MEDUSA

Main Characters

1. Medusa2. Athena3. Poseidon4. Zeus5. Hermes6. Perseus7. King Polydectes8. Danae9. King Acrisius

Backing Characters

1. Grey Sister 12. Grey Sister 23. Grey Sister 34. Oracle of Delphi5. Andromeda6. Dictys7. Wise Man8. Dyad 19. Dyad 2

Scenes

1. Parthenon2. Argos3. Seriphos4. Lesvos

Props :

1. Medusa’s head2. Shield3. Sword4. Shoes with wings5. Gold sparkler6. Cape7. Ancient Greek outfits8. Crown9. Baby Doll(Boy)10. Wooden chest to fit Danae11. Eyeball

Script

Introduction (Narrator):

There was once a beautiful maiden called Medusa, who lived in Ancient Greece. (Shows Medusa without snake hair). Every man who had seen her feel head over heels over her; they were crazy about her. (Shows guys swooning). But their dreams are impossible, as Medusa is a maiden of Athena, the goddess of war, making her tied to a vow; she will never fall in love or have an affair( Shows Athena looking all mighty and powerful).

Scene 1 (Parthenon)

Medusa : (Opening a letter, reading it then throws it away). Don’t bother it, just a crazy guy asking for my love!

(She and many other girls are walking towards Parthenon for their ritual prayers for Athena. Shows them worshipping Athena)

Medusa : Go first, I’d like to recite some more prayers for her.

Friend 1 : Oh, okay. Good luck.

( Shows only Medusa in the Parthenon)

Medusa : O, Athena, please forgive me if I disobeyed your policy…..(praying)

Narrator: As Medusa prayed, she didn’t realize that Poseidon, the God of the Seas, appeared beside her. (Poseidon walked towards Medusa)

Medusa : …….and I promise…WHOA!! (Medusa fell back, surprised). P-P-P-Poseidon? Lord of the Seas? What are you doing here, in your niece’s temple?

Poseidon: You broke my heart, Mea.

Medusa: Don’t call me Mea!

Poseidon: Whatever!(The ground shakes). I’m a very powerful God, Mea. I control the seas and horses and I can create extreme hurricanes ,tornadoes and earthquakes. I WILL get what I want, nobody can stop me. Not even brother’s favourite daughter. (He steps closer to Medusa)

Medusa : What do you want? (Shaking,afraid)

Poseidon: I…want you. I love you. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I WANT YOU! (Poseidon asks Medusa to follow him)

Medusa: NO! I would never…wait, what are you doing to my body??(Medusa started following Poseidon)

Poseidon: As I said, I’m a very powerful God! Now you’ll be mine, hahaha! (Laughs)

Narrator: And so, Poseidon had an affair with Medusa, inside Athena’s temple. This, of course, ignites the anger of Athena. Medusa had breached her law of being an eternal maiden, even having an affair with her uncle inside her temple. She must punish her. She went to see Zeus, Lord of the Skies for help.

Athena: I can’t believe what she did inside there!! That is supposed to be my sacred temple!! How can I punish her, father?

Zeus: Well, I don’t know, daughter. What do you think makes my brother fell in love with her?

Athena: Her…….beauty?

Zeus: Exactly! I think the best punishment is to take her beauty away, and giving her a curse.

Athena: Hm…..thank you, father. I have an idea now.

(Back at the temple)

Athena: Call Medusa. (She said to a maiden)

Maiden: OK.

(Medusa arrived)

Narrator: Now, Medusa is very frightened and scared after last night’s intercourse with Poseidon.

Medusa: Yes, my Lord?

Athena: I know what you did last night.

(Thunder rumbles)

Athena: And I have to punish you and teach you a lesson!!

Medusa: My Lord, I’m so sorry! I’m not the one to blame, it’s not—

Athena: Don’t put the blame on others! From now on, your skin will be hard and scaly, your long, silky hair will be turned into green snakes, and worst of it, you will receive a curse. One look at you will turn any living things to stone!!!!

