Nathan the Wise

Saladin and his sister Sittah are playing chess. Sittah is very confident in her playing and talks about the mistakes Saladin makes in the game. She also mentions how she frequently wins the money they bet on their games. As she wins the game they are playing, their conversation turns to Sittah’s future. Saladin wanted her to marry the brother of the crusader Richard the Lion-Hearted. He also has plans for Richard’s sister to become the wife of Sittah’s and Saladin’s brother Melek, making an intertwined dynasty of Muslim and Christian royalty.

Sittah, however, criticizes the Christians for being fixated on the name and idea of Christianity rather than following the actual teaching of their religion’s founder, Jesus Christ. She rejects the idea that to marry into the Christian family would mean that she would have to adopt a Christian name.

Al-Hafi enters, having been summoned to pay the debt Saladin owes Sittah for the chess game. Saladin orders Al-Hafi to pay Sittah a thousand dinars, but it turns out that the sultan’s funds are low. This comes as somewhat of a surprise to Saladin, and he orders Al-Hafi to go out and find people from whom he can borrow money.