Three words: Lucia di Lammermoor.
Holy geez Donizetti you've done me in!
So this lady, Lucia, is in love with a man named Edgardo. But this love is forbidden (siiigh opera) by her brother because he wants her to marry this rich chap named Arturo. Her mother just died and her brother has been nothing but cruel to her, but... being the noble soprano she is.... she will not let him dictate her love! And so, she and Edgardo get "married" together before God... which apparently is all you need back in those days as proof. (You married? Yes. Do you have proof? God says so. Oh, alright then that's fine).
Edgardo gives Lucia his ring as a symbol of their marriage as he goes off on some sort of business. Lucia's evil little greasy brother discovers what has come to past and yells (sings loudly) at Lucia of her betrayal against her own blood. He then schemes to end this affair. He writes a letter that is supposedly from Edgardo to "one of his many lovers." Lucia -being the innocent dwindling flower Soprano- is convinced and threatens to kill herself. Twenty minutes of threatening to kill herself she finally asks....... "what must I do?" her brother advises her to marry Arturo. But she rejects, but eventually gives in after a few more scales of operatic gold.
At her wedding to Arturo, she signs a wee bit of paper and exclaims... "I have signed my death warrant." By now the audience realizes she's all talk and no action... so they sit back and chill. But WAIT... who is this thundering through the door?! EDGARDO!!! *gasp* He sees what has happened... and begins to accuse Lucia of treachery! He yells (sings VERY loudly) at her, telling her that she has betrayed heaven and love!
Meanwhile, Lucia, is not receiving any of this well. Her brother and her lover are yelling (duetting their hearts out) at her, calling her a whore and what not. She zones out as her brother and Edgardo get in a singing battle of who has the better insults. At the end Lucia is seen going positively INSANE and hitting a high C while she's at it.
The next act opens up with the Minster tumbling down the stairs of Arturo's mansion and telling all of the wedding guests that Lucia has killed her husband, and has gone positively mad. Lucia is seen coming out of the room and down the stairs in a blood soaked dress with a knife in her hand. She has stabbed Arturo to death and has gotten it all over her nice white Versace dress!!! She glides down the stairs singing an eerie aria talking to her beloved Edgardo about their wedding, and how lovely it will be. The wedding guests all shift around and none bother to grab the knife out of the madwomans hand. Lucia starts to have a duet with a flute and while she is distracted (being entrenched in her beautiful Soprano voice) the Minster grabs the knife. AH HA! finally, someone does something! Audience looks displeased with that though, that means no action... and yet, the scene remains haunting.
She is almost done with her aria when her brother comes in and starts shaking her yelling (singing INCREDIBLY loudly) "You stupid wench! Why did you have to go and kill your husband! You and your mad mind have ruined me! The minster finally pulls him off saying "dumbass... look at what you did to her!" Cruel brother "feels remorse." She finishes her aria while getting injected with some kind of relaxant by a doctor who magically shows up out of the party guests... ideal timing. Her brother stands aside bellowing, "ooooh why was i so cruel?!?!" And the minister turns to him and replies, "Yeah... friggin bitch... look what you did!" Lucia gets carried up the stairs.
Meanwhile, Edgardo is still whining to himself saying that he is the last of a cursed family as he mucks about a graveyard. A parade of folks come by and tell him that Lucia is dead and has gone to Heaven. Maybe this is a Protestant thing... but as far as I know, Catholics damn sinners to Hell. Ah.. but they are Italian, maybe the Italian God is more lenient in terms of murder for the sake of beauty! So Edgardo starts freaking out that Lucia is dead and kills himself in the name of heaven and love... but NOT before he sings an aria! Nay! Aria... then death! OR... Aria and death at the same time... oooh yes, excellent idea... no no no... to messy... let's combine the two. RIGHT. So, Edgardo starts to sing about being reunited in heaven with his love.... he stabs himself... then continues to sing until the ghost of Lucia comes and kisses him at the end of his aria and he dies (again, they always appear in ideal timing).
Take a breather.
Here's a link to Joan Sutherland as Lucia. It's the last half of her looong madwoman aria:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uez2D-E5yE
