Perseus+2

THE PERILS OF PERSEUS

media type="file" key="perseus2.mp3" The Radio Play SCENE 1 [ON A SHIP IN LIBA] NARRATOR A long time ago there lived narrator a king with his 50 daughters. The 50 sons of King Aegyptus were interested in marrying King Danaus’s 50 Daughters. King Danaus just wanted to get away from the 50 sons.

KING DANAUS: Hurry up girls! We need to leave as soon as possible.

WORKER: Where are we going sir? KING DANAUS: A place called Argos, an amazing place. WORKER: Why are we going? KING DANAUS: Instead of my children marring Aegyptus’ children, I was elected to flee it wasn’t my first choice, believe me.

__SFX: CRASH__

KING DANAUS: What are you doing!? A WORKER: Sorry sir! SCENE 2 [ARGOS, ON THE BEACH] __SFX: WIND BLOWING__

KING DANAUS: Beautiful day for sailing. We should be at Argos in about an hour or so.

[ONE MONTH LATER IN ARGOS]

NARRATOR: King Danaus was extremely happy about living on the beautiful island of Argos. There were waterfalls everywhere you looked and an abundance of plants.

WATCH GUARD (Heavy Breathing) Sir a magnificent boat with fifty oars has been spotted on the horizon.

KING DANAUS: (Spoken to himself) Darn it King Aegyptus has found us.

__SFX: CRASHING WAVES__

KING AEGYPTUS: (Annoyed) It wasn’t wise of you to flee when you knew that we would find you.

KING DANAUS: (Furious) We fled to get away from you and your despicable sons.

KING AEGYPTUS: My sons will marry your daughters and that is going to happen very soon on this very island.

KING DANAUS: You’re lucky that I’m agreeing to your offer but next time I won’t. Don’t forget that I’m still not pleased.

KING AEGYPTUS: (Confident) Good, I won’t have to chase you half way around the world next time.

NARRATOR: Soon it was time for the wedding. __SFX: WEDDING SOUNDS__

[IN A PRIVATE ROOM KING DANAUS TALKS IN PRIVATE WITH HIS 50 DAUGHTERS]

KING DANAUS: (Murderous) I have given each of you a Knife and I want you to kill your husbands the next chance that you have alone.

ALL DAUGHTERS: Okay

NARRATOR: All of the daughters killed their husbands except one. This daughters name was Hypermnestra. She fell deeply in love with her suitor, Lynceus.

SCENE 3 NARRATOR Before King Danaus died; he realized he had no heir to his throne. So, he sent for Hypermnestra and Lynceus, her husband, and they happily came to Argos to rule.

HYPERMNESTRA: Oh my dear Lynceus! I miss my father dearly and I wish to bear a child that will be his namesake.

LYNCEUS: Whatever you wish, my dear Hypermnestra.

NARRATOR: Soon, Hypermnestra and Lynceus had a son, who then took over, and then he had a son, Acrisius, who was then heir to the throne. Acrisius, however, had no son.

ACRISIUS: I am the great Acrisius, but I am miserable! I have only one beautiful daughter, Danae, but her beauty brings me no joy because she will not be able to take my place when I die! I shall go to the oracle and ask him if I will ever have a son.

NARRATOR: So, Acrisius went off to see the oracle, but he did not like what he heard. The oracle told him that one day the son of his daughter, Danae, would kill him. So Acrisius came up with a plan.

ACRISIUS: I shall lock Danae in a room with no windows but only an opening in the roof so no suitor can see her beauty and she will stay childless.

