"Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb and shall bear a son, and his name will be called Emmanuel."
The text of this play draws upon biblical references, interspersed with stage directions and character dialogue. This quotation from Isaiah sets up the redemption which Israel will experience, mirroring the opportunity which God granted the Israelites through his prophet. The implication is that, just as they ignored the prophets out of fear, the people also will not recognize their savior because he will appear first as a child.
"I will act, my Lord, just as you say.
I never want to go astray."
Eve is the quintessential devout woman. Though she is the first to disobey God, she is no more or less human than the rest. In practice, she devotes herself to the Lord's commandments, eager to be useful and blessed.
"And the Lord God formed [man]."
As one of the first lines of the play, this excerpt communicates a simple reverence for the antiquity of this tale. The narrator is establishing the authority of the text as the drama's source. Marrying said simplicity with the grandiosity of the set-pieces, the effect of the play is dramatic contrast.
"Let paradise be constructed in a prominently high place; let curtain and silken hangings be placed around it at such a height that those persons who will be in paradise can be seen from the shoulders upwards; let sweet-smelling flowers and foliage be planted; within let there be various trees, and fruits hanging on them, so that the place may seem as delightful as possible."
This description of the set, as part of the script, is an essential component to the overall impact of the play. The set provides an appropriately contrasting background to the simple dialogue. Surrounded by luxurious silks and real flowers, the actors present their little drama. The characters change, but the set remains constant, allowing the audience to discern the relatively slight duration of the human life compared to the grand narrative which was set in place in the Garden.
