Homer’s “The Odyssey” Part 2

V2.7 Edited 10/21/2024

Scene: The Dead
ACTOR 1: Out blew all those terrible, wild winds,
ACTOR 2: raging into a
ACTOR 3: mad tempest,
ACTOR 4: driving them farther and farther
ACTOR 5: away from Ithaca.
ACTOR 6: Six days
ACTOR 7: and six nights!
ACTOR 8: Driving them Into the seas unknown!
​
(Transition to the Underworld. Light cue during transition. Image On)​

ODYSSEUS: Hear my words, men. We are fortunate to escape from those

winds but they have blown us to the Waters of the River Styx,
We must seek out the blind prophet, Teiresias. He alone can direct us home across
Poseidon’s seas.

THE DEAD:
1)​ Brave Odysseus,
2)​ Give us a drink . . .
3)​ Blood is life, only a drop.

ODYSSEUS: Keep back!

THE DEAD:
4)​ Don't hurt me with your sword . .
5)​ One sip of blood . . .
6)​ Blood. .. . blood.

ODYSSEUS: No. I seek the blind prophet, Teiresias.

(ANTICLEA, dressed as a wraith, She floats towards ODYSSEUS.)

ANTICLEA: Noble son . . . Odysseus, my boy...

ODYSSEUS: Who is it that calls my name?

ANTICLEA: I am your mother, Anticlea. Give me but one drink that I may speak with you.

ODYSSEUS: Alas, dear mother! Here, drink one sip and tell me what has
brought you to this horrible place. (She drinks a sip and when she lowers her cloth-covered
head, the cloth slides down revealing her death mask.)
(Line Quiz 1)

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ANTICLEA: My son, it was no disease that brought me to this place of
darkness. It was my longing for you to return from Troy that
brought my life to an end.

ODYSSEUS: We are now reunited. Let me embrace you once more. Why do you
avoid me? May I not hold you in my arms once more?

ANTICLEA: You can’t. I am only a spirit now. It is the fate of mankind. I have
no flesh, no bones. You must fly from this black place. It is no
place for you, the living. Go back . . . go back . . . go back to the lighted world. (She exits)

ODYSSEUS: I cannot go until I see Teiresias. Oh, mother, please return. What a
terrible place this is. Lord Hades, I beseech you send the blind
prophet, Teiresias, that I may speak with him.
(Teiresias floats in also covered with black cloths and wearing a blind death mask.)

TEIRESIAS: I come. I come, great Odysseus. Hold your sword aside so

I can drink the blood and prophesize truth to you. ‘
(Odysseus holds the cup so Teiresias can drink from It.)

ODYSSEUS: Tell me, blind prophet, how I may get home to Ithaca?

TEIRESIAS: You must sail past the Isle of Thrinacia, where the Sun God,
Apollo, pastures his golden cattle. If you do not harm them, you
may reach your home. But if you do them harm, you and all your
men may be drowned at sea! I have told you the truth.

ODYSSEUS: Thank you, blind prophet.

TEIRESIAS: One final warning: You must sail past the rocks of the Twin
Sirens. Beware! Now I must return, return to the darkness…. (He exits)

VOICES OF THE DEAD:

ACTOR 1: Give me life . .
ACTOR 2: drink . . .
ACTOR 3: Odysseus help us
ACTOR 4: return...
ACTOR 5: return . . .
ACTOR 6: Blood . .
ACTOR 7: help us . ..
ACTOR 8: life . . .!

ODYSSEUS: This is no place for the living! I must fly out of here. Ho, Sailors!
(The sailors enter, set up the ship, Lights out, SFX Stop, Image Off)
(Line Quiz 2)

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SCENE: KILL A COW - ------------ (Designer Change) --------------------
ODYSSEUS: Raise the mast! Man the long oars, we fly out of Hades! Away,
away! We are bound for Apollo’s golden island of Thrinacia. We are going home to Ithaca!​
(They leave the Underworld)​

SAILORS: Hooray! Yea!

EURYLOCHUS: What an adventure, Odysseus! To descend alive into Hades and

return safely! One death is enough for every man but now you will have two. ​

HYLAX: Reefs ahead! Beware, helmsman.

(Waters start to get rough)​

PEREMIDES: Rocks on this side, steer carefully.