(Thunder strike)

Medusa: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!ARGH!!!!

Narrator: And so Medusa is cursed for life. She is banished to an isolated island, alone by herself.Her story spreads quickly and soon heroes started looking for her, so they can slay her head and it will be a powerful tool as they can turn any men to stone. But, everytime someone tries to kill her (Shows someone trying to kill Medusa), they will be turned to stone. Soon, her stone garden increases. She changes from Greece’s most

beautiful maiden to the most horrible monster. But her fate is sealed. A young man would kill her one day.

Scene 2 (Argos)

Narrator: Now, far away from Athens, there is a Greek nation called Argos. King Acrisius, the ruler of the nation, is very unhappy because her wife gave birth to a daughter. He wants a son to replace him when he’s too old.

King Acrisius: Why?? Why must this happen? I want a son, to be the rightful heir to Argos. Not a daughter! (Angry, throws stuff)

Narrator:Danae, her daughter, saw his dad behaving that way and talked to his dad to go see the Oracle of Delphi.

Danae: Dad, if you want a son, you probably should consult the Oracle. Ask her whether you would ever have a son.

King Acrisius: Very well, my dear. Thank you for that advice.

Narrator: Hence, King Acrisius travelled to the South to meet the Oracle of Delphi, the one who sees and predict the future.

King Acrisius: Peace be upon you, Oracle. Can I ask you a question?

Oracle: I know what you’re going to ask. And the answer is, not only you will never have a son, your daughter will give birth to a son that will kill you.

King Acrisius: What????

Narrator : King Acrisius is horrified. He travelled back to Argos in haste. When he arrived, his daughter greeted him cheerfully.

Danae: So, how did it go, father? Will I ever have a brother?

King Acrisius: NO! Not only will I never have a son, your son will kill me!

(Shows King Acrisius being very angry)

Narrator: King Acrisius is mortified. He decided, to prevent his awful fate from happening, to lock her daughter in a bronze chamber with holes to breathe. He thought he could avoid his fate in a safe way.

(Shows Danae being dragged by female slaves and thrown into a chamber. Danae is fighting and shouting, NO! while King Acrisius is smiling)

Narrator: Thus, Danae is locked in the bronze chamber, without food and water. He checks it everyday to see if her daughter is dead or not. Without his knowledge, Zeus saw Danae trough the holes of the chamber, and fell in love with her. He entered the chamber in gold showers, to pass trough the small holes,

and had an affair with Danae. Not long after that, Perseus, their son was born.

(Shows Zeus, looking at Danae, and then going near her, throwing golden sparklers.Perseus( as a baby ) appeared.

Narrator : King Acrisius found out about his grandson as he heard sounds coming out from the chamber.

King Acrisius: What is this??? Is he your son(pointing at Perseus)?? (Angry)

Danae: Yes, father. His father is Zeus. (Scared)

King Acrisius: Zeus?? The Supreme Ruler of all Gods?? No!!

(Shows King Acrisius looking nervous)

Narrator: King Acrisius is scared of Perseus. He wants to kill of both Danae and Perseus, but afraid of Zeus’s wrath. So, to save any bloodshed, he decided to put them in a wooden chest and threw it to the seas. If they’re killed, it would be Poseidon’s fault, he thought.

(Shows King Acrisius ordering female slaves to bring him a wooden chest and putting Danae and Perseus into it. Then he drags the chest to the seas.)

King Acrisius: Hahaha, now they’re gone for good!

Narrator: Unknown to him, Zeus knew what he’d done and asked Poseidon to spare Danae and his son. Poseidon then lands them in another nation called Seriphos, ruled by King Polydectes. They were saved by a fisherman named Dictys, who is the King’s brother. Dictys saw the chest and opened it.

