you know, my husband
told me that the most mysterious you are, the more people want to know what
sort of person you really are. Of course, being mysterious isn't the same as
being unapproachable. Mysteriousness depends on visibility: you have to be
highly visible, because after all, you're nothing more than an image. What
you must never allow anyone to discover, however, is what you're thinking.
Daniel : So, what are you thinking about now?
Lydia : (Considers Daniel for a while) I'm thinking about winter. Of all the
seasons, I like winter best. Because winter's the harshest season of all,
charitable events tend to take place in winter. Without winter, we wouldn't
be able to appreciate what warmth is, would we? And without warmth, we'd
never discover the range of possibilities that can happen between people.
What about you, Daniel? Do you like winter?
Daniel : Winter's my favourite in Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
Lydia : You like Vivaldi? I like Vivaldi too. But when I'm unhappy, I prefer
Mozart. Every time I listen to Mozart, I feel as if the musicians release all
the discomfort and tension in me. I prefer music to films. Music gives more reign to one's
imagination. It allows me to imagine anything I desire, anything at all.
Films are manipulative, and I don't like that. The think I dislike most is to
be manipulated - and I don't care to manipulate others, either. I think
freedom's very important. Without freedom, there's no sense of self, and to
be without a sense of self is to lose all capacity for autonomous thought.
"I think, therefore I am." (Becomes conscious that Daniel has been
staring at her for some time.) What are you thinking of?
Daniel : I'm thinking about what you've just said.
Lydia : You really have the gift of the gab, don't you? It's snowing outside.
It hasn't snowed for a long time. Would you like to accompany me for a
stroll?
SCENE 4 : Narrator two
Narrator : They say the world is a small place. Twenty-four
hours after Lydia and Daniel took a stroll in the snow, they meet in another place, in Li
Hua's chambers. Lydia needs Li Hua to help her battle out her husband's will in court.
The world is a strange place. When Lydia and Li Hua
last met, also in his office, she told him she no longer wanted to continue
as a barrister. Instead she will marry a man who loves her dearly. She no
longer has to work; she can simply enjoy life. Li Hua felt her decision is
wrong because he understood her. She cannot live a life of simple tranquillity.
The two of them appear to be friends. In reality, they look down on each
other. They are all too clear about each other's history and weaknesses. Together, they harbour a deep dark secret.
It has nothing to do with their private lives but has everything to do with
how Li Hua got to where he is today. Lydia is today in
his chambers because she knew only Li Hua could win the case .They have not
seen each other for 12 years. When they meet again, little will Li Hua know
that 24 hours before this, Daniel, his protégé, and Lydia already held
hands.
SCENE 5 : Youth
Li Hua : Lydia, this is
Daniel, my pupil who's assisting me on the case. (Lydia and Daniel
shake hands and smile.) Lydia, please tell
us everything you know about the matter, and everything that happened, without
reservation. Lawyers are like priests : keeping secrets is part of our
professional ethics.
Lydia : It's been a long time since I've been to confession. Going to
confession is for the cowardly. There's no reason for the strong to be unable
to take responsibility for the consequences of their sins. They don't need to
deceive themselves with the act of confession.
Li Hua, you don't need to resort to such ploys to goad the truth out of me.
Every word I'm about to tell you is the truth, just like the will I have in
my possession - the absolute, unadulterated truth, and the only "truth"
I'm able to tell you.
The courtroom is an arena for the truth, and in this arena, you're the
reigning champion. The truth is always on your side.
Li Hua : How beautifully you put it, Lydia. Truth
doesn't exist in the courtroom - there's only winning or losing. In the
subconscious mind of the legal practitioner, there's never any concrete
notion of "the truth" or "the facts". To me, the
so-called truth is nothing but an excuse, and the facts are nothing but a
fairytale. That's why I never care about them. What's most important is
trust. If I don't sense your trust in me, I cannot honour my Faustian pact
and enter the arena as your champion.
Youth and purity are the most precious things in this world, but with the
weight of the years and the accumulation of experience, youth and purity become
like teabags which have been reused too many times. Their flavour becomes
ever more faint, so faint that you can no longer tell if it's Oolong or Earl
Grey. (She puts down her teacup.)
Lydia : Only you stand as an exception, Li Hua. Still you hold firm to your
principles, always requiring of yourself that you stand outside the mundane,
to cast a cold eye on everything that happens in this world with God-like
detachment.
