Story of Perseus

Introduction:

Gods of Mount Olympus:

We are the gods of Ancient Greece

Wise, good, and strong We are the gods and goddesses
of Ancient Greece Who know right from wrong!

Athena:

My name is Athena I carry a spear and a hat

I am the wisest of them all
Although they won’t agree about that! (Points to other gods)

Hermes:

I am Hermes, I’m as fast as lightning

I am the messenger So quick, it’s frightening!

Zeus:

I am Zeus, king of the gods, and these two are my kids.

I think I’m going to be in trouble When they find out what I did!

Gods:

We are the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece

And we think you should look down there
There’s trouble brewing that’s for sure
And Zeus - you know…but do you care?

(Gods leave the stage, Zeus taking longer than the others until Athena hurries him up.)

(Danae’s father and the Oracle.)

King Acrisius of Argos: (speaks to the audience) I am the king of Argos, a proud and important city-state
in Ancient Greece. My name is Acrisius). I am going to visit the Oracle to find out what the future holds
for my beautiful daughter Danae.

Narrator: The Oracle is a strange and mysterious woman who speaks to the gods. Acrisius and Danae
approach the Oracle’s place.

Oracle: Who wishes to talk to me?

King Acrisius of Argos: I am King Acrisius of Argos.

Oracle: And what is it you wish to know?

King Acrisius of Argos: Will my daughter, Danae, marry someone rich? Will she become important? A
queen perhaps?
Oracle: Whoooooooo…ohhhhhhhhhh….ahhhhhhhhh (predicting noises!)

King Acrisius of Argos: What is it? What have the gods told you?

Oracle: Your daughter will marry someone very important and she will have a son! But be warned – this
son will kill you when he grows up!!! Whooooooooo…aaaaah….and other cackly noises.

(King walks away thinking. Oracle moves off stage.)

King Acrisius of Argos: (to the audience) what am I to do? I know – if I lock her in the tallest tower, and
block up all the windows and doors no one will ever see her, let alone marry her!

Narrator: And so it was. Danae was taken to the tower and locked away. The tower had no doors, but it
had one very tiny window that had been left open. Danae was very sad, but one day a bright shower of
gold came through the small window. A man appeared, he had a thunderbolt in his hand and Danae
knew he was a god.

(Zeus waves a gold cloth around or gold confetti is thrown)

Danae: Are you a god, for no human could enter this tower?

Zeus: Yes, I am a god and I wish to make you, my wife. Marry me and I will make this dark prison a
wonderful sunny land with many flowers.

(Bright cloths are held up instead. Danae looks around in wonder.)

Zeus: I have brought you a present wrapped in golden light – a son, whom you must name Perseus.
Danae: But who are you?

Zeus: Think of your son’s name and you will know who I am! (Zeus exits the stage)

Narrator: And, with those words Zeus disappeared, leaving Danae alone…but not for long. King Acrisius
heard the baby cry and ordered his soldiers to tear down the doors. When he saw Danae and her baby
he had the soldiers put them into a big chest, locked the lid, and had them thrown into the sea. That
should sort them out he thought. But even a king should not mess with the son of a god, especially when
his father is the mighty Zeus!

(Poseidon appears in the waves.)

Poseidon: I am the god Poseidon I rule over wind and waves My brother is the great god Zeus So I, his
son, shall save! (Poseidon waves his trident and arms about and the ‘sea’ cloth calms down.)

(A man approaches.)

Dictys: What have we here? A chest – perhaps it is full of treasure! (Rubs hands together) If I can
only….get it……open! (Heaves and pulls until finally, it opens. Danae stands up holding the baby.

Dictys: In the name of the gods what have we here? I must take you to my brother the king - he’ll know
what to do.

Narrator: the man took Danae and the baby to his brother’s palace. Polydectes was the king of the island
of Seriphos. He was an evil, selfish man although he pretended to be kind and caring. He took Danae and
her baby into his palace and raised Perseus as if he were his own son. But all the time he was plotting
something to kill him. Because Danae didn’t want to marry him no matter how often he asked.

Polydectes: Marry me Danae, I can give you anything you want.

Danae: I cannot marry you – I must look after my son as he is special, a gift from the gods. Please DO
NOT ask me again!

Narrator: Many years passed and Perseus grew up into a fine young man, and still Polydectes continued
to ask Danae to marry him. By now his evil thoughts had turned him into a nasty person and he had
worked out how to force her to marry him - by getting rid of Perseus. Polydectes decided on a plan to get
rid of Perseus. He pretended he was going to marry a daughter of a friend of his. Everybody had to bring
a present, including Perseus. Polydectes pretended to be furious when Perseus arrived empty-handed,
for he was not only very strong and brave but also very poor.