SCENE 4 [ISLOLATED ROOM] NARRATOR Acrisius put Danae in an isolated room, which worked very well until one day, Zeus saw beautiful Danae through the little crack in the roof. ZEUS: You look very lonely in this small room? DANAE: I am very lonely in this very small room. My father has stuck me in here because he does not have an heir to his throne, and doesn’t want me to bear a son because according to the oracle my son will overthrow him. He is very frustrated with me. ZEUS: I am very sorry to hear that. NARRATOR That day Zeus stayed a while and bonded with Danae. They became very close. NARRATOR One day 9 months later after Zeus and Danae’s meeting, Acrisius heard the cries of a baby coming from Danae’s isolated room. ACRISIUS: Is that the cries of a baby I hear? I am going to march over to that baby right now and kill him and his mother! NARRATOR Just before Acrisius left his throne he found out that the son of Danae the son of Zeus. ACRISIUS: That Danae is always causing me trouble. I know that I can’t kill her but I can put her into a chest and through it into the sea. This way if she dies, it will be Poseidon’s fault. (EVIL LAUGH) SCENE 5 NARRATOR Later that night Acrisius had Danae and her son Perseus were put into a tiny isolated box, which was then thrown into the sea. After a month Zeus happened to see it. ZEUS: I wonder what that tiny box floating in the sea is. I better go down there and check it out. NARRATOR 2: Zeus wondered what the little box was and what it was doing there, and then he figured out that it was lonesome Dana e but now she had a baby. DANAE: Where am I? Why am I in a little box? Why am I rocking up and down? PERSEUS: (CRIES) whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! NARRATOR Danae and Perseus were in that box for about a month. ZEUS: My poor Danae. She is still in that little box with her baby boy. To help her I guess I could drift her box towards the shore so that the fisherman who is fishing with his net can reel in the box with the fish. NARRATOR Zeus’ plan worked and the fisherman pulled the box in with the net. FISHERMAN: ( KNOCKS) Hello is any body in there? Hello! DANAE: (WO RRIED AND SHY) Hello who is that? FISHERMAN: I am the fisherman who fishes on this island. Why don’t you come out of that small box? DANAE: Well, ok, if you say so. [FISHERMANS HOME] NARRATOR The fisherman was stunned by Danae’s beauty and became speechless. DANAE: Hello my name is Danae I am from the island Argos. FISHERMAN: How did you get here in this box? DANAE: Well I just don’t know. FISHERMAN Well Argos is very far away and since you don’t know how you got here I am pretty sure you don’t know how to get back so you are more than welcome to stay with me. SCENE 6 NARRATOR: Danae and Perseus stayed with the very kind fisherman for Perseus’ for his childhood. Through out the years of Perseus’ life he grew up to be very strong. His strength frightened the king. The king became so worried he had to make a plan. KING: I have got it! I will fake my marriage with Danae so that everyone would have to give Danae and me a gift. Perseus is too poor to give me a gift so I will send him on a quest to cut off the head of Medusa. NARRATOR: The day of the wedding came and Perseus was sent on his way. He was traveling at a face past until he became very lost. ATHENA: Hello my dear boy, my name is Athena and this is my brother Hermes. You seem to be lost. PERSEUS: Yes indeed I am. Is there any way that you could help me by leading me in the direction of the Gray sisters? HERMES: Yes, we can. ATHENA: Before we take you three there you need some protection for this is a very dangerous journey. HERMES: That is a very good point, here, take my sword. ATHENA: Y es and to match the sword you will need my shield and helmet. PERSEUS: (IMPATIENT) Thank you very much, I really appreciate it. I don’t mean to be rued but can we be going now. HERMES: Oh yes, sure thing! ATHENA: Good by Perseus it was very nice to meet you. SCENE 7 HERMES: Perseus, now that you have the sword and the shield it is time that we head off to see the Gray Sisters, for they will tell us where the nymphs of the north live.

NARRATOR 1: So, Hermes took Perseus to the land of the Gray Sisters, far far to the west. The Gray Sisters were the only ones who knew where the nymphs of the north lived, and the nymphs of the north had three items that were needed to defeat Medusa and the Gorgons.

NARRATOR 2: After a few hours of flying, Perseus and Hermes came to the all-grey island of the Gray Sisters.

PERSEUS: Hello, ladies. I have come to you for knowledge. Knowledge that only you three possess. I must know the way to the nymphs of the north!