I hope this young man beside you can learn from you this analytical power
that sees through the façade of everything. But not everyone can deal with
this kind of Faustian influence. Li Hua, you're one of the exceptional few
who can.
Li Hua : I've never considered myself to be an influence
on anyone.
If you're implying that I'm a bad influence on this young man beside me, then
you're mistaken. There's no such thing as a "good influence" in this
world. From a scientific standpoint, all types of influence are immoral. I believe that every individual has his own
free will. It should be up to him to decide for himself what it is he wants
to do, and whether it's something he ought to do - regardless of whether that
thing is good or bad.
If a person sets out to do something in the belief that it is for the good,
but it turns out to be bad in the end, it's merely the consequence of him not
understanding himself at the very outset - not understanding such things as
his own locus standi and capabilities. That's why he can't avoid saying what
others say, and going down the road that others have marked out. For this
reason, if this young man beside me does indeed fall under some sort of
influence, rather than lay it at my door by accusing me of forcibly squeezing
my spirit and soul into him, you're better offsaying that he purposely sucked
my soul into himself.
SCENE 6 : Sympathy
Li Hua : What's your position on the Lydia case?
Daniel : I think Lydia's innocent,
and I reckon we have a good enough defence to get her off. But you seem a bit
skeptical about her, Li Hua. Do you know something that I don't?
Li Hua : No woman's ever innocent, Daniel. By ascribing
"innocence" to Lydia, it shows
that what you feel for her is… sympathy. Of course, all women wish for
sympathy. To a woman, sympathy is like a handbag from Louis Vuitton - it's
not just for your own use, it's also for showing off to other women. But for
practitioners of law, sympathy is a precious commodity, because sympathy can
eat away at our rationality. All women are irrational, and irrational people
make the best liars. They can give free flow to their feelings and
imagination, conjure up in their minds all sorts of "truths"
with no basis in reality, and edit these imagined scenes into a melodrama
more "real" than any documentary. The way I see it, it's human instinct to go for melodramas with strong storylines, multiple
plot-twists and characters clearly designated as good or bad. Why else do you
think so many people take an interest in Picasso or Wittgenstein, not for
their work, but for their sex lives, and things like how many lovers they
had, and whether they wore underwear. Do you remember, Daniel, you once told me
that a certain quote by Wittgenstein has had a deep influence on you?
Daniel : "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must
be silent."
Li Hua : Well then. What knowledge of Lydia do you have
to speak of, and is it enough to justify the sympathy you feel for her?
Perhaps you've overlooked the fact that a man's sympathy for a woman is often
founded nothing more than her outward appearance. Nowadays, when it comes to
a woman, there are only two choices a man can make. He can become a devoted slave
to her appearance, and allow himself to be manipulated, submitting his reason,
sympathy, generosity, senses of duty and mission, to be at her beck and call
night and day. Or he can take the second option, which is to go with the
notion of Platonic love in Socrates' philosophy. Men who don't place much
importance on freedom and the sense of self certainly wouldn't mind opting
for choice number one. But you should understand by now why all the greatest
scientific and philosophical minds in history have chosen the road of
Platonic love.
Daniel : The notion of platonic love comes from Plato, not
Socrates. That's why it's called "Platonic" love.
SCENE 7 : Interview
Interviewer : We're very happy to have invited Lydia Chan to be
with us tonight. Lydia, as I'm sure
you know, is a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist. Yesterday on television
we all saw how she donated a lot of jewellery which was then auctioned for
charity, to the sum of several million dollars. We're very privileged now to
have Lydia share with us her experience on how to become successful, and her views
on what constitutes happiness. Lydia, a lot of
people seem to take a very negative view of society nowadays. They're always
making complaints and demands, but never seem prepared to give anything of
their own in return. What do you make of this social phenomenon, Lydia?
Lydia : I feel that this place has given me a lot of opportunities, and
without it, I wouldn't be who I am today. I can understand how these days,
many people are unhappy and bear a lot of resentment against the business
sector for not doing enough. Hong Kong is a capitalist society, and we in the business sector reap the greatest
rewards. We have more resources, with
which we can help people. My husband always reminded me about the need to
help those in need, and he was the first to give money to set up schools and
hospitals. He didn't like people knowing about it, though, so he always kept
a low profile.
