bridegroom
of Gutrune her own husband. Siegfried does not know her, but she
discovers her ring on his hand, and asserting that Gunther won it from
her, this hero is obliged to acknowledge the shameful role he
played.--Though Siegfried swears that his sword Nothung guarded him
from any contact with Gunther's bride, Bruennhilde responds in a most
startling manner, and both swear on Hagen's spear that it may pierce
them, should their words prove false. All this makes a dreadful
impression on the weak mind of Gunther.

When Siegfried has withdrawn in high spirits with his bride Gutrune,
Hagen hoping to gain the ring offers to avenge Bruennhilde on the
faithless {71} Siegfried. Bruennhilde in her deadly wrath betrays to
him the only vulnerable spot beneath Siegfried's shoulder. Gunther
consents reluctantly to their schemes.

The third act opens with a scene on the Rhine. The Rhine-daughters try
to persuade Siegfried to render them the ring. He is about to throw it
into the water, when they warn him of the evil which will befall him,
should he refuse their request. This awakens his pride, and laughing
he turns from them, he, the fearless hero. His fellow-hunters overtake
him, and while he relates to them the story of his life, Hagen mixes a
herb with his wine, which enables him to remember all he has forgotten.
Hagen then treacherously drives his spear into Siegfried's back,
killing him. He dies with Bruennhilde's praise on his lips. The
funeral-march which here follows is one of the most beautiful ever
written. When the dead hero is brought to the Giebichung's hall,
Gutrune bewails him loudly. A dispute arises between Hagen and Gunther
about the ring, which ends by Hagen slaying Gunther. But lo, when
Hagen tries to strip the ring off the dead hand, the fingers close
themselves, and the hand raises itself, bearing testimony against the
murderer. Bruennhilde appears, to mourn for the dead; she drives away
Gutrune, who sees too late that under the influence of the fatal
draught, Siegfried forgot his lawful wife, whom she now recognizes in
Bruennhilde. The latter, taking a long farewell of her dead husband,
orders a funeral pile {72} to be erected. As soon as Siegfried's body
is placed on it, she lights it with a firebrand, and when it is in full
blaze, she mounts her faithful steed, leaping with it into the flames.

When the fire sinks, the Rhine-daughters are seen to snatch the ring,
which is now purified f