Hades and Persephone: The True Story

by Cherry Chimchim

Did Hades really kidnap Persephone? How much was Cupid (actually Eros) involved? And how many pomegranate seeds did Persephone eat? A drama play in which two Narrators argue over the true happenings of the well-known myth.

This is a play written by myself and fellow drama classmates, performed a few years ago. To see this play acted out, please search for "Hades and Persephone the True Story" on YouTube and look for Cynosure Photography (it is far more amusing when performed).

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Characters + Props:

Narrator 1- A backpack containing a very large book

Narrator 2- Glasses, a small book

Persephone- White dress, flower crown

Hades- Black robes, pomegranate

Demeter- White robes

Cupid- White clothes, headband with wings, popcorn

Zeus- White robes, beard, lightning bolt

(Plus two stage hands, one long strip of fabric and a block)

Script:

(Long strip of fabric held up by stage hands across stage, middle back. Persephone and Demeter are behind the fabric)

(Narrators enter stage right. There is a block front, stage left. The Narrator telling the story stands on the block)

NARRATOR 1: It's so cold. I bet there are refrigerators out there being made redundant. Why do we have to go through this? Why do we even have Winter at all?

NARRATOR 2: Ah, we can thank the likes of the Greek Goddess of the Underworld, Persephone, for that. (Narrator 1 nods knowingly) In fact I have the story right here, how convenient (Brings out book). Ahem, twas a beautiful day like all the others in this land, and Persephone (Persephone rises from behind the fabric), the daughter of Zeus (Persephone flips hair), the goddess of spring, and the most beautiful maiden in all of Athens.

PERSEPHONE: Ahem.

NARRATOR 2: Um… in all of Greece.

PERSEPHONE: Ahem!

NARRATOR 2: The most beautiful maiden in the entire world (Persephone blows kisses to the audience) was gathering flowers in a plain. But she was soon distracted by the most enchanting flower she had ever seen. (Persephone steals a slow dramatic glance. A flower pops up from behind the fabric) It was a narcissus. As she reached down to pluck it from its resting place, (Persephone engages in a tug of war with the flower) her feet began to tremble and the earth was split in two (The flower flies out to who knows where). From this gaping crevice in the ground emerged the awe-inspiring God of the Underworld, Hades (Hades strolls in and poses heroically. Persephone imitates "The Scream"), ready to abduct the maiden. (Persephone faints. Hades lifts Persephone up and over the fabric)

NARRATOR 1: Woah, woah, woah! Abduct? (Persephone and Hades freeze) Put the lady down. (Hades drops Persephone on the ground. Persephone is indignant) No, that's not what happened.

NARRATOR 2: Ahem, you're interrupting. And of course that's what happened. Look, it says so in my book (Persephone tries crawl away. Hades grabs her legs and drags her back).

NARRATOR 1: (Whips out a much larger book) Well in my book it says otherwise. Persephone actually willingly went with Hades (Persephone stands up and takes Hades' hand).

NARRATOR 2: That is a lie! An innocent girl like Persephone would never go with the God of the Underworld freely (Hades starts to walk off but Persephone falls back to the ground and he is annoyed)!

NARRATOR 1: All girls like bad boys. (Hades goes to squat in the corner, front stage left) But no, it's more complicated than that. The story is supposed to go like this: Demeter (Demeter rises, facing back of stage, then realises and slowly turns around), the goddess of harvest, whom everyone worshipped, was really just a very overprotective mother (Demeter lifts Persephone up and poses). You see, she wouldn't let Persephone marry any of the guys who came after her. And like all rebellious, hormonal teenagers, Persephone got seriously annoyed (Persephone catslaps Demeter who lets go and retreats behind the fabric). But luckily, there was Cupid to save the day. (Cupid comes on)

NARRATOR 2: Hold on, Cupid wasn't in the story. (Cupid begins to back out)

NARRATOR 1: Um, yes he was… (Cupid advances)

NARRATOR 2: Um no he wasn't. (Cupid, dejected, moves away)

NARRATOR 1: Um, yes he was. Hey you! Come back here! (Cupid freezes and stomps back)

NARRATOR 2: Fine, if you're so desperate to have made-up characters in your story, at least get the name right. We're doing Greek myths, it should be Eros. Cupid is Roman.