It was only after he disappeared that I discovered he'd done much, much more
than what he'd told me about. He did a lot of really important things; like you
said just now, one should give more thought to what one can do. None of this
is beyond the scope of my capabilities. We all know that much of the time,
people give to charity not because they really want to help people, but
really for the publicity and the glamour. I agree that's often the case,
which is why my husband and I have always kept a low profile about these
things. The reason I agreed to this interview is because… I don't know, I
just thought, if I'm interviewed on radio, my husband might hear it. I know
I'm being silly, but I really feel he might be someplace where he can hear
what I'm saying.
Interviewer : And how about your views on happiness?
Lydia : Happiness is a word we hear all the time, but what is happiness? The
word reminds me of a story, "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde.
It's about a bronze statue and a swallow. The bronze statue is of a prince,
inlaid with lots of gemstones. Seeing that there were many impoverished
people around, the statue asked the swallow to give the gemstonesto the poor,
so that they may be happy.
It's a simple story, but it made me very sad after I read it. Why do the two
main characters have to die after they've done such good deeds? Why can't
they remain in the world and share in its happiness?
Remembering this story these last few years, I couldn't help thinking, why
would my husband disappear after having done so much good? Why can't he be
with me? And then it occurred to me that when one commits charitable acts,
one shouldn't expect repayment of any kind. The deed itself is what matters,
and the more one can do, the better. Of course, at the end of the story, the
prince and the swallow go to heaven, so I still believe that doing good
brings a good reward in the end. That's why I constantly remind myself, I must
use my husband's fortune wisely to help those in need.
(A boy reads <The Happy Prince>)
"Who are you?" he said.
"I am the Happy Prince."
"Why are you weeping then?" asked the Swallow; "you have
quite drenched me."
"When I was alive and had a human heart," answered the statue,
"I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci, where sorrow
is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I played with my companionsi n
the garden, and in the evening I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round
the garden ran a very lofty wall, but I never cared to ask what lay beyond
it, everything about me was so beautiful. My courtiers called me the Happy
Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so
I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can
see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is
made of lead yet I cannot chose but weep."
"What! is he not solid gold?" said the Swallow to himself. He was
too polite to make any personal remarks out loud.
"Far away," continued the statue in a low musical voice,
"far away in a little street there is a poor house. One of the windows
is open, and through it I can see a woman seated at a table. Her face
is thin and worn, and she has coarse, red hands, all pricked by the needle,
for she is a seamstress. She is embroidering passion-flowers on a satin gown for
the loveliest of the Queen's maids-of- honour to wear at the next Court-ball. In a bed in the corner of the room her
little boy is lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking for oranges. His
mother has nothing to give him but river water, so he is crying. Swallow,
Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bring her the ruby out of my
sword-hilt? My feet are fastened to this pedestal and I cannot move."
"I am waited for in Egypt," said
the Swallow. "My friends are flying up and down the Nile, and talking to the large lotus-flowers. Soon
they will go to sleep in the tomb of the great King. The King is there himself
in his painted coffin. He is wrapped in yellow linen, and embalmed with
spices. Round his neck is a chain of pale green jade, and his hands are
like withered leaves."
"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will
you not stay with me for one night, and be my messenger? The boy is so
thirsty, and the mother so sad."
"I don't think I like boys," answered the Swallow.
"Last summer, when I was staying on the river, there were two rude boys,
the miller's sons, who were always throwing stones at me. They never
hit me, of course; we swallows fly far too well for that, and besides, I come
of a family famous for its agility; but still, it was a mark of
disrespect."
But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little Swallow was
sorry. "It is very cold here," he said; "but I will stay
with you for one night, and be your messenger."
"Thank you, little Swallow," said the Prince.
SCENE 8 : Ethics
Li Hua : Lydia, I'm not the
most appropriate person to handle this case.
Lydia : You don't believe me.
Li Hua : No, I don't. You haven't told me everything I
should know about the matter.
Lydia : You're prejudiced against me.
Li Hua : On the contrary. I've always drawn a clear line
between work and private life.
Lydia : You're very good at finding excuses for yourself.
Li Hua : The word "excuse" only exists in the
vocabulary of second-rate lawyers.
Lydia : Li Hua, come on!
Li Hua : I've already made my decision.
