Pelléas and Melisande: Lyric Drama in Five Acts

The narrative unfolds in a tense atmosphere, highlighting the fear and silence among the servants, suggesting a shared guilt or trauma. As they discuss the ominous changes in their environment, the scene shifts to a castle where Mélisande lies ill, surrounded by Arkël, Golaud, and a physician. Golaud grapples with guilt over her condition, believing he has inadvertently caused her suffering. The physician reassures him, yet the somber mood deepens as Mélisande's fragile state evokes a sense of impending loss and despair.