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Brutus Jones, the protagonist of the play, is a black American who has become the emperor of an unnamed island in the West Indies. Prior the start of the play, Jones worked for ten years as a porter on Pullman sleeper trains, where he learned from listening to white passengers that "big stealin" is far more profitable than "little stealin'." Jones is incarcerated when he kills a black man, Jeff, for cheating him at a dice game, and then he murders a white prison guard before escaping to the island in the Caribbean where he sets himself up as emperor. Jones uses what he learned from his time in the United States to exert power over his black native subjects, and he elevates himself to the level of a god. To complete the façade, Jones also tells the natives that he can only be killed by a silver bullet and has one made in case he ever needs to commit suicide. When Jones first learns from Smithers that the natives are revolting, Jones shows that he's a quick thinker and is flexible in his plans, as he immediately moves up his escape plan and leaves that night. However, Jones's cockiness and belief in his own success brings about his undoing. As he wanders through the forest, the natives send apparitions that make Jones progressively more terrified and more human. The apparitions force Jones to reckon with his personal past by sending both Jeff and the prison guard to haunt him, as well as apparitions of the history of slavery in the United States. Though Jones tries to fight these apparitions by praying and insisting they're not real, he works his way through his five lead bullets and finally uses his silver bullet to kill the crocodile god summoned by the witch doctor. In doing so, he symbolically kills his own charade of godliness. At this point, once Jones is truly a man, the natives are able to kill him and remove him from power.
Brutus Jones Quotes in The Emperor Jones
The The Emperor Jones quotes below are all either spoken by Brutus Jones or refer to Brutus Jones. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Scene 1 Quotes
And I'm bloody glad of it, for one! Serve 'im right! Puttin' on airs, the stinkin' nigger! 'Is Majesty! Gawd blimey! I only 'opes I'm there when they takes 'im out to shoot 'im.
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The old woman just shared with Smithers that the natives escaped to the hills and are planning an attack on Jones. With this exclamation, Smithers shows the reader or viewer his own racist views: that Jones, a black man, is wholly undeserving of the kind of power he has as emperor. In turn, this is indicative of a general power structure that exists (though not on this island, exactly) in which white people have power simply because of the color of their skin, while black people are subjugated, demeaned, and treated as less than human because of their own skin Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Com
Talk polite, white man! Talk polite, you heah me! I'm boss heah now, is you fergettin'?
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When Smithers tries to point out to Jones that when Jones arrived on the island, he wasn't so high and mighty, Jones takes offense and reprimands Smithers. Jones's particular word choice when he calls Smithers "white man" shows that even if his island empire is very separate from governments and systems in the rest of the world, the conventional racial hierarchy still persists here. Jones must remind Smithers that they are different, and it's very much an insult to Smithers to remind him of his whiteness while a powerful black man dresses him down. This shows too how Smithers' power Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occa
No use'n you rakin' up ole times. What I was den is one thing. What I is now 's another.
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After Smithers apologizes for reminding Jones of his humble origins, Jones insists that the past is the past, and the present is very different. This suggests that Jones believes that he's truly escaped his past and has been able to write a new future for himself, entirely separate from the person he was in the US. This is one way that Jones actively separates himself from his humanity. In doing this, he refuses to take into account the things he's done in the past, either to learn from them or even just accept that they happened. In turn, then, this Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. V
You didn't s'pose I was holdin' down dis Emperor job for de glory in it, did you? Sho'! De fuss and glory part of it, dat's only to turn de heads o' de low-flung, bush niggers dat's here. Dey wants de big circus show for deir money. I gives it to 'em an' I gits de money.
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Jones confides to Smithers that he made himself emperor for the money alone, not the glory. However, the way that Jones conceptualizes how glory works shows that he has a very nuanced understanding of power and humans' natural attraction to that power. Jones is aware that the natives desperately want to see power performed. Further, even though it's inarguable that Jones is a tyrannical emperor because he keeps his subjects in line and paying taxes solely out of fear and intimidation, it's also important to note that conducting his empire this way has been very profitable for him. This shows, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Ap
Smithers: Look at the taxes you've put on 'em! Blimey! You've squeezed 'em dry!
Jones: No, dey ain't all dry yet. I'se still heah, ain't I?
