Ubu Roi

Act II begins in King Wenceslaus’s palace, where the king tells his son, Buggerlaus, that he cannot come to the parade because he was “impertinent” to Papa Turd (21). Queen Rosamunde warns the king that he should have his “whole family protecting [him]” (21), as she’s predicted in a dream she had that Papa Turd will kill and overthrow him. Wenceslaus decries her prediction as “nonsense” and says that he will show his confidence in Papa Turd by going to the parade “with neither sword nor buckler” (21). The Queen predicts she will never see the king again. The king then goes off with his other two sons, Ladislaus and Boneslaus, while the Queen takes Buggerlaus to the chapel to pray for their family. 

Scene 2 takes place at the parade, where Papa Turd and his conspirators carry out their plan to kill the king. As planned, Papa Turd stomps on the king’s foot and the other men come and strike the king; Papa Turd then delivers the “finishing stroke” and declares he “has the crown” (23). Bordure and his men begin to pursue the king’s sons. 

In Scenes 3 and 4, the queen and Buggerlaus are in the palace. They become aware of the commotion outside and narrate as Papa Turd and Bordure’s men kill Boleslaus and Ladislaus, the latter of whom has been “cut […] in half like a sausage” (23). Papa Turd’s men break into the palace and turn their attention to the queen and Buggerlaus; Buggerlaus fights the soldiers and “massacres” them before both he and the queen escape through a secret staircase (24).