(Shows Dictys watch the chest, then running towards it and opening it. Danae came out with Perseus in her arms.

Dictys: Are you alright?

Danae:Yes, thank you for saving us. (Shivering)

Dictys: Both of you looked cold. Let’s go inside my hut.

(Danae followed Dictys)

Narrator: Dictys decided to raise both Danae and Perseus. As the years went by, Perseus became a strong, young man. He is tall and very muscular.

(Shows Perseus walking and showing his muscles)

Narrator: King Polydectes knew about Danae and her son. He fell in love with Danae and her beauty, but he felt that Perseus is an obstacle, as he is very protective.

King Polydectes: Wise Man, I love Danae so much. But Perseus wouldn’t let me go near her. What can I do?

Wise Man: Your Majesty, I think you should invite every citizen of Seriphos for your birthday feast. Try asking her hand in marriage at the feast. If she refuses, then you should ask everyone to bring you a present. As Perseus is poor, he wouldn’t have anything to give to you. He will ask what do you want, I’m sure of it. You should ask him to bring you the head of Medusa.

King Polydectes: But, wouldn’t I be turned to stone instead?

Wise Man: Your Majesty, no man has ever returned from their journey to slay Medusa. Perseus will surely be killed along the way. With Perseus out of the picture, you can have Danae all for yourself.

King Polydects: Hm……Thank you for that wonderful idea, Wise Man.

Narrator : So King Polydectes held a grand feast for his birthday. Every citizen came to his feast and celebrated his birthday. King Polydectes saw Dannae with Perseus among the crowd. He decided to greet her.

(Shows King Polydectes spotting Dannae and walking towards her)

King Polydectes: Hi, Danae.

Danae: Hi, Your Majesty.

King Polydectes: Danae, I love you. Marry me and you shall have all the riches of my kingdom.

Danae: Thank you for the honour, your Majesty, but I can’t marry you.

Narrator: King Polydectes could not believe his ears that anyone would refuse him. He was shaking with anger but he could not force her to agree as Perseus is nearby. So he decided to make the announcement.

King Polydectes: Well, everyone. I had ruled Seriphos for almost a decade now, and we live in peace and harmony. Wouldn’t you like to gift the King?

Narrator: So every citizen of Seriphos gave King Polydectes various presents, such as gold, clothes and foods. Perseus is a poor man who had nothing to give to the King.

Perseus: Pardon me, Your Majesty, I didn’t have nothing for you. What do you want for your present? I would get it for you.

Narrator: This is the moment that King Polydectes is waiting for.

King Polydectes: Bring me the head of Medusa.

Perseus: What?? It’s imposibble! No one could kill her without being turned to stone!

King Polydectes: Either you bring me her head or your mother will be my queen!

Perseus: Alright, your Majesty.That shall be done But don’t you regret when I get back and you’ll be turned to stone.

(King Polydectes laughing hardly, then Perseus walks away)

Narrator: So Perseus went on a dangerous journey to slaughter Medusa. He went up and down, hills and valleys and across rivers and oceans, yet he couldn’t find Medusa. He was tired and was about to give up when suddenly, Hermes, the God of Travelers, appeared before him.

(Shows Perseus walking around, and then stopping, tired. Hermes came in and appeared next to Perseus)

Hermes: The son of Zeus! You’ll need help. These winged shoes will make you soar and travelling faster for you.

Perseus: Thank you so much, Hermes. But I have a problem. I don’t know where Medusa lives.

Hermes: That’s easy. Go and ask the Grey Sisters.

Perseus: But that’s…..

Hermes: I know, I know. That’s another problem, right? It’s easy. You’ll soon meet them and you ought to recognize them. They are old, withered hags they all shared an eye.

Narrator: Perseus thanked Hermes and set out for the Grey Sisters. By and by, he spotted three ugly white-haired old women fighting over an eye that was tossed and kept in the air

like a ball near a cave. He knew he had found the Grey Sisters. He jumped up and snatched their eyeball.