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Jones insists that the natives still have money to pay taxes, as evidenced by the fact that he's still emperor. Jones, of course, is unaware that the natives have escaped to the hills to plan their revolt, a fact that both the reader/viewer and Smithers are aware of. This creates dramatic irony and shows that Jones is very overconfident in his abilities and interpretations of the state of his empire. This is a result of Jones elevating himself to the level of a god, as it forcibly distances Jones from his own humanity and sense of empathy for his subjects. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. U
For de little stealin' dey gits you in jail soon or late. For de big stealin' dey makes you Emperor and puts in de Hall o' Fame when you croaks. If dey's one thing I learns in ten years on de Pullman ca's listenin' to de white quality talk, it's dat same fact. And when I gits a chance to use it I winds up Emperor in two years.
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Jones explains to Smithers his understanding of how crime and justice functions in the world: when carried out on a small scale, a perpetrator is punished, while large-scale crime yields fame and fortune. It's worth noting that Jones learned this from his white passengers on the Pullman sleeper trains, which automatically casts this interpretation in a racial light. Taking race into account, this becomes a damning explanation of the way that race is either rewarded or punished in the United States. Especially because of the time period in which the play takes place, it's important to keep in mind that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Elige
You'd 'ave been in jail if you 'ad, wouldn't yer then? And from what I've 'eard, it ain't 'ealthy for a black to kill a white man in the States. They burns 'em in oil, don't they?
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Smithers questions whether Jones actually killed a white man in the United States, and brings up the fact that Jones would've likely been killed had he done so. Though Smithers is right—it's extremely impressive that Jones, who did actually kill a white prison guard, escaped with his life—this is one instance in the play when Smithers isn't given as much power as he often is because of the color of his skin. Because Smithers is an Englishman, he didn't grow up living and breathing the racist systems at work in the United States like Jones did (though England has its Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occa
Think dese ign'rent bush niggers dat ain't got brains enuff to know deir own names even can catch Brutus Jones? Huh, I s'pects not! Not on yo' life! Why, man, de white men went after me wid bloodhounds where I come from an' I jes' laughs at 'em. It's a shame to fool dese black trash around heah, dey're so easy.
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When Smithers reminds Jones that the forest is dark, dangerous, and the home of the natives, Jones scoffs and insists that the natives are too dumb to be able to properly give chase. With this, Jones showcases his internalized racism in several different ways. First, it's important to pay attention to how Jones speaks about the natives. The natives are black, just like Jones is, but he refuses to see them as humans just like him, and instead conceptualizes them as dumb, uncivilized, and wholly sub-human—in this way echoing the language of racist whites. On the other hand, Jones also Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi
Doesn't you know dey's got to do so wid a man was member in good standin' o' de Baptist Church? Sho' I was dat when I was porter on de Pullmans, befo' I gits into my little trouble. Let dem try deir heathen tricks. De Baptist Church done pertect me and land dem all in hell.
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As Smithers continues to remind Jones of how scary the forest is at night, Jones asserts that he has God on his side to help him get through the night. At this point in the play, the fact that Jones was once a member of the Baptist Church indicates that he was once a part of a belief system that positioned him as a man in the service of an actual deity. To a degree, Jones still buys into this system—but only when it serves him, as he hopes it will during his journey through the woods. This shows just Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tem
Does you think I'd slink out de back door like a common nigger? I'se Emperor yit, ain't I? And de Emperor Jones leaves de way he comes, and dat black trash don't dare stop him—not yit, leastways.
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As Jones heads for the woods, he insists on walking out the front of his palace instead of escaping unnoticed out the back. For Jones, this is a symbolic way of asserting his dominance and showing Smithers and the natives that Jones still believes he's powerful and superhuman. This is, of course, linked to Jones's lack of fear, which is what the play pinpoints as the reason why he's able to elevate himself to the level of a god. Again, Jones's language betrays the hierarchy he set up on the island, in which he as the emperor (but still a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit
Scene 2 Quotes
How come all dese white stones come heah when I only remembers one? Nigger, is you crazy mad? Is you lightin' matches to show dem whar you is? Fo' Lawd's sake, use yo' haid.
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Jones is perplexed when he finds that there isn't just one white stone in the clearing where he hid his food; there are many, and his dinner isn't under any of them. Though the play isn't clear about whether this is a trick that the natives play on Jones or whether it's simply a product of Jones's misguided sense of superiority, the presence of so many white stones begins to complicate both Jones's control of his past and his narrative, as well as the power he assigns to whiteness. Up until this point, Jones has aligned himself with things that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic t
Scene 3 Quotes
Dis am a long night fo' yo', yo' Majesty! Majesty! Der ain't much majesty 'bout dis baby now. Never min'. It's all part o' de game. Dis night come to an end like everything else.