NARRATOR 1: Cupid, being the mischievous little rascal he was, (Cupid prepares dramatically to fire) shot an arrow into Persephone's heart (Cupid shoots and Persephone reacts), and the complementary one into the heart of the God of the Underworld (Cupid shoots and Hades reacts). When Hades appeared before Persephone it was love at first sight (Persephone and Hades take a slow dramatic look at each other). Persephone didn't find this man as scary as what she'd been told (They throw hearts to each other). In fact, he was actually a pretty good-looking guy (Hades poses. Persephone fans herself). So when he offered to take her to his Kingdom (Hades offers a hand to Persephone) to escape her mother, she agreed readily. (Persephone takes his hand and they hug)

NARRATOR 2: Hold on, Hades abducted her! It says in my book that he scooped her up in one arm (Persephone changes to pushing Hades away) and dragged (Hades drags Persephone stage right and exit) her into the Underworld as her screams of protest were lost within the darkness. (Persephone silently screams very dramatically)

NARRATOR 1: Nuh-uh! She wanted to escape from her crazily overbearing mother.

NARRATOR 2: But!

NARRATOR 1: When Demeter found out that Persephone was missing, she threw a terrible tantrum and refused to let anything grow until she got Persephone back (Demeter throws a tantrum).

NARRATOR 2: Finally we agree on something...wait, a tantrum? Goddesses do not throw tantrums! Move over! (Narrator 2 pushes Narrator 1) It could also be said that Demeter was so stricken with grief (Demeter does not react). DEMETER WAS SO STRICKEN WITH GRIEF (Demeter begins wailing silently) at the loss of her daughter that she forgot her worldly duties as Goddess of Grain and Growth. She was distraught and desperate (Cupid moves to comfort Demeter. Demeter hits Cupid and Cupid backs off), searching high and low, never stopping, and all the crops failed as she bewailed the loss of her only daughter.

NARRATOR 1: Yeah, yeah, exactly. She threw a massive tantrum. Well, meanwhile, Cupid, job finished (Cupid dusts hands), went up to the house of good old Zeus. (Zeus makes wild gestures stage right) Um, the great, the mighty Zeus? (Zeus makes wilder gestures, starts hyping himself up)

NARRATOR 2: It's not good enough.

NARRATOR 1: Introducing, the God of the Gods, the King of the Heavens, Zeus! (Zeus struts on stage) Anywho, Cupid tells Zeus the job's done (Cupid thumbs up) but…

NARRATOR 2: Wait what? Why is Cupid telling Zeus? Demeter was the one who went looking for Persephone.

NARRATOR 1: I'm not up to that bit yet.

NARRATOR 2: What does Zeus have to do with anything right now? Your story is flawed!

NARRATOR 1: Um, hello, keep up sunshine. Of course it's because Zeus was the mastermind behind all this! (Zeus poses triumphantly) He was the one egging Hades on to get married, and he was the one who got Cupid to shoot both Hades and Persephone. (Zeus and Cupid hi-five) So his brother gets married, Persephone is happy, kill two birds with one stone. Bit slow this one.

NARRATOR 2: But, what? How could he let Hades take Persephone away? How could he let that happen? How could he not take responsibility for his actions? (Zeus strokes his beard in contemplation)

NARRATOR 1: Please, he has way too many kids to even remember. (Zeus is outraged) Besides, when has he ever taken responsibility? (Zeus attempts to strike Narrator 1 down with a lightning bolt, but upon noticing the audience is watching, hastily hides the lightning bolt)

NARRATOR 2: I suppose that is kind of true.

NARRATOR 1: Anyway, Cupid (Cupid mimes) tells Zeus that Demeter was going on a rampage, refusing to let crops grow. Zeus did some quick maths in his head. (Zeus paces, stroking beard) No food equals people starve, equals people die. No people equals no sacrifice and no worship! (Zeus grabs his hair in horror)

NARRATOR 2: You insult the King of the Gods! You make him sound so selfish! No, Zeus was merely concerned about the welfare of humans (Zeus nods and gestures out to audience). That is why when Demeter proclaimed (Demeter rises from behind the fabric) "I shall make the Earth barren forever and thus destroy all of humankind if Persephone is not returned to me", he immediately sent a messenger to look for Persephone and bring her back. (Zeus sends Cupid. Cupid exits stage left. Demeter straddles the fabric and gets over it)

NARRATOR 1: Not before some… diplomatic discussion…(Demeter and Zeus fight. Both Narrators cringe at the fighting couple) So um... they argued and fought for some time (Stage hands cautiously leave the scene), causing raging storms and wild weather. (Demeter and Zeus fight dramatically but Zeus ends up in a headlock) Finally, Zeus relented and sent the messenger to find and retrieve their daughter. (Demeter drags Zeus off by the beard stage left)

NARRATOR 2: And that messenger must have been the messenger of the Gods, Hermes. (Enter Cupid stage left wearing a winged headband)

NARRATOR 1: (Pushes Narrator 2) Um, no it wasn't. It was actually Cupid.