Lydia : "You've made your decision"? None of us are in a position to
make decisions about our fate. You of all people should know that. Your fate
at the moment is in my hands.
Li Hua : I'm sure I don't know what you mean.
Lydia : I'm telling you now, you have no choice in the matter. You shall take
this case, and you shall win it for me, because only you are capable of doing
so. My fate hangs on the outcome of this case, and your fate hangs on mine.
At the end of the day, we share the same fate, you and I.
Li Hua : Madame Tang, I sincerely hope you're not
attempting to threaten a barrister!
Lydia : A barrister presumably must have sharp powers of recall. I trust you haven't forgotten something we
did together twenty years ago. I've
retained the tape to this day. This is a copy of it. It might help you relive
the good times we shared. (Places it on the desk.)
Li Hua : (Remains silent for a spell) Madame Tang,
whatever you say, whatever trump card you may think you hold, once I've made
a decision, a decision it remains.
Lydia : Li Hua, this unwaveringness of yours is a kind of
sickness. Whoever catches this sickness will often imagine himself to be
another person, and the person he imagines being will be the fundamental
opposite of his personality or even appearance.
These fantasies will bring a lot of pain to sufferers of this disease, but
they take pleasure in this pain, just like women look into the mirror everyday
in the hope of seeing another version of themselves. Everyone says vanity is
a woman's instinct. In fact, what does "vanity" really involve, but
a negation of assurance in one's appearance?
Li Hua, the pursuit of moral perfection is every scholar's fantasy. It's precisely because I harbour no such
fantasy that I enjoy my present position in society.
It's precisely because morality exists that society becomes corrupt. Corruption
doesn't come from morality itself, but from the kind of fantasy that people
turn morality into. People fantasize that their sexual desires can be pure
and holy, that they can love a single person all their lives. They fantasize that everyone's born equal,
that one should commit charitable cts without others knowing, and give
without any thought of reward. Most people are dominated and twisted by these
fantasies, until they turn into creatures with eyes that can't see
themselves, ears that can't hear themselves, and mouths which are only
capable of repeating what others say.
Li Hua, I may be a woman, and you may be a scholar, but the sole reason we're
a cut above the rest is because we're not controlled by such fantasies. Our feet are firmly on the ground. We do
anything and everything we ought to, anything and everything we're capable
of, and anything and everything that's to our advantage. We're not affected
by the illusion of morality. That's
why it's our real selves we see in the mirror.
Everything we possess today, we've won for ourselves with tooth and nail, not
through some compromise with notions of morality. If it wasn't for what
happened twenty years ago, you wouldn't be enjoying your present power and
position, your wealth and fame. All that will vanish into thin air -- all
because of a single wrong decision you make today.
SCENE 9 : Good and Evil
Li Hua : I've given it a whole night's thought, and I've
finally decided to accept Lydia's case. I
formally notified Lydia this
morning. I telephoned her about my
decision, and arranged to have a meeting the day after tomorrow.
Daniel : (Surprised) Very well. I'll begin preparing the
case immediately.
Li Hua: Is there anything you would like to ask me?
Daniel : If you don't mind, I'd like to know what made you
change your mind.
Li Hua : Lydia is a decent
person and a friend of mine. I've never represented my friends or relations
in court before, because in such a situation it would be very easy to allow
sentiment to overwhelm one's reason. That's why I initially refused to take Lydia's case. But
now I've changed my mind, because I feel that protecting a decent person and
a philanthropist s our sacred duty as legal practitioners.
(Daniel stands and stares at Li Hua.)
Li Hua : Why are you looking at me like that?
Daniel : May I be candid?
Li Hua : By all means.
Daniel : When you were saying what you said just now, the
ghost of a smile flickered across your face, and the smile seemed to be
telling me something else.
Li Hua : And what might that be?
Daniel : I've heard it said that when one person smiles,
it means someone else is getting hurt.
Li Hua : (Remains po-faced momentarily, then bursts into
laughter)Then what does my expression now tell you?
(Daniel is initially at a loss as to how to respond, and then begins laughing
as well. The two men's laughter grow louder and louder, until it is
impossible to distinguish whether it is out of glee or malice.)
Daniel : Nevertheless, I still like to laugh and smile,
because it makes me feel I'm a decent person.
Li Hua : And yet the laughter you consider to be decent
appears a touch sinister to my eyes.