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As Jones wanders into the clearing where the ghost of Jeff is rolling dice, he laments that he doesn't look much like an emperor anymore. In particular, Jones's uniform is torn, which symbolizes his gradual decline from his powerful role as emperor to becoming nothing more than a man. When Jones continues to refer to himself as Majesty, it shows that even if Jones doesn't think he looks like an emperor anymore, he still thinks of himself as one—his outside appearance and his uniform do not match the powerful, superhuman figure inside. This shows how far Jones has yet to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut
Scene 4 Quotes
Damn dis heah coat! Like a straight-jacket!...And to hell wid dese high-fangled spurs. Dey're what's been a-trippin' me up an' breakin' my neck. Dere! I gits rid o' dem frippety Emperor trappin's an' I travels lighter.
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As Jones continues his journey through the woods, he begins to shed parts of his uniform to escape the heat and travel more easily. In doing so, Jones shows that he understands that these things are simply symbols of the fact that he's the emperor, and further, that they're useless on their own. On another level, Jones's interpretations of his clothing items show how the power structure symbolized by the uniform itself traps everyone, the victims and the perpetrators alike. While Jones once used the power invested in him by the uniform to subjugate and oppress the natives, now the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Opti
Oh, I'se sorry I evah went in for dis. Dat Emperor job is sho' hard to shake.
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After abandoning some of his clothing, Jones laments that he became emperor in the first place, as getting out of the position is difficult. This once again shows how the power system Jones created isn't a system that benefits him completely. Now that he's no longer in power, he's at the mercy of what he's created, and his former subjects very much resent him for exploiting them for the last two years. Because Jones's system is based off of the unequal racial power system in the United States, this idea also extends to encompass that power structure as well. Both Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligen
Yes, suh! Yes, suh! I'se comin'.
God damn yo' soul, I gits even wid you yit, sometime.
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After the ghostly chain gang arrives to work on the road in the forest, the prison guard beckons for Jones to join the gang as a prisoner. The fact that Jones obeys without a second thought drives home how entrenched he is in the power structure that denies black people rights and even their humanity. Returning to that state isn't something that Jones even has to think about—tt's something that he almost instinctively remembers, and it takes him several minutes to remember that this iteration of the prison guard is a ghost and doesn't actually hold the same kind of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mo
I kills you, you white debil, if it's de last thing I evah does! Ghost or debil, I kill you again!
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In a fit of rage, Jones pulls his gun on the ghost of the prison guard and shoots him. The reappearance of the prison guard in the first place is a chilling reminder to Jones that he'll never be able to escape the system of oppression that he thought he left behind in the states. Even on the Caribbean island, where Jones thinks he's safe and exempt, the ghosts of racism will still continue to haunt him. When Jones shoots the guard, the play suggests that Jones is destined to continue repeating his past, and will be unable to ever Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. E
Scene 5 Quotes
Lawd, I done wrong! And down heah war dese fool bush niggers raises me up to the seat o' de mighty, I steals all I could grab. Lawd, I done wrong! I knows it! I'se sorry! Forgive me, Lawd! Forgive dis po' sinner!
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Here Jones prays to the Christian God, regretting that he killed Jeff and the prison guard, and then exploited the natives on the island. This is a major step for Jones, as it's the first time that he truly expresses remorse for any of the things he's done. Because of this, this is when Jones begins to get closer to his own humanity. Notably, he does so by praying to a different god, which suggests that he thinks of himself as less than a god at this point, and instead must lean on another deity for support. All of this Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita d
Scene 6 Quotes
Oh, Lawd, what I gwine do now? Ain't got no bullet left on'y de silver one. If mo' o' dem ha'nts come after me, how I gwine skeer dem away? Oh, Lawd, on'y de silver one left—an' I gotta save dat fo' luck. If I shoots dat one I'm a goner sho'!
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As Jones crawls into the "clearing" that becomes the ghostly slave ship, he laments that he's out of options and has only his silver bullet left to protect him. Interestingly, Jones seems fully aware that his silver bullet is the final thing connecting him to his godliness and sense of security. By this point in the play, Jones is far away from his palace, and his uniform is little more than a loincloth. Both of those symbols of power, then, are absent, leaving Jones with nothing but his very human body. When Jones recognizes that shooting his silver bullet will Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae v
Scene 7 Quotes
What—what is I doin'? What is—dis place? Seems like—seems like I know dat tree—an' dem stones—an' de river. I remember—seems like I been heah befo'.
