“Now that Pélléas's father is saved, and sickness, the old handmaid of Death, has left the castle, a little joy and a little sunlight will at last come into the house again…. It was time!—For, since thy coming, we have only lived here whispering about a closed room…. And truly I have pitied thee, Mélisande…. But I was sad to see thee so; for thou art too young and too beautiful to live already day and night under the breath of death…. But now all that will change."
Arkel affirms that sickness has the cause of unhappiness in the family. His concession implies that they were afraid that they would lose Pélléas's father to death. His improvement is remarkable for the family. Additionally, Arkel speculates that Melisande has been negatively affected by the sickness for her unhappiness is evident. He holds that a young beautiful woman as Melisande should not be weighed down by gloominess.
“It is the last evening … the last evening. It must all end. I have played like a child about a thing I did not guess…. I have played a-dream about the snares of fate…. Who has awakened me all at once? I shall flee, crying out for joy and woe like a blind man fleeing from his burning house…. I am going to tell her I shall flee…. My father is out of danger; and I have no more reason to lie to myself…. It is late; she does not come…. I should do better to go away without seeing her again…. I must look well at her this time.”
Pelleas plans to go ways is influenced by his love for Melisande. The inclusion of the word dream implies that his love from Melisande will never been actual considering that she is married by his brother. Going away would be an Avoidant measure to avoid a sad fate of having an affair with his brother’s wife.
“I have wrought thee so much ill, Mélisande.... I cannot tell thee the ill I have wrought thee.... But I see it, I see it so clearly to-day ... since the first day.... And all I did not know till now leaps in my eyes to-night.... And it is all my fault, all that has happened, all that will happen.... If I could tell it, thou wouldst see as I do!... I see all! I see all!... But I loved thee so!... I loved thee so!... But now there is some one dying.... It is I who am dying.... And I would know.... I would ask thee.... Thou'lt bear me no ill-will.... I would.... The truth must be told to a dying man.... He must know the truth, or else he could not sleep.... Swearest thou to tell me the truth?”
Golaud's rhetoric in this passage depict remorse and a pang of conscious guilt originating from Golaud's previous act of exterminating his brother. Golaud senses that he is almost dying; his death is emotional due to the torture which he is weathering. His affirmation of love for Melisande is intended to convince her that her action of killing Pelleas was motivated by love. His pleas for the truth are intended to calm him so that he can mitigate the anguish he is weathering. Golaud is absolutely tortured and trusts that his love for Melisande would redeem him.
