Scene 3
(the same)

Brünnhilde: Father, was what I did so bad that you have to disgrace me like this? This is the most terrible, most shameful, most despicable punishment a God could ever imagine. Was it really that bad? Father, please! Look at me! Please tell me again what I did, say it to my face, but don't tell me out of anger or hatred. Tell me as the father I used to have who loved me more than anything. How could I have hurt you so much that you'd abandon me?

Wotan: Ask yourself what you did, and you'll understand.

Brünnhilde: I only did what you told me to do.

Wotan: I told you to fight for the Wälsung?

Brünnhilde: You told me I was in control of all battles, on every battlefield, everywhere.

Wotan: But I gave you different orders for this battle.

Brünnhilde: Only when Fricka made you change your mind. She talked you into doing something you really didn't want to do.

Wotan: I took it for granted that you understood what I wanted, and when you went against that, I had to punish you. And you think I'm wrong for doing it! I had to punish you. You of all people should have known you wouldn't be able to get away with it!

Brünnhilde: I'm not as wise as you, but I do know that you loved Siegmund. I knew you had a terrible dilemma, and the stress of it kept you from remembering just how much he meant to you. You had to go along with Fricka, even though it hurt you terribly to let him down like that.

Wotan: You knew all that, and still went against what I told you to do?

Brünnhilde: I see what you see. I feel what you feel. I wasn't blinded by your dilemma, so I went with what you really wanted. Don't you understand? I could see what you couldn't. Whenever you have a problem, I've got your back. I went to Siegmund and warned him that you were going to let him die. I looked in his eyes, I listened to what he said, I saw how much he cared about his wife. He would rather have given up living in Valhalla than leave her! It was the most moving demonstration of love I'd ever seen. I couldn't believe how noble and brave a man could be in the face of death. It astonished me, and ashamed me, that I was going to have to let him die when I knew it wasn't really what you wanted for him. I just had to do whatever I could to help him, and so, when the time came, I made the choice to do it. His love was so strong, it melted my heart. I did what I had to do, and defied your orders by doing what I knew you really would've wanted.

Wotan: So, you took it on yourself to do something you didn't think I was capable of doing myself? You think I couldn't have overcome my terrible "dilemma" if I'd had to? Do you think it was easy to do what I did, to go against someone I loved so much, in favor of my responsibilities as a God? I did what I did because of a greater good that you don't know about, and couldn't even understand anyway! It killed me to let Siegmund die, it agonized me that all the dreams I'd had for him were going to be gone, just like that. Most of all, though, I was mad at myself because all this had been my fault. I had set this whole thing up from the very beginning, and now it was all coming back to haunt me. My entire plan for the world had failed, and now I knew I was going to have to live in what would be left of the world I had made! You were busy enjoying all the wonderful things that love can bring people, while I was tortured with agony at having to lose that love forever. It'll be easy for you, then. Love will get you through this one, as well! You turned your back on me, so now I'll do the same to you. We'll never be able to work together as the team we were. I can never be with you, or see you again, as long as you live.

Brünnhilde: You know I'm not as smart as you. So you must have known that I wouldn't really understand all that, and that I'd have to go with the only thing I did know: Love. And, because you let it all happen, it must've been OK with you. If you're just going to abandon me, and cast me out of your life forever, I want you to remember something: I was a part of you. A big part. You can cut that off, send it away and hide from it all you want, but if you're going to disgrace me like what you say you will, you'll be disgracing a part of yourself, too. You can't possibly want to have people forever laughing at you the way they will at me! It would bring us both shame, and I don't think you want that, for you or me.

Wotan: You didn't have any problem doing what "love" told you to do. Now, you can love whatever man happens to find you, and obey whatever he tells you to do.

Brünnhilde: You're really going to do it, then. Well, if you're never going to let me be with you again, never going to let me rule with you again, and make me obey a…a man, then, please, at least let me have a real man. Please don't let a wimp or a coward find me here.

Wotan: I have nothing to do with who finds you here.

Brünnhilde: The Wälsungs are your children; there couldn't be any one of them who wouldn't do for me. I know that the greatest hero ever to be born must be among them…somewhere.

Wotan: Shut up about them!! They're gone from my sight along with you! Death to them all!

Brünnhilde: Maybe you still don't understand. When I ran away from you, I saved them. Sieglinde was with me when I ran away, and she's carrying Siegmund's child. Even though it will be hard on her, she'll have that baby. I know it, and I know that he'll grow up to be the strongest and proudest man there ever was.

Wotan: Don't think for a minute that I'm ever going to help either one of them.

Brünnhilde: She has the sword you made for Siegmund.

Wotan: The one I broke in two! Young lady, it's time you quit trying to talk your way out of this. You're going to have to deal with it now. I won't have anything more to do with you, I've stayed here way too long, and I'm leaving. It's not up to me what happens to you now; you turned your back on me, and now I'm turning mine on you.

Brünnhilde: Just exactly what are you going to do to me?

Wotan: I'm putting you in a deep sleep. Whoever wakes you up gets you for his wife.

Brünnhilde: If I'm asleep, anyone could wake me up. Please! Please, I'm begging you, let me be guarded by something that will scare away any normal, cowardly man. I want the noblest and strongest of heroes to make me his wife.

Wotan: That's too much to ask.

Brünnhilde: Please! You have to! Do anything you want to me: Hit me, kill me, step on me, crush me, break my body in two, destroy me with your mighty spear, but please don't let me be disgraced like this! I know you're not that cruel! (suddenly inspired) A fire! You could put a fire around this rock, a special, magic fire that will scorch and burn and tear apart any fools who would dare approach me!

Wotan: (moved by the realization of what he has to do) Farewell, my beautiful little girl. You were the one thing I was always the most proud of. Goodbye! Goodbye…. Well, if I have to give you up, and never see you again - if you're never going to ride with me, or eat at my dinner table, …. As much as I loved you, as much happiness as it gave me just to look at you, if I'm going to lose that forever, then I guess I can at least give you the fire you want. It can be your wedding fire, and it'll burn for you like no fire ever has before! I'll put a terrible bonfire around this whole rock that will scare any man away! They'll all turn tail and run like a scared cat from you! There's only one man that will be fit to have you, and he'll have to be greater than I am to be able to get to you!

I always loved your eyes; they always had a smile for me, when I would kiss you after you came back from your glorious adventures. You always used to have such wonderful stories to tell of the battlefields you'd visited! Those eyes of yours could cut through me like a knife! I used to look at them and see every good thing there was in the world. It would always make me feel young again, no matter how bad things were going. I know I'll never see them again after today. I only hope they'll bring half as much pleasure to your husband; there's nothing they can ever do for me any more. That's exactly what I deserve, though, considering what I've done. I have to leave you now, and so, with this kiss, I take away your immortality forever. (kisses her forehead) Loge! Listen to me! Come here, and do what you do best! Rise up in flames, and surround Brünnhilde's rock with your magic fire! Loge! Loge! Come here, I command you! No one who fears me will ever pass through these flames!

(Brünnhilde lies down on the rock as the fire begins to encircle her rock)