The Dynasts
Thomas Hardy
 In addition to the various historical figures, The Dynasts also contains an extensive tragic chorus of metaphysical figures ("Spirits" and "Ancient Spirits") who observe and discuss the events. Part First contains a Forescene and six Acts with 35 Scenes. The time period of the events in Part First covers 10-months, from March 1805, the time when Napoleon repeated his coronation ceremony at Milan and took up the crown of Lombardy, through January 1806, the time of the death of William Pitt the Younger. The principal historical events entail Napoleon's invasion plans for England, which are abandoned when French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve sails for the south, the Battle of Trafalgar, and subsequently the Battle of Ulm and the Battle of Austerlitz. The division of the Acts and its Scenes is as follows: Fore Scene. The Overworld Act First: * Scene I. England - A Ridge in Wessex * Scene II. Paris - Office of the Minister of Marine * Scene III. London - The Old House of Commons * Scene IV. The Harbour of Boulogne * Scene V. London - The House of a Lady of Quality * Scene VI. Milan. The Cathedral Act Second: * Scene I. The Dockyard, Gibraltar * Scene II. Off Ferrol * Scene III. The Camp and Harbour of Boulogne * Scene IV. South Wessex - A Ridge-like Down near the Coast * Scene V. The Same - Rainbarrows' Beacon, Egdon Heath Act Third: * Scene I. The Chateau at Pont-de-Briques * Scene II. The Frontiers of Upper Austria and Bavaria * Scene III. Boulogne - The St Omer Road Act Fourth:— * Scene I. King George's Watering-place, South Wessex * Scene II. Before the City of Ulm * Scene III. Ulm - Within the City * Scene IV. Before Ulm - The Same Day * Scene V. The Same - The Michaelsberg * Scene VI. London - Spring Gardens Act Fifth: * Scene I. Off Cape Trafalgar * Scene II. The Same - The Quarter-deck of the "Victory" * Scene III. The Same - On Board the "Bucentaure" * Scene IV. The Same - The Cockpit of the "Victory" * Scene V. London - The Guildhall * Scene VI. An Inn at Rennes * Scene VII. King George's Watering-place, South Wessex Act Sixth: * Scene I. The Field of Austerlitz - The French Position * Scene II. The Same - The Russian Position * Scene III. The Same - The French Position * Scene IV. The Same - The Russian Position * Scene V. The Same - Near the Windmill of Paleny * Scene VI. Shockerwick House, near Bath * Scene VII. Paris - A Street leading to the Tuileries * Scene VIII. Putney - Bowling Green House Part Second contains six Acts with 43 Scenes. The time period of the events of Part Second ranges over 7 years, from 1806 to just before the French invasion of Russia in 1812. The listing of the Acts and Scenes is as follows: Act First: * Scene I. London - Fox's Lodgings, Arlington Street * Scene II. The Route between London and Paris * Scene III. The Streets of Berlin * Scene IV. The Field of Jena * Scene V. Berlin - A Room overlooking a Public Place * Scene VI. The Same * Scene VII. Tilsit and the River Niemen * Scene VIII. The Same Act Second: * Scene I. The Pyrenees and Valleys adjoining * Scene II. Aranjuez, near Madrid - A Room in the Palace of Godoy, the "Prince of Peace" * Scene III. London - The Marchioness of Salisbury's * Scene IV. Madrid and its Environs * Scene V. The Open Sea between the English Coasts and the Spanish Peninsula * Scene VI. St Cloud - The Boudoir of Josephine * Scene VII. Vimiero Act Third: * Scene I. Spain - A Road near Astorga * Scene II. The Same * Scene III. Before Coruna * Scene IV. Coruna - Near the Ramparts * Scene V. Vienna - A Cafe in the Stephans-Platz Act Fourth: * Scene I. A Road out