A monologue from the play by Niccolo Machiavelli
NOTE: This monologue is reprinted with the author’s permission. All inquiries should be directed to the author at: [email protected]
TIMOTEO: I’m the arbiter of justice. The voice of God. Ordained on this earth, placed here by our Lord Jesus Christ himself, to decide what is good and what is evil. I know what goes on out there. I hear it every day. You don’t know. You’ve never seen the real thing. You have nothing to compare. No point of reference. You look at this thing we’ve asked you to do, and you think: oh, that’s evil. Somebody dies. Murder. Bad. But I look, and you know what I see? Do you want to guess? Good. I see: good. Because I’m looking at the big picture. The outcome. The end result. I’m not caught up in the minutiae. I can see what’s really at stake.
I mean, we’re talking about a child. A living, breathing human being that will depend on you for everything. For life. For understanding. It will be your God-given responsibility to lead this child in the path of righteousness. To make him a soldier for God almighty. What a gift you can give Him! The Holy Father! From your own body! Can you think of anything more miraculous? And if someone has to die to bring about this miracle, so be it. People have died before. It’s not the first time. There are plenty of sinners clogging the streets. Drug dealers. Pedophiles. Rapists. We’ll find someone who won’t be missed. Someone who deserves to go. A degenerate. We’re making the world a better place. Cleaning it up. Washing away the stain of one sinner and replacing it with goodness and light. An innocent soul. A child of Christ. Yours to shape and mold. What do you say? Is there anything evil in that?