Polydectes: What, no wedding present? Is this all the thanks I get for raising you for all these years?

Perseus: I don't have any money.

Polydectes: That's what you get from a lazy good-for-nothing.

Perseus: I can try to bring you any present in the world, anything- name it and I will try to find it for you.

(Polydectes walks to the front and says as if to the audience)

Polydectes: Then bring me the head of the Gorgon Medusa!!!

(Everyone gasps including Perseus. Danae runs up and says)

Danae: You cannot mean it! That is an impossible task! No one has ever faced the Gorgon Medusa and
lived to tell the tale, let alone try to behead her. Her look turns everyone to stone!

Polydectes: I have spoken – I will have Medusa’s head – if not, your son will be banished from this land
forever!

Perseus: Do not worry Mother – I am sure I can do this. I will return soon with the Gorgon’s head!

(Perseus leaves ‘the stage’, and Danae follows sadly. Polydectes rubs his hands gleefully and laughs
evilly.)

CHORUS:
Perseus wandered many days and nights
And suffered many scares and frights.
The Gorgon, that hideous girl
Was to be found at the end of the world.
There she lived with her two sisters
Hidden away from human view
In a deep, dark cave at the world’s end
Him alone, without a friend.
Perseus: I am in despair – I have looked everywhere but cannot find the way to the ends of the earth. No
one can tell me the way but everyone tells me to turn round and go the other way, back to where I came
from. If only they knew – I cannot return.

(Stands up and stretches)

Perseus: I will go to the temple of Athena to pray – perhaps her wisdom will help me.

Narrator: Then suddenly a tall woman and a young man with winged sandals appeared.

Hermes: I am Hermes and this is my sister Athena. You are a son of Zeus and therefore our brother. We
are glad to help you. We have some things that may help you in slaying Medusa. Here are my winged
sandals and a sickle sword from Zeus.

Athena: And here are gifts from me. Use this shield to reflect the image of Medusa so you won't be
turned to stone. You must find the Graeae, the three women who share one eye but see many things,
and get them to tell you how to get to the Gorgons. They will give you the cap of darkness and give you a
magic bag and tell you how to get to the Gorgons' lair.

(Perseus thanks them, puts on the winged sandals, and takes the gifts.)

Hermes: Oh by the way – watch out for her very sharp claws….oh..he’s gone.

Narrator: Perseus went to the cave of the Graeae. The Graeae were strange women, there were three of
them with only one eye for all three of them to use and they constantly fought over it. Perseus hid
behind some bushes and watched them.

Graeae 1: Give me the eye!

Graeae 2: No, it’s my turn today!

Graeae 3: No, it isn’t, you had the eye yesterday – it’s my turn!

(The three sisters fight over the eye – G1 grabs it and holds it up to her face.)

Graeae 1: I see a shape, behind the bushes, look sisters

(The 3Gs start passing the eye around looking towards Perseus – he jumps out and grabs the eye from
them.)

Graeae 2: Give us our eye stranger!

Perseus: Tell me the way to the gorgon’s cave or I will throw your eye to the crows.

(All the Graeae start shrieking.)

Graeae 3: Tell him sisters or we will be left in darkness forever!

Narrator: The sisters gave him a map that showed the way to the ends of the earth and gave him, after
much groaning and complaining, the cap of hades, that can make him invisible and a bag, that would
stretch to the right size to anything you put into it. Then he put on his winged sandals and flew into the
air.
Graeae 1: Our eye, give us back our eye!

Graeae 2: You promised, you promised!

Graeae 3: Where is it? Give it back!

Perseus: Here sisters – catch it!

(The sisters try to find the eye, find it blow it clean – one holds it and leads the others off stage)

Narrator: Perseus now begins the last part of his journey – the most dangerous part - the journey to the
Gorgon’s cave! Perseus mimes flying through the air.

(Cloth wavers carry ‘clouds’ past Perseus as he stands on the stage block)

Chorus:

Three sisters dwelt in a deep dark cave,

And were badly behaved.
Two were immortal and lived forever
Not too scary and not too clever.
But the third was mortal and her skill
Was giving bad looks that could kill.
The cave would give us all the blues
As it was full of human statues.
Many had tried and many had failed
To kill the Gorgon or put her in jail
And now was Perseus’s turn alone
To chop off her head and take it home.

Narrator: The Gorgons were three sisters. They were originally very beautiful but Medusa had angered
Athena so much by showing off how beautiful she was, Athena changed Medusa into a hideous monster
by having a hair of snakes and a look that would turn anyone into stone.

Perseus: The two immortal sisters are asleep among the rocks. I will use the cap of darkness to sneak
past them. Medusa must be in the cave….oh, what if I look at her, what if she sees me first, what if the
cap doesn’t work…..oh, what am I to do?

