Lincoln · written by Tony Kushner · 2012

Lincoln dies at the boarding house; Stanton says he belongs to the ages as the second inaugural begins in voice-over.

Scene 101 of 102 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act three

Dr. Barnes
Stanton
Lincoln

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 2:04 into a 2:06 film

The story so farBefore scene 101

In the final winter of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln risks a fragile coalition and the chance of an early peace to force an amendment abolishing slavery through a divided House of Representatives.

Scenes 1–7
The reelected president balances military command, popular affection and a household wounded by grief.
Scenes 8–13
Lincoln needs a durable constitutional abolition measure and commits to passing it before the term ends.
Scenes 14–16
Radical allies and discreet patronage operatives join the campaign as the amendment enters House debate.
Scenes 17–84
Lincoln bargains, delays peace commissioners, confronts family costs and defends the vote against postponement.
Scenes 85–90
The House passes the amendment and the victory enters the private lives of Lincoln and Stevens.
Just before
Scene 98
Lincoln discusses his qualified support for Black voting, then dresses to accompany Mary to the theater.
Scene 99
Slade watches Lincoln walk away down the corridor after he discards his gloves.
Scene 100
Tad learns at another theater that his father has been shot at Ford's Theater and breaks into screams.
Scene 101
This scene

101INT. THE BEDROOM IN PETERSON'S BOARDING HOUSE - MORNING

Mary is gently escorted into a tiny room. A small, hissing gas jet in the wall bathes the scene with green light.

Stanton, Speed, GENERAL HENRY HALLECK and a MINISTER, are standing. Welles sits by the head of the bed. DR. CHARLES LEALE, a young army surgeon, and DR. ROBERT STONE, the Lincoln family's doctor, stand uselessly by the foot of the bed, while DR. JOSEPH BARNES, the Surgeon General, listens to Lincoln's faint breathing.

Robert, in uniform, red-eyed, pale as a ghost, sits at the bedside and stares at his father, barely breathing.

Lincoln lies in a crooked diagonal, his knees bent, on a bed he's too tall to fit properly, clad only in a nightshirt.

Barnes moves his head closer, then closer. The room is utterly still. Barnes takes out his watch, looks at the time, softly clears his throat.

DR. BARNES

It's 7:22 in the morning, Saturday

the 15th of April. It's all over.

The President is no more.

No one talks, or moves.

Stanton looks at Lincoln's body.

STANTON

Now he belongs to the ages.

Robert begins to weep.

LINCOLN (V.O.)

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we

pray, that this mighty scourge of

war may speedily pass away.