Scene 3
(The hall of the Gibichungs. Nighttime, with the moon reflecting off the Rhine.)

(Gutrune enters.)

Gutrune: Was that his horn? (listening) No, he's not home yet. Boy, those were some bad dreams, with Brünnhilde laughing at me, Siegfried's horse coming after me, and that woman - walking on the riverbank like that - who was she? Brünnhilde's crazy! I hope she's not home. (listens at the door, then calls quietly) Brünnhilde! Brünnhilde! Are you awake? (opens the door and looks inside) She's not there! That strange woman must have been her, then! (she reacts to a sound in the distance) Was that him? No. There's nothing there. I wish I could have my Siegfried back! (starts back in to her room, but stops when she hears Hagen)

Hagen's Voice: (from outside) Hoiho! Hoiho! Wake up! Get us some light! We're back from our hunt! Hoiho! Hoiho! (lights from outside growing brighter)

Hagen: (entering) Gutrune, wake up! Say hello to your husband!

Gutrune: (terrified) What's happened, Hagen?! I didn't hear him blow his horn!

(Siegfried's procession enters, swelled with many more people than before. Gunther is among them.)

Hagen: You'll never hear it again. He can't blow it any more, he can't leave you to go off and fight, and he certainly can't ever leave you for another woman!

Gutrune: What? What are all these people bringing?

(The procession is at center stage; they lay the body on a table.)

Hagen: A wild boar got him. It's Siegfried, your dead husband.

(Gutrune screams and faints onto the body. Everyone who didn't already know about Siegfried's death is shocked and surprised.)

Gunther: (helping Gutrune) Gutrune…sister! Open your eyes! Speak to me!

Gutrune: (waking up) Siegfried…Siegfried, dead! (pushes Gunther away) Get away from me, you traitor! You killed him! Help! Help me! They've killed my husband!

Gunther: I didn't do it! It was him! (pointing at Hagen) He's the "wild boar" who killed Siegfried! I tried to stop him!

Hagen: Do you hate me for doing it?

Gunther: I hope you rot in Hell!

Hagen: (defiantly) Maybe I will, but I did the right thing! He made a promise with me, then broke it. I used my spear to kill him, but he still owes me for the trouble he put me through. I claim his Ring as my payment!

Gunther: That Ring is mine! Stay away from it!

Hagen: (calling to everyone) Men, am I in the right here?

Gunther: You killed Gutrune's husband, and you want to take her only inheritance away from her?

Hagen: (draws his sword) I'm claiming the Ring for my father! It should have been my inheritance from him!

(He rushes Gunther, and they fight. The men try to break them up, but Hagen stabs Gunther, who dies.)

Hagen: (to no one in particular) Give me the Ring!

(He grabs at Siegfried arm to get the Ring, but, to the general shock of everyone, Siegfried's hand raises off the table, his fist clenched in defiance. Brünnhilde comes forward from the crowd.)

Brünnhilde: Everyone, stop arguing over this. I'm the one who was betrayed here, and I want what's mine! You people are crying over spilled milk here, arguing about this Ring, but who's saying anything about Siegfried? In death, doesn't he deserve more than this?

Gutrune: (furious) Brünnhilde, you're just jealous! This is all your fault; you turned everyone against him with what you said! I wish you'd never come here!

Brünnhilde: Be quiet! You weren't ever his real wife; you were just a mistress he got conned into thinking he loved! He'd already made his wedding vows with me long before he ever saw you!

Gutrune: (completely out of control) Hagen, this is all your fault! You tricked her husband with those stupid ideas of yours! This is terrible! I see it all now! That drink made him forget about the only woman he ever really loved - Brünnhilde!!

(She turns away from Siegfried and kneels down over Gunther's body. Hagen stands defiantly, leaning on his spear, lost in thought.)

(Brünnhilde stands alone for a while looking at Siegfried, first with shock, then with grief. She finally turns toward the crowd excitedly.)

Brünnhilde: Stack me up a huge pile of logs over there! We're going to build a bonfire worthy of Siegfried's power, and do the appropriate thing with his body! Bring his horse here, too, so I can ride into the fire with him! I want to be with him, and share whatever it is that he has now. Do it! Do what I asked you to do!

(She goes back to staring at him, thinking. She gradually begins looking more and more peaceful.)

Brünnhilde: He's so wonderful. Even dead, his face shines brighter than anyone's I've ever seen! Even when he was being tricked, he always kept his word. Even if it meant pushing me away, he always did what he thought was right. No one was ever more honest than him! No one ever made a promise they intended to keep more than him! No one ever loved anyone more than he did me! And, even with all that, no one ever betrayed everything in their life more than he did. Do you want to know why? I'll tell you why! (looking up) Wotan, look at me! Look at what you've done! I hope you feel everything I've gone through; I hope you're ashamed about your part in it for all time! You took the curse that was put on you, and made Siegfried take the punishment for it! When he did what he did to me, I saw everything clear as day. And now, I know what's going to happen to you. I hope those ravens of yours are telling you, because I won't. Good night, Wotan. I hope you sleep well!

(She signals to the men to put Siegfried's body on top of the log pile. She takes the Ring off Siegfried's finger and stares at it.)

Brünnhilde: This is my inheritance - this terrible, cursed Ring! I'm taking it only so I can give it back to who it really belongs to. Rhinemaidens! You were right! Everything you told me - it's all exactly the way you said. You can have your Ring back! The fire will take the curse away from all of us, and you can take back what was stolen from you!

(She puts on the Ring and turns to the pile of logs. She grabs a torch from one of the men, swings it around and points it to-ward the back of the stage.)

Brünnhilde: Go home, ravens! Go tell Wotan what you saw here! On the way, make sure you stop by my rock and see Loge. Tell him to go to Valhalla - tell him that the end of the Gods is near. This will be the thing that finally brings them down!

(She throws the torch on the logs, which immediately burst into flame. Two ravens fly up from behind a rock, and fly away quickly. Two men have brought Brünnhilde's horse in; she runs to it and unbridles it excitedly.)

Brünnhilde: Grane, my wonderful horse! Do you have any idea where I'm taking you today? Look there, in the fire. Siegfried's in there. Your master, my husband, our best and most trusted friend! You want to go see him, too, don't you? You have no idea how happy I am, that we'll all finally be able to be together at last, in peace, the way it should've always been! I want to see Siegfried again; I want to be with him, to hold him close to me forever, to feel love the way everyone in the world wishes they could feel it! Heiajoho! Grane! Come with me! (mounts him) Siegfried! Look! Your wife is coming home to you!

(With one leap, they go into the fire. The flames immediately swell up and fill the entire stage. The people - except for Hagen, who watches intently, but keeps his distance from the fire - rush away in all directions, terrified, as the fire consumes everything, then slowly dies down. Eventually, only smoke and fog is left to fill the scene, as the waters of the Rhine overflow and fill the stage. The Rhinemaidens swim past, and circle the pyre as Hagen watches in horror. He throws his spear and shield away, and runs like a madman into the water.)

Hagen: Get away from my Ring!

(Woglinde and Wellgunde grab him by the neck and drag him down. Floßhilde swims to the front and holds the Ring up in the air triumphantly. A huge red glow in the background breaks through the fog, and as the Rhinemaidens swim around in delight, the glow gets brighter and brighter. The men and women return and watch this, and as the glow's brightness reaches its peak, we see that Valhalla, with all its Gods and heroes inside, is burning in the distance. A huge fire consumes the castle and everyone in it as the curtain falls.)