(The Grey Sisters walked in, and Perseus who is walking spotted them. They are noisily fighting over an eyeball. He quickly snatched it)

Perseus: Ha! The Grey Sisters!

Grey Sister 1: No!!!!Give our eyeball back!

Perseus: You can have this back if you tell me the whereabouts of Medusa.

Grey Sister 2: Never!! We have sworn that we’ll protect him. Besides, are you sure about this? Many heroes like you have asked us and died…

Perseus: Either you tell me where Medusa or I’ll throw this eyeball away!!

Grey Sister 3: Okay, okay. She’s living at the Island of Lesvos.

Narrator: Perseus dropped the eyeball and flew to Lesvos to kill Medusa. When he arrived, he spotted Dyads, the exceptionally beautiful creature of woods, calling after him.

Scene 4 (Lesvos)

Perseus: Are you calling me?

Dyad 1: Yes, Perseus. We have something for you. You have to be properly equipped for your journey.

Dyad 2:Athena asks us to give this to you; the Sword of Zeus, the Helmet of Hades, for invisibility, the Shield of Athena, and a bag for holding her head.

Perseus: Thank you. Tell Athena that I’m thankful of this gift.

Dyad 1: No problem. Good luck, hero!

Narrator: As soon after that, he found a cave. He’s sure that Medusa’s hiding there. Keeping his back towards the cave, he entered it. He put on Hades’s helmet so he’ll not be seen. His eyes were fixed on the shield as he held it slightly upwards and to his left, and he saw her reflection.

Medusa: Who’s there? Come on, look at me.

Narrator: Perseus will not be tricked. He kept his eyes on the shield and inched closer to Medusa.

Medusa: Are you a coward? I dare you to look into my eyes whoever you are.

Narrator: Perseus refused to be trapped. As he got closer, he swung his sword and it caught Medusa right on the neck. She

screamed loudly, her shriek heard all across Greece. Her head fell to the ground. He quickly picked it up and placed it in the bag he got from the Dyads. Not once did he look at Medusa.

Perseus: I did it! I got the head of Medusa! I must hurry before King Polydectes do anything to my mother.

Narrator: And so Perseus quickly flew back to Seriphos to give Medusa’s head to King Polydectes. Along the way, he saw a beautiful princess, Andromeda, tied to a stick in the middle of the Sea while sea monsters tried to kill her.

Perseus: I must save that lady!

Andromeda: Help! Please save me! These horrible sea monsters are trying to kill me!

Narrator: So Perseus used his sword to kill the monsters and cut the ropes to free Andromeda. He asked Andromeda to follow him to Seriphos. When they arrived there, he saw her mother about to marry King Polydectes.

King Polydectes: Stop it!! Stop the wedding! Mother!

Danae: Perseus! Have you succeeded?

King Polydectes: Impossible! Don’t lie to me! Nobody could get near to Medusa without….

Narrator: King Polydectes had no chance to complete what he was saying as Perseus had taken the head out to show him. He

immediately turned to stone. Unfortunately, another King had also been turned to stone. The King is King Arcisius, who is Perseus grandfather, who happens to be in the audience and accidently looks in Medusa’s eyes. The prophecy has been fulfilled.

Danae: Thank you, my son, for saving me. You shall now be the ruler of Seriphos.

Perseus: No, mother, I think another deserving man should have the throne.

Narrator: Perseus took the crown from King Polydectes head and put it on Dictys head.

All: All hail King Dictys!

(Everyone bows and claps)

Narrator: Perseus left Seriphos with Andromeda after Dictys proposed to Danae and she gladly accepts. Perseus returned to Argos and claimed his throne as a rightful heir, and he made Andromeda his queen. Not long after that, he met Athena and he gave her Medusa’s head that she fused it with her shield. Now, Athena has a deadly weapon to fight her enemies. With that, the story ends.