LA ELECCIÓN POR LA VIRTUD

ElecPV 

REPARTO

Todos parecen ser italianos menos el Embajador de España y Roma.

I

Pereto, an old peasant of Montalto, has three children: Sabina, Camila and Félix (later known as Sixto). Félix and Sabina go every day to Fermo to sell firewood and produce, but before they arrive Félix changes into student's clothes in order to go to the university while Sabina sells their products. Félix has been studying for four years because a professor of mathematics and astrology once told him that he should study religion and that he would thereby earn a crown, which, if he accepted it, would be followed by three others. He also said that all of the good things that happened to Félix would take place on Wednesdays.

One day Félix meets Marco Antonio and Pompeyo on the road. While they are talking, Pompeyo's servant, Fabio, tells Félix that Pope Paul II has died and that Cardenal Colona, the uncle of Marco Antonio and Pompeyo, hopes to become the new Pope. Marco Antonio and Pompeyo are on their way to Rome to see their uncle. After the others depart, Félix thinks again of the prophecy regarding his future and decides to join the Order of St. Francis with the ambition to work to make himself Pope or nothing.

Meanwhile, we learn that Césaro, a noble of the Urbino family who is studying in Fermo, has seen Sabina and fallen in love with her. Césaro tells Sabina of his love for her, but she thinks he's joking, although she is encouraged by his words, because she loves him, too, and even comes close to confessing her love to him. At the same time, a student who has followed Félix and seen him change into his peasant's clothing confides to another, and the two plan to reveal the truth about Félix.

When Félix and Sabina return home that afternoon, they learn that he has been chosen king of the Easter celebration. One of the shepherds, Chamoso, goes to the church to get the crown of St. Louis, King of France, since they had forgotten to bring a crown for Félix. He mistakenly brings the crown of the Pope, Saint Gregory, instead. Félix takes this to be another omen, and he makes plans to go to Escuti the following day to join the Franciscan order.

II

Félix, now a priest, returns to Fermo, where his family greets him. Rodulfo and Abostra, the head of the Franciscans, are to choose a Predicator for the Pope by drawing names from a silver vessel. Félix's name is drawn twice, although it is not supposed to be among the names they put into the vessel. Abostra becomes jealous of Félix because his name has been drawn and prepares to avenge himself by discrediting Félix with false rumors.

Sabina tells Camila that she and Césaro have been lovers for three years and that she is now to have his baby. Césaro promises to marry her, but his father, Prince Fabriano, tells him that he is to be named Cardinal of Rome. Césaro explains to his father that he cannot become Cardinal since he is married, but he refuses to say to whom. His father, angry at his refusal, orders him locked up. Upon being threatened by Prince Fabriano, Decio tells him about Césaro and Sabina. The Prince, enraged at the thought of his son's marrying a peasant girl, swears vengeance.

Marcelo, on the way to Rome with the Crown of Venice that he is to give the Pope, meets Ascanio Colona. The two of them encounter Félix, who is lamenting the fact that Abostra has discredited him before the Pope with false accusations. Meanwhile, Julio, Marcelo's servant, steals the crown and hides it in the rocks.

Félix, now alone, falls asleep. Rome appears to him in a dream and gives him the crown, telling him that three crowns still await him. He awakens with the crown in his hand, but Marcelo and Ascanio return, and, thinking he has stolen the crown, they take it from him and send him on his way. Félix then meets his father, who tells him that the Prince has had his house burned down because of Sabrina's relationship with Césaro. Félix decides to go to the Pope to try to get all their affairs straightened out.

In the meantime the Pope has learned that the accusations against Félix are untrue. Rodulfo and another Franciscan priest arrive at the Pope's palace with a message from Abostra, in which he recommends that Félix be made Inquisitor of Venice, much to the surprise of the priests.

Félix arrives, and the Pope names him Inquisitor of Venice and Vicario General of the Franciscans. The Pope announces that Abostra is dead, and the priests wonder how he can know this. Ascanio and Marcelo arrive and tell Félix that Julio has confessed that it was he who stole the Crown of Venice. They have brought the crown to the Pope, and as they present it to him it almost falls and Félix catches it. He takes this to be a sign of coming good fortune and observes that the day is Wednesday, the day on which favorable things happen to him.

III

Alejandro has come on behalf of Césaro's father to tell Pereto that Césaro is to marry Octavia Colona. He insults Pereto by offering him money to bribe him and Sabina. Pereto refuses the money; Sabina cannot believe that Césaro will marry someone else. Upon Alejandro's return with the news of Pereto's refusal of the money, the Prince grows angry and Marco Antonio, who is Octavia's brother, swears to kill Sabina in revenge.

Meanwhile Ascanio and Félix talk. Ascanio says that Félix is not worthy to be a cardinal and that Sabina is not worthy of Césaro. Félix decides to resign as Vicario General since there's so much jealousy of him. At the request of a Franciscan who says Félix is too hard on the priests, the Pope agrees to remove Félix as Vicario General. Félix wants to go back to Montalto, so the Pope sends him back, but makes him Bishop of Fermo. The Pope then announces that he is making both Ascanio and Félix cardinals.

Sabina goes with some shepherds to free Césaro from his imprisonment at the hands of his father. She gives him a rope ladder, but the Prince and Alejandro come, so she and the shepherds deceive them by pretending to be hunters. In the meantime Marco Antonio is on his way to kill Sabina when he meets Camila and immediately falls in love with her. Soon Sabina arrives on the scene, followed by Césaro, who has escaped and is going to Montalto in search of her. Pereto comes, bringing the news that Félix has been made a cardinal. Fabricio, who has come to escort Pereto to Rome, tells them that the Prince has given permission for Césaro to marry Sabina, now that her brother is a cardinal.

They all go to Rome, where Félix honors his father and they all pay homage to the new cardinal, Félix. Césaro and Sabina are to marry, and Prince Colona gives Marco Antonio permission to marry Camila. The play ends as Césaro predicts that in four years Félix will become Pope Sixto V.