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Jones wanders into the final clearing by the river, where there's a rocky altar set up, and feels as though he recognizes the place. Taking this scene as a whole, Jones's feeling of familiarity suggests that this kind of instinctive memory and familiarity is something inherent to individuals who are descended from slaves (at least in O’Neill’s view). In turn, this implies that the entire legacy of slavery, from people's origins in Africa to the subjugation African Americans experience in the US in the early 20th century, is part of a person like Jones's experience that he cannot separate himself Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commod
Scene 8 Quotes
Well, they did for yer right enough, Jonsey, me lad! Dead as a 'erring! Where's yer 'igh an' mighty airs now, yer bloomin' Majesty? Silver bullets! Gawd blimey, but yer died in the 'eighth o' style, any'ow!
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After Lem's soldiers bring Jones's dead body out of the woods, Smithers insults Jones's body and his superiority complex in life. Smithers, as the figure in charge of interpreting the first and last scenes for the reader or viewer, makes it clear to the audience that Jones was misguided from the start—as a black man, Jones never had any right to hold the kind of power he did on the island (per Smithers' racist logic). Further, Smithers was aware that Jones could be killed with lead bullets like any other man, which makes Smithers the only character who was aware Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum volu
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Brutus Jones Character Timeline in The Emperor Jones
The timeline below shows where the character Brutus Jones appears in The Emperor Jones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Scene 1
Jones, the emperor, enters the throne room, dressed in a blue and red military uniform covered...
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Smithers asks Jones if he noticed anything funny earlier, and Jones declares that nothing is amiss. Sarcastically, Smithers...
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Jones scoffs at the mention of Smithers’ job, and Smithers, enraged, reminds Jones that he helped...
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Smithers reminds Jones that nobody else would hire him when they found out that Jones had broken out...
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Smithers asks Jones if he has money hidden somewhere safe, and Jones shares that his money is hidden...
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Smithers cautiously points out that Jones has been doing the same sort of thing with taxes, and the natives are out...
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Admiringly, Smithers agrees that Jones successfully tricked the natives. He's never seen anyone with such luck. Jones is offended that...
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Jones says that he's smart and he thinks quickly, which isn't luck. Smithers points out that...
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Smithers sniffs, and Jones suggests that "talkin' big" is what makes a man powerful, assuming he can make people...
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Smithers blushes and changes the subject. He asks Jones if the rumors are true that he actually had a silver bullet made, and Jones...
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Astonished, Smithers asks again if Jones actually had a silver bullet made. Jones pulls out his revolver, unloads it, and pulls...
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Smithers venomously makes fun of Jones having a good luck charm, but says that he'll need all the help he can...
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Smithers expresses disbelief, and Jones sharply asks Smithers if he thinks that Jones is a liar. Quickly, Smithers brings up...
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...desperately to laugh off this threat, Smithers insists that he was only joking, and reminds Jones that he said himself he's never been to jail. Jones suggests that maybe he (Jones)...
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Terrified, Smithers reminds Jones that he's always been a friend, and Jones relaxes and tells Smithers he should plan...
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Jones is confused, and asks Smithers to elaborate. Smithers asks Jones if he's noticed that none...
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Enraged, Jones throws the bell and yells obscenities about the natives. He notices Smithers again and composes...
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Smithers cautions Jones and says that Lem, the native chief, is certainly behind the revolt. He says that...
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Indignantly, Jones insists he's not a fool: he's been going out in the forest to "hunt" for...
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Smithers asks what'll happen if the natives do catch Jones, and Jones insists they won't. When pressed on the matter, Jones says he has five...
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From the hills, Jones and Smithers hear a faint beating of a tom-tom. It beats at the rate of...
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...natives are also holding their "heathen" religious service, and are casting charms to help them. Jones asserts that it'll take more than charms to scare him, but sensing that Jones is...
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Jones sniffs and declares that he's not scared of things like Smithers is. He says that...
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Smithers laughs and says that it doesn't seem like Jones has given much thought to the Baptist Church since he became emperor, and he's heard...
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Smithers wishes Jones luck, and Jones insists he'll have such a head start that the natives will never...
