Myth of Persephone

MYTH OF PERSEPHONE

They act: Narrator, Zeus, Demeter, Hades, Persephone, Helios, nymphs, Narrator

FIRST ACT

NARRATOR:Long ago, eternal spring reigned. The grass was always green and thick and the flowers never withered. There was no winter and no unproductive land.

Ah….(extending arms and turning)

The creator of so much wonder was Demeter (Demeter appears and throws seeds into the air and on the ground, collects fruits from branches and trees), a goddess who gave life to the harvest. She had a daughter with Zeus, (Zeus approaches, takes Demeter's hand and they look at his daughter) called Persephone (Persephone plays in the field and picks flowers). She is a beautiful young woman, the adoration of her mother, who would approach a field full of flowers to play.

   One day Hades, god of the underworld and master of the dead, passed by (Hades exits at one end, riding his fearsome horse-drawn chariot. (Hades stops and looks hypnotized at Persephone) He has fallen in love! (Tries to take it from her mind, wipes his forehead, covers his eyes) and immediately thinks of kidnapping her and taking her to his dominions under the earth.

Persephone: (She feels someone looking at her and turns to look and is scared) By all the Olympian gods, who are you?

Hades: Hello Persephone (she approaches him in a friendly way, stretching out her hand) how beautiful you are today! Don't you know who I am? I am the great Hades. (He raises his arms and shows himself) God of the underworld and… (Changes from friendly to demanding) I've come for you. (Friendly again) I want you to be the queen of the underworld! (He kneels)

Persephone: (backs away in fright) Zeus, my father, protected. Help! (Hades covers Persephone with her cloak and leads her away.)

Narrator: Hades has kidnapped her. After a short time, Demeter goes looking for her daughter in the field and does not find her (she desperately looks for her, she runs from side to side, calls her),

Demeter: I have to find my daughter, even if it costs me my life. I left her in the field and no one gives me a reason for her. She (she Cries, she goes back, turns, bends over, gets up, stays down)

Narrator: With torches in each hand, Demeter undertook a journey of nine days and nine nights, on the tenth day the Sun, which sees everything, looking at her so desperately, dared to approach Demeter….

Helios: (kindly approaches from behind and touches her shoulder) Demeter, why are you worried? Tell me, can I help you?

Demeter: Ah, Helios. (Trusting him, she takes her hand) You who see everything Have you seen my daughter Persephone? I left her in the field, (points to the field) among the flowers and she has disappeared. I've been on a long journey just to find her and no one knows anything about her. Have you seen her?

Helios: (turns worried) I don't want to get into your conflicts, but if you promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you where your daughter is. (She takes Demeter's hand again.

Demeter: I promise not to tell anyone. Please Helios, where is my daughter. (He is glad)

Helios: (by way of confession) The day you left Persephone in the field, Hades came out of the earth (points and mimes) and took her to the underworld.

Narrator: Demeter, upon learning that his daughter had been kidnapped, plunged into deep sadness, decided to leave Olympus and his functions.

Demeter: So. From today I travel to look for my daughter. The land will be desolate and will produce nothing. As long as I don't find my daughter, the fields will dry up, the plants will not grow, nor will they flourish or bear fruit. (While Demeter speaks the flowers wither and the earth becomes sad.) Gods of Olympus help me find Persephone. She (she raises her hands and decides)

Narrator: Zeus, seeing the disaster in which the earth was plunged, was forced to intervene. And he went before Demeter.

Zeus: (In a claiming tone and with anger). Demeter, why has he abandoned your responsibilities. Your job is to make the land produce, make the fields green. You see how everything is. (Points to the field, the trees) The earth is a desert. Humans have no products and if they continue like this they will die. It's time for you to get to work. I remind you that you are the goddess who gives life to the harvest Deméter

SECOND ACT

(challenging Zeus, loudly and energetically) Well, the fields aren't going to produce anything until I find our daughter. You, (recriminates him) have to do something. She is our daughter. her (she covers her face and cries) You know very well that Hades took her to the underworld and you haven't done anything to avoid it.

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