Daniel : Really? (Looks in the mirror) Surely not?
Li Hua : I'm just pulling your leg. Having said that, evil
does indeed bring pleasure - that's why people commit evil acts. The laughter
of goodness is nothing more than a glass of plain water. Unlike the laughter of
evil, it doesn't stimulate people's imaginations. Like your sinister laughter
just now, which immediately brought a lot of things to my mind.
Daniel : No wonder you're always reminding me to maintain
total expressionless in court - and especially to avoid smiling.
Li Hua : Laughter itself is inherently evil. It disrupts
logical thought, and destroys concentration. Imagine, if all the drivers on
the roads can't stop laughing while they're driving, how many traffic
accidents would you end up with.
(Daniel laughs.)
Li Hua : See? The fact that you're laughing now shows your
lack of respect for me.
Daniel : (Laughing) Sorry, sorry.
SCENE 10 : Narcissism
Li Hua : (Look at the mirror) However, I cannot blame you
for being contemptuous towards many things, all because you are too pretty, much
too beautiful!
It's not your fault that you're born beautiful. Quite the contrary. You have every right to make use of your
appearance however you choose, as well as your youth.
Don't frown. Even if you crease your brow, there'll still be plenty of people
who'll love you. You should have realized long ago, it's better to be born
beautiful than a genius. Those people who fancy they have brains are always
criticizing beautiful people for having nothing but looks, but actually, they
themselves are the ones who are shallow. They don't appreciate how miraculous
it is to come across someone who is really beautiful. That's why only the
most brainless fools would console themselves by saying things like
"beauty is only skin-deep". They only say that because they think they're
being profound simply because they're looking for something that can't be
seen. They have no idea that a beautiful appearance is in fact the most
mysterious thing of all.
When it comes to one's fate in life, however, obviously it's better to be
ugly and stupid. Ugly and stupid people can just sit there and be spectators,
watching the drama with their mouths wide open and not even knowing it. These
people will never know what it means to be a success, and they'll never know
the taste of defeat either. They'll never be a threat to anyone, nor will
they ever be destroyed by others. That's why they can continue to exist
without really existing at all. And in the minds of most people, this is what
it means to have a so-called simple, peaceful, quiet life.
By comparison, there is much more pain in your life, because we shouldn't allow
what we have go to waste.
Daniel, the gods have been kind to you, but what they've given you they can
take away just as quickly. What you must understand is that you're still
young, and you still have time to do the things you want to do. In a few
years, when you're no longer youthful or as beautiful as you are now, you'll
suddenly discover that things won't go your way quite so automatically anymore.
There'll only be a few insignificant pleasures left for you in this world,
and you'll be obliged to console yourself with them periodically. All the memories of past perfection will
only serve to remind you of what a failure you've since become.
As time is so precious to you, why should you squander it over worrying about
what the plebeians around you think and say? You shouldn't waste time. You
should know that with your looks, the world's your oyster.
Let's put it another way. If it wasn't for your physical appearance, you
wouldn't be sitting across from me at this moment. You should know how I
regard people, especially in terms of categorizing them. To be my close
friends, I require of them that they be beautiful. To be mere acquaintances, it's
enough that they have personality. As for enemies, I only pick those who are
extremely intelligent, because I believe that one has to have the highest
standards when selecting one's opponents. None of my enemies are less than
first class - they wouldn't wish to compete with me otherwise. You might say it's a form of admiration as
well as compliment they accord to my abilities. Does that make me a vain
person? Very much so, I should think.
SCENE 11 : Dispensation
Lydia : Do you like the colour white? Your whole house is white.
Daniel : White is clean.
Lydia : Then why you dressed from head to toe in black?
Daniel : Dirt doesn't show on black. What about you?
What's your favourite colour?
Lydia : Forty-something women usually prefer brighter colours like pink, or
pastel yellow and blue. Perhaps these colours make them feel younger. In my
youth, I also liked wearing black too. Superficially, black seems low-key,
but when you wear it all the time, people will definitely remember you. But
once you get to my age, you start wearing pinks and pastel blues. Perhaps I'm
starting to feel old!
Daniel : Are you afraid of getting old?
Lydia : Every woman's afraid of getting old. The most important thing to a
woman is her looks. However good-looking a woman is, time and gravity are two
things she'll never overcome. Men on the other hand have no such worries. All
they need concern themselves with is their career. That's why people will
accept a Beauty paired with a Beast - but when it's the woman who's the Beast
and the man who's the Beauty, people will really look askance at the pairing.