(Using their oars the sailors guide the ship off the reefs on both sides.)

PERITES: Reefs off there!

HYLAX: Those were terrible rocks... and the current .. almost too strong ... What a horrible
ordeal. (Waters calm)

PERITES: Six days and nights of rowing! We have never rowed so hard
and traveled so far without rest and no food for three days.

PEREMIDES: Wait! Look there, land! Steer in toward the shore.

PERITES: We can put ashore and find food. It's shallow. Ease her in.

HYLAX: I am not staying on this ship tonight. I shall sleep on land.

PERITES: (They leap ashore followed) Come on!

(Image On)

PEREMIDES: We can forage for food. (hears something) What... look there, is it a mirage?

PERITES: No, it is cattle grazing.

HYLAX: Beautiful—golden in the sunlight, with long horns.

EURYLOCHUS: Wait, men. Don’t touch those golden cows, they’re sacred to
the god Apollo.

HYLAX: We intend to kill and eat one of these cattle while we still have
the strength. Join us—or, at least, don't try to stop us!
(Line Quiz 1)

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(EURYLOCHUS attempts to draw his sword but they prevent him
and threaten him with their weapons.)

EURYLOCHUS: All right...in another minute we'll be killing each other. Apollo
forgive us: we starve.

HYLAX: Come on! Take that one! Haaa!

(They mime killing a cow. APOLLO comes forward and they freeze in a tableau.) (Image Off)

APOLLO: (Behind Screen Silhouette) No! Father Zeus, I, Apollo, call upon you to punish
these wicked followers of Odysseus. They are killing my golden cattle. If you let them go
unpunished, I will take my golden sun down into Hades to shine among the dead and leave
this earth dark and cold forever.

ODYSSEUS: (Joining the crew on land)

Oh, my friends, what are you doing? Oh no! A Golden Cow!
Oh gods who live forever, why have you lulled me into a sleep
while men offended Apollo? He will surely punish us. Come
we must leave this island quickly, although I fear it is already too late.
(They enter the ship. ZEUS is on one side, APOLLO on the other.)

ZEUS: (Behind Screen Silhouette) Apollo, continue to shine your sun upon the earth. I, Zeus,
Lord of Olympus, will soon strike them with my thunderbolt, and scatter them on the wine-red
sea. Now rise great waves! Rock their boat from side to side!
(Waves Rise up and rock boat. The ship rocks from side to side, and a man is tossed
overboard who saves himself by clinging to the side)

HYLAX: Man overboard!

ZEUS: (Behind Screen Silhouette) Now, omnipotent thunderbolt, strike!

(When ZEUS calls for a thunderbolt, the ship breaks apart, leaving
ODYSSEUS and sailors, awash in the sea.)

ODYSSEUS: Swim men, swim! Pallas Athena, help us! We are drowning!
(They tumble off stage, Boat goes away, Lights out, SFX Stop, Image Still Out)
(Line Quiz 2)

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Scene: REVENGE - ------------ (Designer Change) --------------------
(Actors set up Palace) (Image on)

ANTINOUS: (Entering with all the SUITORS.)

It is true! Odysseus was drowned in the sea by Zeus’ great
thunderbolt. He is dead. Now, Penelope, we have brought you
our matrimonial offerings as is the custom. Now you must choose
which one of us you will marry.

PENELOPE:
I shall choose, Antinous. Telemachus, go fetch your father’s bow
from its accustomed place. I shall choose by challenge. He
among you who can string Odysseus's great bow and shoot an
arrow through those 12 axes as he did, shall have my consent.
Will you accept the challenge?

EURYMACHUS: A fair challenge. He who can string the bow and shoot through
the axes wins Penelope's hand.

ANTINOUS: Are we agreed then to take up this challenge?

EURYMACHUS: Yes, agreed! (TELEMACHUS returns with the bow)

TELEMACHUS: Here is the bow. Try it if you dare.

(Suitor laugh mockingly.)

ANTINOUS: Come, young princes, we shall go even as the wine is passed: from left to right.

KTESSIPOS: (Tipsy) Me? Am I first? Give me the bow.

ANTINOUS: Ktessipos!

KTESSIPOS: Fair Penelope.

