THE CANTERVILLE GHOST
PLAYSCRIPT 2004-5
ACT 7
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NARRATOR: One day, Virginia came back alone to Canterville Chase.
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Virginia appears on the stage.
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VIRGINIA: Who´s that? Perhaps it´s a servant.
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NARRATOR: To her surprise, she saw the Canterville Ghost sitting by the window. He was sadly looking at the red and golden autumn leaves.
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VIRGINIA: It´s Sir Simon. He´s all alone. What shall I do? Shall I speak to him? Excuse me, Sir Simon.
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GHOST: Go away. I don´t want to talk to you. I hate Americans.
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VIRGINIA: I am so sorry for you. My twin brothers are going away to Eton tomorrow. After that, if you are good, nobody will upset you.
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GHOST: Don´t ask me to be good. I am a ghost. I must make noise with my chains. I must frighten people. It´s my job.
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VIRGINIA: I know you have been very bad. Mrs Umney said that you murdered your wife.
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GHOST: Yes, that´s true. But it was a family matter.
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VIRGINIA: It´s wrong to kill anyone.
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GHOST: (angrily) My wife was ugly. She cooked badly. She didn´t look after my clothes. And after she died, her brothers took revenge. Do you know what they did?
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VIRGINIA: No.
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GHOST: They shut me in a room without any food until I died.
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VIRGINIA: Oh, Mr Ghost - I mean, Sir Simon - are you hungry? I have a sandwich here. Would you like it?
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GHOST: No, thank you. Ghosts don´t eat anything. But it is very kind of you. You are much nicer than the rest of your horrible, rude, vulgar, dishonest family.
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VIRGINIA: Stop. You are rude and dishonest. You stole my paints and used them to replace the bloodstain. I love painting but you took all my colours - red and green and purple.
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GHOST: I´m sorry. It is very difficult to get real blood these days. Your horrible brother removed the stain every day. It was necessary to use your paints. You Americans don´t understand anything.
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VIRGINIA: (angrily) You know nothing about it. You must come to America. Then you will understand!
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GHOST: I don´t like America. You have no history. All you have is money and bad manners.
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VIRGINIA: (Very, very angry now) Goodbye. I will go and get the twins.
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GHOST: Please don´t go, Miss Virginia. I´m sorry. I am so lonely and unhappy. I don´t know what to do. I want to go to sleep but I cannot.
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VIRGINIA: Poor, poor Ghost, haven´t you got a place where you can sleep?
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GHOST: Far away, on the other side of the woods, there is a little garden. The grass is long and deep. The flowers are great white stars. The nightingale sings all night long while the cold moon looks down. The old tree spreads its branches over the sleepers.
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VIRGINIA: (frightened) You mean the Garden of Death.
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GHOST: Yes, Death. Death must be so beautiful. I want to lie in the soft brown earth with the grass above my head. I want to listen to silence. ... I can be at peace. You can help me. You can open the doors of Death´s house for me. You have Love. Love is stronger than Death.
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VIRGINIA: Give me time. I must think.
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GHOST: Have you seen the old writing on the library window?
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VIRGINIA: Often. I know it well. There are six lines. They say that a golden girl will help you to pray. The black tree will have flowers. A child will cry...
"Then the house will all be still
And peace will come to Canterville."
But what does it mean?
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GHOST: It means that you must cry for me because I cannot cry. You must pray for me because I have no words. If you have always been sweet and good and kind, the Angel of Death will forgive me. Bad voices will whisper in your ears but nobody can hurt you because you are so good.
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VIRGINIA: I am not afraid. Take me to the Garden of Death. I will ask the Angel of Death to forgive you.
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GHOST: Follow me. Hold my hand. Be brave.
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VOICES: (hissing) Go back. Go back!
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VIRGINIA: I´m frightened. There are horrible faces looking at me.
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VOICES: Be careful, Virginia. Be careful.
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GHOST: Don´t be afraid. Look, the wall is opening.
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VIRGINIA: I´m frightened!
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GHOST: Follow me.
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VIRGINIA: There´s a cold wind. Hands are pulling at my clothes.
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GHOST: Quickly, quickly, or it will be too late!
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END OF ACT 7
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