Death of Eleonora d'Aragona
The dying moments of Eleonora d'Aragona, Duchess of Ferrara, as she lies surrounded by her grieving family and court in her grand bedchamber. The priest administers last rites while her husband, Ercol
Setting
The grand bedchamber of Eleonora d'Aragona in the Ducal Palace of Ferrara, adorned with rich tapestries and frescoes. The room is spacious, with high vaulted ceilings and large windows that let in the afternoon light. A canopied bed dominates the center, surrounded by attendants and family members.
Characters
Eleonora d'Aragona
primary
A frail woman in her late 40s, with pallid skin stretched over delicate bones. Her once-lustrous dark hair is now thin and streaked with gray, spread across silk pillows. Sunken eyes retain traces of their former piercing intelligence, surrounded by dark circles of exhaustion. Her hands, once graceful, now appear skeletal with prominent veins.
Ercole I d'Este
primary
A tall, broad-shouldered man in his early 60s with a strong jawline and deep-set eyes that betray his exhaustion. His once-dark hair is now heavily streaked with gray, and his face bears the lines of both rulership and recent grief. His hands, though aged, still grip with ducal authority when he moves.
Court Physician
secondary
A middle-aged man of slight build with sharp, observant features. His graying hair is neatly trimmed, and his beard is carefully groomed in the scholarly fashion of the time. His hands are delicate yet steady, accustomed to the precise work of medicine.
Lady-in-waiting
secondary
A young woman in her late twenties with a slender, graceful build. Her delicate features are framed by chestnut hair neatly tucked under a linen cap. Her hazel eyes are red-rimmed from weeping, and her pale complexion contrasts with the dark circles under her eyes from nights of vigil.
Priest
background
A middle-aged Franciscan friar with a gaunt face, deep-set eyes, and a tonsured head. His thin lips move silently as he prays, and his hands are clasped together in devotion. His posture is slightly hunched, as if weighed down by the solemnity of the moment.
Dialog
Eleonora d'Aragona
Ercole... my lord... the physicians' arts have failed, but my soul is prepared for Christ's mercy.
Ercole I d'Este
By Pluto's teeth! Physician—another draught! We command it!
Court Physician
Most excellent Duke, the humors are beyond balancing. Her vital spirits wane like Vespers light.
Eleonora d'Aragona
Husband... remember our Alfonso. The boy must know Naples' blood flows with Este's...
Ercole I d'Este
I— We shall make him worthy of you. By all the saints...
Court Physician
Domina's breath grows shallow. The priest should administer extreme unction.
Eleonora d'Aragona
Lares of our house... guide him...