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Jones walks to the main entryway and looks around, and Smithers asks if Jones is really...
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Scene 2
Jones reaches the edge of the forest as night falls. He looks around, appears satisfied that...
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Jones looks at the forest, and with awe he admits that Smithers was right: the forest...
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Changing the subject, Jones re-laces his boots and decides he's getting nervous because he's hungry. When he finishes putting...
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Jones jumps to his feet and decides he must be in the wrong place, but he...
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As Jones scans the plain, the "little formless fears" creep out of the forest towards him. They're...
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Jones fires, and the rhythm of the tom-tom increases again. The little formless fears scuttle back...
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Scene 3
...Jeff appears in the clearing, throwing dice again and again. Jeff pays no notice when Jones comes into view at the edge of the clearing. Jones, talking to himself in a...
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Jones wonders how long he's been walking, and comments on the oppressive heat. He refers to...
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As Jones fully enters the clearing, he notices the clicking sound of the dice. He remarks with...
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Jones keeps watching Jeff roll the dice, his fear mounting. He stutters and asks Jeff if...
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Scene 4
...moon is high in the sky. A road runs through the forest, illuminated by moonlight. Jones stumbles onto it, his uniform more torn and looking very ragged. When he notices he's...
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Jones sighs again and remarks that he'll be able to travel faster without the "frippety" emperor...
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Jones looks around and suspiciously wonders where the road came from, since he's never seen it...
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The fear returns to Jones's voice as he pleads with God to not let him see any more ghosts. Jones...
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The prison guard fixes his stare on Jones and points at Jones with his whip. He motions for Jones to take his place...
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Though he has no shovel, Jones "shovels" with the others, matching their mechanical motions. Abruptly, the prison guard steps towards Jones...
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Jones asks where his shovel is, and then pleads with the other convicts to give him...
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Scene 5
Around one in the morning, Jones reaches a circular clearing with a large, dead stump in the middle of it. He...
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With fear in his voice, Jones asks Jesus to keep the natives away and to stop the sound of the tom-tom....
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As Jones sits and stares at his shoes, a silent crowd enters the clearing. The crowd is...
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...place next to the stump. Once he has the attention of the crowd, he taps Jones on the shoulder and motions for him to stand up on the stump. When Jones...
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Desperately, Jones looks around. The look on his face changes slowly from terror to realization, and with...
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Scene 6
Two hours later, Jones' pleading is audible as he approaches a clearing. The clearing isn't a true clearing; vines...
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Jones startles and looks up. When he notices the figures, he buries his face in the...
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Scene 7
At five in the morning, Jones, still wailing rhythmically as he did in the previous scene, stumbles into another open clearing,...
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Suddenly, Jones straightens up and seems aware of what he's doing. He looks around, horrified, and says...
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...again. His dance becomes even wilder as his mimed terror mounts, and he croons incantations. Jones appears hypnotized watching this, and begins chanting and beating his hands on the ground in...
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...points with his charm stick to a tree, the river, the altar, and then to Jones. He commands something to Jones, and Jones understands that he will be offered as the...
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As Jones moans, the witch doctor jumps to the edge of the river and seems to call...
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...of the river as the witch doctor's chanting and the tom-tom reaches a fever pitch. Jones cries out and pleads for Jesus to hear his prayers. As he cries out, Jones...
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Scene 8
...carry guns. One of the soldiers points to the ground, where it appears as though Jones entered the forest, and he grunts. Lem and Smithers approach to inspect the ground. After...
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Lem only says, in an unconcerned tone, that they'll catch Jones. He motions to his soldiers and they crouch down in a semicircle. Smithers asks if...
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...for a moment before whispering in a derisive tone that the snapping cannot possibly be Jones. Once again, Lem repeats that they'll catch Jones, and Smithers insults the natives.
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Smithers thinks for a moment and reasons that the sound could very well be Jones, as the forest could've turned Jones in a circle easily. Suddenly, Lem shushes Smithers, and...
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Snarling, Smithers asks how Lem knows that Jones is dead. Lem explains that his men have silver bullets, and when Smithers looks astonished,...
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Lem ignores this and tells Smithers that his soldiers are bringing out Jones's body now. Sure enough, the soldiers emerge from the trees, carrying Jones's dead body. Jones...
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Smithers mocks Jones's dead body, calling him "your majesty" and asking where his "airs" are now. Smithers smiles...
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