Scene 2
(the same)

Wotan: Where is Brünnhilde? Where is that criminal? I hope for your sake you're not hiding her from me!

The Eight Valkyries: What? We don't know what you're saying! What have we done to make you so mad?

Wotan: Do you think I'm stupid? You'd better all watch yourselves! I know you're hiding Brünnhilde from me, and I'm warning you all to let her be. As of right now, I'm casting her out, away from all of us, just exactly the way she cast out her own good sense.

Roßweiße: But she was afraid of you!

The Eight Valkyries: She came to us all, begging for help. She knows you're mad at her, and it's scaring her to death. We're begging you now, please don't be so mad at her! Think about it some more; maybe you'll be able to calm down and see things more clearly.

Wotan: You puny, wimpy little whining, soft-hearted…FEMALES! I know you didn't get that stuff from me! I raised you all to go onto battlefields, to bring back dead warriors! Your hearts had to have become hardened to the things you saw! Now that I have to punish someone for something she actually did, you cry and whimper as if you'd never been allowed to leave home! Well, since you all want to protect her so much, let me tell you just exactly what it was that she did. Then, maybe you'll think twice about feeling sorry for her. There was no one in the world but her who knew my deepest thoughts, my plans, my hopes…. She was the one I went to when I had to figure things out. Now, she's thrown all that trust out the window. She disobeyed me, and she knew full well how I would feel about it! I brought her into the world, I trusted her with everything, and she willingly fought against my wishes for Siegmund. Do you hear me, Brünnhilde? I gave you all that you have, all that you are, your armor, your good name, your weapons, your very happiness, your name, your life…. I gave all these to you. Do you hear me? Are you hiding from me like a coward when you know you brought your punishment on yourself?

Brünnhilde: (emerging from the crowd) Here I am, Father. I'll take your punishment.

Wotan: I told you, I can't give you any punishment; you've already brought it on yourself. You existed because I willed it, but now you've used your will against me. You always did everything I told you, until you decided it was OK to follow your own orders. You obeyed my every wish, but then turned your own wishes against me. You always fought for me, but then you raised your shield against me. I gave you the power to control your fate, but you turned fate against me. I let you be an inspiration to heroes everywhere, but you chose to inspire one against me. All the things you used to be, and now, look at what you are. I can never trust you to follow my orders again. You can't be a Valkyrie any more. From now on, you'll have to be whatever it is you still are.

Brünnhilde: You're exiling me? Is that what you're saying?

Wotan: I won't send you out from Valhalla to bring warriors for me ever again. You will never be able to raise your victory glass at my dinner table. I can never kiss you again. You are no longer a God, no longer immortal. We are no longer related. I never want to look on you again.

The Eight Valkyries: Oh! Oh!! Our poor sister!

Brünnhilde: You're taking everything away from me?

Wotan: Whoever finds you can take it from you. I'm going to put you into a deep sleep, here on the mountain. Any man who finds you can have you.

The Eight Valkyries: Please, Father! Don't do this to her! Do you have to take all her dignity away? You're a powerful God. Please don't let a man disgrace her like that. Let us share her punishment!

Wotan: Didn't you hear what I said? She is banished from you all. She will never ride her horse into battle with you again. Her immortal youth will go away. She will have to be a wife to a domineering husband, and obey his will. She will sit by the fire and sew, and listen to what people say about her for the rest of her life. Do you really want to share that fate with her? Then leave her alone! Stay away from her! I swear, if any of you feels sorry for her enough to stand by her, you will share her punishment! I promise you, you will not be so bold then! Now go! Stay away from this rock forever. There's nothing here but misery anyway.

The Eight Valkyries: (leaving) Oh! Oh! This is terrible!!