prologue
Lex de Azevedo Larry Bastian David Zippel Larry Schwartz Lyrics
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And yet, he was sad, for he was growing old, and had no child to inherit the throne,
Then, happily, a daughter was born,
A princess,
And she was given the name Odette
Kings and Queens came from all around to offer their gifts to the child,
Among them was the widowed Uberta,
It was then, that William and Uberta happened the same idea:
Derek and Odette would be brought together each summer in hopes that they would fall in love
And join their kingdoms forever.
But unknown to all was another plan,
That of the evil enchanter, Rothbart.
Odette's birth was of little concern to him, for he was preparing to take William's kingdom by means of the forbidden arts.
On the eve of his assault, William attacked, and Rothbart's powers were plunged to darkness.
Despite calls for his death, the enchanter was only banished.
Many feared King William too kind,
But in time, the threat was forgotten,
And all hopes turned to that not-so-distant summer
When Derek and Odette would meet.
The Prologue from the Swan Princess introduces us to the fairytale kingdom and its rulers. We are told the story of the heartbroken King William, who had no heir to his throne, until the birth of his daughter Odette. The opening lines convey the King's melancholy, as he faces old age with no one to take his place. However, his sadness is vanquished by the arrival of his baby girl, who immediately captures the hearts of all who see her. She is bestowed with the name Odette, a name that exudes tenderness and grace.
As time went by, the King's desire for his kingdom's continuity grew stronger. It was then that he and the widowed Uberta, who had a young son called Prince Derek, came up with a plan. They decided that Derek and Odette would be brought together each summer in hopes that they would fall in love, join their kingdoms, and rule the kingdom together. This sets the stage for the central conflict of the story - the idea of arranged marriages, against true love between Derek and Odette.
This idyllic picture of Odette's life, however, is about to be destroyed by the evil enchanter Rothbart. He is seeking to take control of the kingdom by using his dark powers, and Odette's birth is of little importance to him. The audience is then introduced to the dark forces at work in the world, setting the stage for the adventures that will come.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time, there was a king named William, who ruled a large and mighty kingdom.
In a time long ago, there was a powerful and prominent ruler named William, who governed a prosperous and vast region.
And yet, he was sad, for he was growing old, and had no child to inherit the throne,
Despite his wealth and power, William was unhappy because he was aging and had no offspring to succeed him.
Then, happily, a daughter was born,
Fortunately, his wife gave birth to a baby girl, which brought joy to William's life.
A princess,
This baby girl was a princess, due to her father's royal status.
and she was given the name Odette
The princess was named Odette, which would be her identifier for the rest of her life.
Kings and Queens came from all around to offer their gifts to the child,
Royalty from neighboring territories traveled to present their offerings to the newborn princess.
Among them was the widowed Uberta,
One of the guests was a woman named Uberta, who had lost her husband and was thereby a widow.
And her young son, Prince Derek.
She was accompanied by her son, a prince, named Derek.
It was then, that William and Uberta happened the same idea:
During this event, William and Uberta both coincidentally came up with the same plan:
Derek and Odette would be brought together each summer in hopes that they would fall in love
They decided to have their children, Derek and Odette, spend each summer together, in the hope that they would develop romantic feelings towards one another.
And join their kingdoms forever.
The ultimate goal was for the kingdoms ruled by William and Uberta to join together, through the marriage of their children.
But unknown to all was another plan,
However, nobody was aware of an alternative scheme.
that of the evil enchanter, Rothbart.
There was a villainous sorcerer named Rothbart, who had his own agenda.
Odette's birth was of little concern to him, for he was preparing to take William's kingdom by means of the forbidden arts.
Rothbart was not interested in Odette's birth, since he was planning to use dark magic to seize control of William's kingdom.
On the eve of his assault, William attacked, and Rothbart's powers were plunged to darkness.
William launched a preemptive strike against Rothbart, causing his powers to weaken and fade away.
Despite calls for his death, the enchanter was only banished.
Although some people wanted Rothbart to be killed, he was instead sent away and exiled.
Many feared King William too kind,
Some individuals were worried that William was merciful and sympathetic towards Rothbart, considering the magical threat he posed.
But in time, the threat was forgotten,
As time passed, people forgot about the menace that Rothbart had once been.
And all hopes turned to that not-so-distant summer
The attention of the people shifted towards the upcoming summer,
when Derek and Odette would meet.
as that was when Derek and Odette were scheduled to reunite and begin their courtship.
Contributed by Charlotte F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.