If I were a really ugly woman, would you be bringing me home?
Daniel : Certainly not! That's why I feel women are more
selfless than men. Women can love someone regardless of how they look, but
men certainly can't manage to do that.
There's a reason why men are called beasts by women. When we see a woman,
it's our eyes and not our brains which determine whether we love them or not.
But women, I find, are the exact opposite - the more attractive they are, the
less they care about how the man looks.
Lydia : So you're saying that I'm not an attractive woman?
Daniel : I feel that in our relationship, I'm the Beast
and you're the Beauty. Your status, position and everything else definitely
cast you in the role of the Beauty. You're in a position to offer a lot. I,
on the other hand, am exactly like the Beast - very fortunate to receive your
gracious dispensation.
Lydia : Why do you feel our relationship involves some sort of dispensation?
When I donate money to charity, it's never because I want people to know how
much money I have. But a lot of people consider that a form of dispensation,
and call me a philanthropist. When you said just now you were receiving my
gracious dispensation, did you mean that I do certain things when we're
together that makes you feel uncomfortable, and that I'm somehow dispensing
charity towards you?
Daniel : You misunderstand. What I meant was that you
possess so much, and yet you're prepared to give all of it to me without
reservation. That's what I meant by
"dispensation". It's actually a very positive thing. Why should you mind when people say you're
dispensing charity? Dispensation means sharing what you have with others.
You're too sensitive!
Lydia : You're wrong. In this capitalist society we live in, a lot of rich
people use the word "charity" to conjure up a lot of fairytales. Platitudes
like "giving a bit back to society", "it is better to give
than to receive" - it's all a pack of lies. Dispensing charity is a sin.
Having exploited all the money off the poor, the rich then give back less
than one-tenth of a percent to those in poverty, who then have to thank and praise
them profusely for their charity. In reality, the vast majority of
philanthropists are utter fakes.
Daniel : Are you angry at me?
Lydia : I'm not angry at you. I'm just thinking where my relationship with you
is leading. Five years from now, what will you and I be like? I don't actually want to think about it,
because I know it's pointless to do so. In you, I see a lot of things from my
past. When I saw you for the first time that day at the cocktail party, I
don't know why, but I started to think about certain things from when I was
young. So I came over to you on purpose, because I wanted to see for certain
if you weren't in fact my own self from that time. I started talking to you,
and paid the utmost attention to every single word you said to me, to every
look you gave to me.
I asked you if you liked winter, and then we went outside into the snow. The
snow fell slowly that night. You held my hand, and your hand was warm, very
warm. I don't remember how long we held hands for. Afterwards, I went home,
stared at my hands, and asked myself : what will happen to us from now on? I
didn't feel there was anything I could offer you, anything I could give you
already had. Whereas the things that I wanted, only you could give me. And
these things you have given to me, without reservation. Any "dispensation" in our
relationship comes from you to me, not the other way around.
SCENE 12 : Who Am I?
Daniel : (Staring at his hands) "When I saw you for
the first time that day at the cocktail party, I don't know why, but I
started to think about certain things from when I was young. So I came over to you on purpose, because I
wanted to see for certain if you weren't in fact my own self from that time.
I started talking to you, and paid the utmost attention to every single word
you said to me, to every look you gave to me.
I asked you if you liked winter, and then we went outside into the snow. The
snow fell slowly that night. You held my hand, and your hand was warm, very
warm. I don't remember how long we held hands for. Afterwards, I went home,
stared at my hands, and asked myself : what will happen to us from now
on?"
What was said just now was said by Lydia. I was very
touched when I heard her words, very touched. At the time I thought, how fine
a woman she is, and how much she must love me. But what was it that moved me,
the words she spoke, or Lydia herself?
That's why I repeated her words just now. I was attempting to turn myself
from the listener into the speaker, to see what sort of difference there
might be. As I was speaking, I couldn't help wondering what Lydia may have
been thinking when she said those words.
We're always complaining that people don't say what they mean - when Lydia spoke those
words, did she really mean them, or did she merely say those things because
she wanted me to believe that she really loved me?