of Vienna * Scene II. The Island of Lobau, with Wagram beyond * Scene III. The Field of Wagram * Scene IV. The Field of Talavera * Scene V. The Same * Scene VI. Brighton - The Royal Pavilion * Scene VII. The Same * Scene VIII. Walcheren Act Fifth: * Scene I. Paris - A Ballroom in the House of Cambaceres * Scene II. Paris - The Tuileries * Scene III. Vienna - A Private Apartment in the Imperial Palace * Scene IV. London - A Club in St. James's Street * Scene V. The old West Highway out of Vienna * Scene VI. Courcelles * Scene VII. Petersburg - The Palace of the Empress-Mother * Scene VIII. Paris - The Grand Gallery of the Louvre and the Salon-Carre adjoining Act Sixth: * Scene I. The Lines of Torres Vedras * Scene II. The Same - Outside the Lines * Scene III. Paris - The Tuileries * Scene IV. Spain - Albuera * Scene V. Windsor Castle - A Room in the King's Apartments * Scene VI. London - Carlton House and the Streets adjoining * Scene VII. The Same - The Interior of Carlton House Part Third contains seven Acts with 53 Scenes, and an After Scene. The historical time period of Part Third covers Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 through his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The division of the Acts and Scenes is as follows: Act First: * Scene I. The Banks of the Niemen, near Kowno * Scene II. The Ford of Santa Marta, Salamanca * Scene III. The Field of Salamanca * Scene IV. The Field of Borodino * Scene V. The Same * Scene VI. Moscow * Scene VII. The Same - Outside the City * Scene VIII. The Same - The Interior of the Kremlin * Scene IX. The Road from Smolensko into Lithuania * Scene X. The Bridge of the Beresina * Scene XI. The Open Country between Smorgoni and Wilna * Scene XII. Paris - The Tuileries Act Second: * Scene I. The Plain of Vitoria * Scene II. The Same, from the Puebla Heights * Scene III. The Same - The Road from the Town * Scene IV. A Fete at Vauxhall Gardens Act Third: * Scene I. Leipzig - Napoleon's Quarters in the Reudnitz Suburb * Scene II. The Same - The City and the Battlefield * Scene III. The Same - from the Tower of the Pleissenburg * Scene IV. The Same - At the Thonberg Windmill * Scene V. The Same - A Street near the Ranstadt Gate * Scene VI. The Pyrenees - Near the River Nivelle Act Fourth: * Scene I. The Upper Rhine * Scene II. Paris - The Tuileries * Scene III. The Same - The Apartments of the Empress * Scene IV. Fontainebleau - A Room in the Palace * Scene V. Bayonne - The British Camp * Scene VI. A Highway in the Outskirts of Avignon * Scene VII. Malmaison - The Empress Josephine's Bedchamber * Scene VIII. London - The Opera-House Act Fifth: * Scene I. Elba - The Quay, Porto Ferrajo * Scene II. Vienna - The Imperial Palace * Scene III. La Mure, near Grenoble * Scene IV. Schonbrunn * Scene V. London - The Old House of Commons * Scene VI. Wessex - Durnover Green, Casterbridge Act Sixth: * Scene I. The Belgian Frontier * Scene II. A Ballroom in Brussels * Scene III. Charleroi - Napoleon's Quarters * Scene IV. A Chamber overlooking a Main Street in Brussels * Scene V. The Field of Ligny * Scene VI. The Field of Quatre-Bras * Scene VII. Brussels - The Place Royale * Scene VIII. The Road to Waterloo Act Seventh: * Scene I. The Field of Waterloo * Scene II. The Same - The French Position * Scene III. Saint Lambert's Chapel Hill * Scene IV. The Field of Waterloo - The English Position * Scene V. The Same - The Women's Camp near Mont Saint-Jean * Scene VI. The Same - The French Position * Scene VII. The Same - The English Position * Scene VIII. The Same - Later * Scene IX. The Wood of Bossu After Scene. The Overworld