CLOTHO: Oh no, my tricky boy! We may not give you that knowledge! For the nymphs of the north protect the three magic items that can kill our beloved sisters, the gorgons! We cannot let you know where they live.

ATROPOS: Clotho! Hand me the eye, for I wish to see the boy you speak to!

NARRATOR 1: Well, They Gray Sisters had only one eye that they shared between the three of them. And, as Clotho was handing the eye to her dear sister, Atropos, Perseus reached forward and snatched the eye from the Gray Sisters and would not give it back!

CLOTHO: Oh that darn boy! He has our eye!

LACHESIS: Ack! My dear boy! Please give us our eye back, because we need it to survive!

PERSEUS: I will not give you your eye back until you tell me the way to the nymphs of the north!

ATROPOS: Please, please, please give us our eye back!

Narrator 2: Perseus stood his ground, and eventually the Gray Sisters told Perseus the way to the nymphs of the north.

PERSEUS: Ladies, here is your beloved eye! Now Hermes, off we go to visit the nymphs of the north! SCENE 8 [NYMPHS OF THE NORTH SPRING] NARRATOR Finally, Perseus and Hermes reached the nymphs of the north. Perseus was glad to see they nymphs looked happy and peaceful.

PERSEUS: Oh great nymphs of the north! I have come because I need the three magic items that you have to slay Medusa and come back alive!

NYMPH 1: We shall give you the three magic items if you tell us your story, and we believe it is a good cause.

PERSEUS: Well, I live in a nice and merry little city with my mother and my grandfather. The ruthless king has fallen in love with my mother’s beauty, but my mother refuses to marry him because she can see that he is very evil and unkind. I protect my dear mother and the king knew the only way to get to her was to get me to leave. My mother is a princess from Argos, so the king told everyone that he was going to marry a princess. All of the men in our little kingdom brought gifts to the king, but I am poor so I had nothing to give him. Instead of giving him something, I offered him my services. He knew I was going to do this, and he had already come up with my mission: to slay Medusa and bring her head back to him. That is why I am standing before you today.

NYMPH 2: Oh my! That is terrible! I feel that we must give you the three magic items!

NYMPH 3: The three items we will supply for you are: shoes with wings so you can fly away after you cut Medusa’s head off, an invisibility cap so you can fly away without the other gorgons seeing you, and a magic bag that will hold anything you put into it! Good luck!

NARRATOR 2: And with that, Perseus said goodbye to Hermes and was on his way to the island of the Gorgons. SCENE 9 [GORGON’S ISLAND] NARRATOR Perseus flew to the island where Medusa lived and when he reached the island he used his shield to see what was happening on the island. He saw the Gorgon Sisters sleeping in a deep sleep.

PERSEUS: I shall go in slowly and thrash out my sword and kill this beast.

GORGON SISTERS: ZZZZZZ…

__SFX: SWORD THRASHING THROUGH AIR:__

__SFX: A SOUND OF AGONY WHEN THE BEAST WAS SLAYED.__

PERSEUS: I have killed the beast!!!!!!!

__SFX: HEAVY BREATHING__

GORGON SISTERS: I shall kill you Perseus. You have done something very wrong you have killed our sister.

__SFX:__ __SLIGHT CRY__

PERSEUS: You will never catch me!!

SCENE 10 NARRATOR: Perseus came home to Argos not knowing that Acrisius had fled. Then Perseus became king of Argos.

PERSEUS: Man, being king is hard work. At least tomorrow I’m participating in the Greek games.

[AT THE GREEK GAMES] NARRATOR: The next day, at the Greek Games, Perseus threw a discus and a gust of win blew the discus a bit off course and killed an old man, which happened to be Acrisius, his grandfather.

PERSEUS: Nooooooooooo!!! Grandpa!! What have I done!?

NARRATOR: After this, Perseus could no longer stand living in Argos and he left to create and empire of his own.