Athene (walking up beside him): Hold up your shield Perseus and I will guide you.

(The two make their way past the sisters who snore loudly.)

Athena: Calm down Perseus and always hold up your shield.

Perseus: Athena– did Medusa do this to them?

Athena: She did – but will no more.

(Statue actors each take turns to act out in mime how they froze in their positions as the two approach
them. Athena leads him near the Medusa and stands back.)
Medusa: Stupid fool – why are you here? Do you think you can hurt ME? Look into my eyes, long and
deep –And be prepared to scream your last scream!!!!

Narrator: Perseus held his shiny shield towards her face and turned his head away. Medusa reared up
ready to strike but caught sight of her fearsome reflection in the polished metal. She screamed – just
once – then turned to stone. Quickly Perseus took her head and put it into the magic bag.

(shows the bag to the audience)

Perseus: I Killed Medusa!

Medusa Sister 1: Sister did you hear that scream?

Medusa Sister 2: Our sister is in danger!

NARRATOR: Perseus is chased by the sisters but ‘flies into the air’, waves to them, and cloud carriers
return. He looks down and sees something below.

Perseus: What is this I see – a maiden tied to a rock and a sea monster about to attack her. This is a job
for Perseus!

Chorus:

It seems there cannot be a play

Where love does not have its way
Where boy meets girl, without a doubt
But do they fight, or scream or shout?
No – they look at each other so soppily
And instantly behave quite stupidly.
She stands and giggles and twists her hair
And all he can do is stand and stare.
Mouth wide open, brain switched off,
Struggling to speak and not to cough.
But will this play keep to the rule?
Will these two be star-crossed fools?
Well yes – but first a rescue will occur
Because a monster wants to eat her!

(Perseus hid in the rocks and saw the father and mother of Andromeda)

Perseus: what happen? Why she is tied to a rock?

Andromeda’s Mother: It’s all my fault! I am Queen Cassiopeia and I boasted that my daughter was more
beautiful than Poseidon’s daughters, the sea nymphs. Now see what he has sent to punish my
foolishness.

Andromeda’s Father: I am King Cepheus. Save her and we will reward you with whatever you desire –
yes, even our daughter’s hand in marriage – if you will only save her life.

Narrator: The king and queen stood back, and Perseus returned to the cliff by the sea. Soon the sea
monster appeared and raced toward shore ready to devour his victim.
(Perseus, made invisible by the cap of darkness, used Hermes’ winged sandals to flit about the monster’s
head, darting in every few seconds to stab or cut it with the diamond-edged sword. Perseus killed the
monster.)

Andromeda: Thank you, you are my savior. What can I give you in return?

Perseus: the pleasure is mine, princess. I am Perseus and you are?

Andromeda: I am Andromeda.

Perseus: what a beautiful name. If I ask you to be my wife, will you accept?

Andromeda: You saved my life and I know you can protect me. Yes of course! I want to be your wife.

Narrator: The king and queen give Andromeda to Perseus and the couple flies away – (repeating the
cloud sequence.)

Andromeda: Where are we going?

Perseus: I have to deliver a wedding present!

Andromeda: Who is getting married?

Perseus: No one – if I have anything to do with it!

Narrator: Perseus presented himself at court and announced to the king that he had completed his
quest and had brought him the head of the gorgon Medusa. King Polydectes was certain this had to be a
hoax and said so to the bold young man.

King Polydectes: What rubbish is this – no one has ever entered the lair of the Gorgons and returned.
You are a liar! You just ran away and hid outside the city wall!

Perseus: When you see what I have in this bag your majesty, you will never call me a liar again!

Narrator: In a single moment, Perseus turned his face away, yanked the gorgon’s head out of the bag,
and held it before Polydectes’ face. The king and all his court were immediately turned to stone.

(Andromeda and Danae make very pronounced face-covering/turning away movements)

Narrator: And now our story is almost at an end. But what of Danae’s father? Did the Oracle’s prediction
come true? Did Perseus, son of Danae, kill King Acrisius? Perhaps the Chorus should have the final word?

Chorus:
And of his granddad, King Acrisius?
Did Perseus kill him without a fuss?
Did he find him, a cruel, old fellow,
And punish him for Danae’s sorrow?
Well – one day while taking part in sport.
He threw a discus harder than he thought
It flew high and long and full
And hit an old man right in the skull!
Perseus rushed to the old man’s aid
‘Have I killed him?’ Perseus bayed.
‘Who is he, please, I need to know.
Even now life ebbs and flows.’
‘He’s King Acrisius, we cannot lie’
‘In that case, leave him to die!
And now I will take from him his crown
And me and Andromeda will rule this town.

THE END.