We lawyers understand only too well that language is a game. We often use
words as a means to control other people's emotional responses, to twist
their perception of events. That's why I don't feel language can reflect the
truth, because language is an instrument for controlling thought. Language is a form of manipulation.
Those who have a good command of language usually know how to control others,
to manipulate their feelings and emotions. In my relationship with Lydia, I'm
obviously the one who's been manipulated, and her words to me just now are
the best proof of this. If she really loved me that much, there wouldn't have
been any need to say what she did. If she really believed that I loved her,
all those words would have been superfluous.
Love should be beyond language. Lydia's fondness
for me is all down to my looks alone. It's only because my outward appearance
stimulates a certain part of her imagination, that she can tell me that
looking at me is like looking at herself 20 years ago. But how can I be her?
That's an impossibility. She's only using me to attempt to retrieve the time
she has lost, as well as the memories, and feelings. The person she loves the
most isn't me, it's herself. Perhaps you might ask me : why did I take the
initiative in holding her hand that day? What was I thinking, that day when
we watched the snow fall?
I was thinking of myself. When we were watching the snow, I wasn't
looking at the snow, or anything else either. I wasn't conscious of looking
at anything at all. I do remember that it was very, very dark, and the sky was
very grey. I was thinking, it's impossible for me to fall in love with such a
woman. But it fascinated me, the way she looked at me -- why should I find it
so fascinating? Because in her eyes, I saw sorrow. I could hear her heart
speaking to me, and it was telling me how unhappy she was, pleading for me to
help her. (Pauses)
Was I in a position to offer her any help? I remember asking myself if I
could indeed help her. But before I could even answer myself, I found that I
had already taken her hand. The way she looked at me is the precisely kind of
manipulation I was talking about just now, and that was how she manipulated
out of me the sympathy I felt for her. Afterwards, the longer we stayed
together, the more I got to know her, the more I felt that she was my
nightmare.
But I have no choice, because I was the one who was chosen. From the moment I
was born, I was without choices. Who my parents were, how many siblings I
had, which hospital I was born in, which school I went to, what friends I
had, and what I looked like… none of these things were my choice. Look at me. If I had really tiny eyes, a
miniscule nose, an enormous mouth but no hair to speak of, and only stood 4
feet and 1 inch tall, do you think Lydia would have
let me hold her hand? She wouldn't have given me a second look.
Do you know what's the one thing she says to me all the time? She's always
telling me, how so very much she loves me, that everything she does is for my
sake, to make me happy. She always needs to make me feel that she's given a
lot of happiness. She's always reminding me that even if there's another
person in the world who looks like me and has the same name, still he'll
never be me. I'm unique, which is why her love for me is also unique. She's
also always telling me that I can accomplish this and accomplish that, that
there's nothing I'm incapable of. But in fact, this isn't encouragement - these
are demands.
I'm a very ordinary person. The only extraordinary thing about me is the way
I look. When I look at myself in the mirror, the longer I look, the less I'm
sure who I really am. He's got character, he's a man of few words, everything
is communicated in his eyes. His eyes and nose are near-perfect, he has
delicate hands and long, slender fingers. When he smiles, it's like drops of
water falling on the surface of a lake, sending out ripples of joy to
everyone around him, a joy as warm as sunshine.
But I'm not that person. How can I possibly be that person? Look atme. I'm
just like any one of you, I'm just like everybody else. I've never dreamed of
doing great deeds or bearing any kind of responsibility. All I've ever wanted
was to receive, never to give. I'm just like you, I fear unhappiness, fear
discomfort, and hardship. I fear having to explain things, having to think
about extraneous matters. I fear having to be a man of conscience. Isn't it
enough to be someone who's simply adequate? It's enough as long as I'm simply
adequate in everything I do. No one can ask of me that I do anything, because
no one knows me better than myself. I've never considered myself to be
anything special. I look at myself in the mirror for long time, and I ask
myself, why can't I be born not having to do anything, and not having to
think about anything?... I look at myself, and I know that people are only
interested in me because of my external appearance. In fact, there's nothing inside me at all.
Can't you see that? I have nothing inside at all. (Long pause)
I know why I held her hand. I was hoping that by taking her hand, she would
give me back something in return, and if I were to receive it, we could live
a happy life together.