(KTESSIPOS tries to string the bow but fumbles with it and hits himself on the nose.)
This is a strong bow....

EURYMACHUS: Did you say a strong drink, Ktessipos?

KTESSIPOS: Yes, I'll have one! I may not be able to string this bow, but I can
drink this wine. (He drinks his goblet of wine.)

ANTINOUS: Eurymachus. You are next. (He tries but cannot string It.)

(Line Quiz 1)

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EURYMACHUS: Surely there be men— or at least one—here today who can string this bow.
Like this! (With great strength, EURYMACHUS almost strings the bow, but cannot.)

ANTINOUS: Lo, mighty Eurymachus cannot even string Odysseus’s bow! Then
how can he shoot an arrow?

(Laughter and taunts from the suitors.)

EURYMACHUS: Here Antinous, take this bow. This humiliates me and the
disgrace sticks to my name.

ANTINOUS: There is no disgrace here today. Today should be a holiday—in

preparation for a princely wedding! We shall call today a festival
and tomorrow we can take up the challenge of this bow once again.

EURYMACHUS: No Antinous, you will try today.

KTESSIPOS: No today! You must try now!

(Enter the OLD MAN.)

OLD MAN: Young princes, let me try the strength of these old arms and
hands on that great bow.

ANTINOUS: Miserable old beggar, are you out of your senses? Are you not
content to eat with your betters and be quiet? Now I warn you,
you will come to harm. Stand off!

PENELOPE: Antinous, it is not common courtesy to be so rude to a guest in

my house.

EURYMACHUS: And it is not proper behavior for you to let a miserable beggar
compete for your hand in marriage.

TELEMACHUS: Peace, I say. (Takes the bow from ANTINOUS.) No man in Ithaca
has more right than I to give this bow. Though I am young I am
still master of this house. I shall decide. Try it, old man.

ANTINOUS: He’s too old!

(Suitors laugh. The old man strings the bow and mimes shooting an arrow past the suitors
whose eyes and heads follow its flight. Quiet beat as the arrow hits the target.)

(Line Quiz 2)

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KTESSIPOS: A hit!

OLD MAN: And now I shall conclude my story of Odysseus. He returned to

his home, disguised as an old beggar, (He takes off the mask and hat)
to meet again his beloved wife and his brave son.
(He embraces PENELOPE and grasps TELEMACHUS’s hand, then turns to the SUITORS.)
Only to find his home filled with corrupt suitors who would steal is wife, murder his son and
dishonor the immortal gods. So the match is played and won. Odysseus is home!

ANTINOUS: It's Odysseus!

ODYSSEUS: Yes! And who is to say he should not rid his house of the vermin that infest it?

EURYMACHUS: Get your weapons! Attack him, everyone!

(The slaughter of the suitors is in slow motion. With PENELOPE on one side of ODYSSEUS
and TELEMACHUS on the other. TELEMACHUS mimes handing Arrows to ODYSSEUS
Then shoots each suitor: ANTINOUS, KTESSIPOS, and EURYMACHUS. As they are hit by
an arrow they bring a red silken handkerchief to the place of the wound and fall to the
ground.)

ODYSSEUS: It is not yet finished! I have purged my house, but I fear the
families of these dead suitors will rise up in arms for revenge.

PENELOPE: Is there to be still more slaughtering?

ODYSSEUS: Fair Penelope, only the gods of Olympus know. Telemachus, when
we are in the heat of battle, I know you will not bring disgrace to our house.

TELEMACHUS: Father, I shall stand at your side, and you will see!

ODYSSEUS: I hear them coming even now. Ready!

(The suitors begin to slowly rise, raising their swords as their vengeful family. ODYSSEUS,
PENELOPE and TELEMACHUS take up a siege position. ATHENA enters between them.)

ATHENA: Stop, you Greeks! Lay down your weapons! (They do.) I, Pallas Athena, tell you!
There will be no more bloodshed. Odysseus, you shall make a treaty of mutual friendship
with these noble families. You, lthacan nobles, will make peace with his family. Salute each
other, so that peace and prosperity will return to my beloved Greece. Now, let us all join
hands as we celebrate the end of this Odyssey.

(They shake hands with Odysseus, then turn and bow with Athena.)
(Line Quiz 3)

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