Act 2, Scene 1 Summary

The setting is a monastery. The King appears, followed by several courtiers. A Porter appears, unlocks the gate and tells them to wait. He tells a nearby Beggar that Brother Ignatius (the courtier who left the King's service so suddenly) will be glad to see him and tells him to wait as well. A Young Monk comes, and the King asks whether Ignatius is asleep. The Monk says he goes to bed at sunrise, and when the birds start to sing again, he wakes up. The Monk asks the Beggar what he wants, and as the Beggar repeatedly says he's not worthy of Ignatius' attention, the Porter tells the Monk that the Beggar wanders from monastery to monastery, is repeatedly turned back and prays for those who have rejected him. The King instructs the Monk to tell Ignatius that a man...