You may say I'm a very shallow person. You may feel that what I've just said
doesn't correspond at all with the way I look. You're just like her : in the
way you look at me, I can see all kinds of demands and expectations you have
of me. I detest being looked at that way. I really wish I can't see you at
all. I don't need you to be so nice to me. Go away! Go away! Don't look at
me! I hate being looked at like that, I hate you, I wish you can't see me at
all! Disappear! Disappear! Disappear! I don't want you to be so nice to me!
Go away! Sod off! Get lost! Don't look at me! Don't look! I hate you! I hate you!...
I will make you disappear. I'll make everyone realize what sort of person you
are. I'll make sure you get what you deserve. I'll make sure you lose
everything. I will be totally free of your control. (Takes out the video) I
have in my hand something hat will let me accomplish this. It will prove what
kind of person you really are. People will find out what sort of depravity
you're capable of. They'll find out what a false and greedy person you are --
a woman with the face of an angel but the heart of a beast, who repays
kindness with malice and spite. Guess what I'm going to do with this tape?
Ever since I made this decision, I've felt extremely happy. I haven't been so
happy in a long time. It's the kind of happiness where the joy comes right
out from the heart. Don't you think that I'm really happy?(Laughs)
SCENE 13 : Who Are You?
The Judge : As a notable pillar of society, a celebrity
looked up to by many people, and a barrister-at-law to boot, the respondent
is esteemed by our community as a paragon of perfection. However, she has taken
advantage of her privileged position to embark upon a series of premeditated fraudulent
acts, in the process deceiving not only her relatives and colleagues but also
a husband who loved and trusted her. Her transgressions have not only
aggrieved everyone close to her, but have also gravely damaged ours ociety's
faith in matters of public morality and conscience.
The respondent is a false and avaricious person who possesses not a shred of
sympathy. Her offences are so deeply immoral that "cold-blooded" would
not be an excessive description of her, for only a cold-blooded person would
be capable of committing them. It is my judgment, therefore, that the case
should go against the respondent.
SCENE 14 : Confession
Husband : Do you recognize me?
Lydia : No.
Husband : Do you remember what you've done to me?
Lydia : No.
Husband : Do you feel any remorse?
Lydia : No.
Husband : Are you happy?
Lydia : That's none of your business.
Husband : What are you thinking of now?
Lydia : I said it's none of your business.
Husband : Did you ever love me?
Lydia : (Nods) No.
Husband : Did you ever love anyone?
Lydia : (Pauses for a while) No.
Husband : Then why did you want to be together with me? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : Why don't you say anything? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : Why do you treat me like this? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : What did I do wrong? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : It pains me very much that you treat me like
this. Do you realize that? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : Why? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : What do you want? I've already given you
everything I had. What more do you want? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : Are you listening to what I'm saying to you? (Lydia remains
silent.)
Husband : Why don't you respond? I'm talking to you, and
you're not responding. (Lydia looks at her
husband.)
Husband : Can't you hear what I'm saying? Can't you see me?
Can't you see me at all? Don't you know who I am? (Lydia remains
silent for along time.)
Husband : Don't you think it's very selfish of you to treat
me like this? (Lydia remains silent.)
Husband : Don't you think you're being very selfish?
Lydia : (Repeats his words) Don't you think you're being very selfish?
SCENE 15 : Closing Music "Reaching for the Stars"
Dawn brightens the sky/ By the road there's an inn named Regret/ There's nothing
but darkness within/ There's no light, and no tomorrow/ But the
inn-keeper takes my hand/ And tells me it's a Happy Inn/ Where none who enter
ever wish to leave/ But I shrug him off/ Raise my head and reply/I must be on
my way/ I must have pride in myself/ I must reach for the stars/ And not be
held captive/ I have no fear of distance/ Nor mind the dirt and dust/ I must
embark on my road/ I must have pride in myself/ I must reach for the stars/
And not be held captive/ The stars may look distant/But they are not so very
far/ They shall be within my reach/ Dawn brightens the long road/ The sun
shines across the hills/ Just as my pace would never slacken/ With the wind guiding
my way/ I must be on my way/ I must have pride in myself/ I must reach for
the stars/ And not be held captive/ I have no fear of distance/ Nor mind the
dirt and dust/ However tired, I must be on my way/ I must have pride in
myself/ I must reach for the stars/And not be held captive/ The stars may
look distant/ But they are not so very far/ They shall be within my reach/
They shall be within my reach/
-End-
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