NARRATOR 2: Fine, have it your way. Let Hermes be Cupid then.

NARRATOR 1: Exactly. Cupid went down to the Underworld and told Hades and Persephone of Zeus' command. (Enter Hades and Persephone hand in hand from stage right. Cupid mimes)

NARRATOR 2: And Persephone was so joyous and thankful, wanting to return to her mother's embrace immediately. (Persephone slings an arm around Cupid and waves goodbye at a confused Hades)

NARRATOR 1: Er, no. She was actually so terrified she would actually have to return to her mother's side and lose her newfound freedom that she begged Hades not to let her go back. (Persephone turns back to Hades and begs) Wanting to comfort his lovely new wife, Hades came closer. (Hades excitedly takes a step towards Persephone) And closer (Hades takes another step). And closer (Hades takes another step). And gently kissed her on the forehead. (Hades rolls his eyes, kisses his hand and slaps Persephone on the forehead) Aww, gotta love the romance.

NARRATOR 2: And then Persephone recoiled in disgust! (Persephone scoots far away to Cupid)

NARRATOR 1: You're ruining the moment!

NARRATOR 2: What moment?

NARRATOR 1: (Sighs) Hades tells Persephone that "All you need to do my dear is eat some food. (Hades mimes) Because all those who eat the food of the Underworld can never return". So Persephone, as quick as a wink, asked for some pomegranate. (Persephone gestures for Hades to give it to her and he pulls out a pomegranate from his pocket)

NARRATOR 2: I object! Hades is a slimy, wicked man! (Persephone shoos Hades away) He tricked Persephone into eating that pomegranate!

NARRATOR 1: Hades would never do that. He might be the King of the Underworld but he's still a fair and just person. (Persephone accepts pomegranate from Hades)

NARRATOR 2: Well for your information, Persephone the name itself means "picky eater" (Persephone throws pomegranate back to Hades). She never would have eaten anything unless she was tricked into it.

NARRATOR 1: She would if she was desperate enough to stay! (Persephone takes pomegranate from Hades)

NARRATOR 2: Desperate, to stay in the Underworld? And why would she be so desperate to stay in such a dark and gloomy place? (Persephone throws pomegranate back to Hades) Persephone is the Goddess of Spring! She belongs in the living world with the sunshine and flowers.

NARRATOR 1: I don't know, maybe she hates flowers. (Persephone looks at her flower crown and shoves it back on her head)

NARRATOR 2: What?! Now you're just being unreasonable!

NARRATOR 1: Either way, Persephone (Persephone takes the pomegranate), willingly or tricked into it, ate six pomegranate seeds. (Persephone counts six and throws into mouth)

NARRATOR 2: Oh! And that's where you're wrong again! She ate three pomegranate seeds. (Persephone spits three out)

NARRATOR 1: No, it was six. (Persephone puts it back into her mouth)

NARRATOR 2: No, it has to be three. Because when Persephone and Demeter finally come together again (Demeter rushes in stage left), they realise that Persephone has to stay in the Underworld (Cupid takes the pomegranate and leaves to offer popcorn to the audience) as anyone who eats the food of Hades must stay there (Demeter grabs Persephone's head and shakes her to try to make her spit it out). So Zeus resolves this issue with a compromise (Persephone swallows defiantly. Zeus bounds in stage left), that Persephone will stay in the Underworld for only a part of each year, a month for every pomegranate seed that she has eaten. (Hades and Demeter argue in the background) You see, that's why we have winter, because when Persephone returns to the Underworld again, Demeter is stricken with grief and doesn't let anything grow (Hades and Demeter each grab one of Persephone's arms and tug of war ensues), so we have to have three seeds and not six because there's three months of winter.

NARRATOR 1: Well, yeah, yeah, a month for every seed (Persephone wrenches herself free and Frisbees her flower crown at the Narrators who take no notice), but in case you haven't noticed, autumn is when the weather starts to change and when the crops stop growing, so it's six months cause autumn plus winter is six! (Persephone storms off stage right. Hades tries to help her, but she knocks his hand aside and he slaps himself instead.)

NARRATOR 2: (Demeter and Hades shrug and walk off stage right) The weather only changes in autumn because Demeter is sad that Persephone will leave soon. (Zeus realises he is the only one left. He waves at the audience and exits stage right)

NARRATOR 1: Demeter isn't going to start mourning Persephone while she's still with her!

NARRATOR 2: (Throws glasses on ground) For your information, Demeter is the Goddess of the Harvest, and autumn is when the crops are harvested.

NARRATOR 1: They are harvested then because they stop growing!

NARRATOR 2: (Shrieks and pulls Narrator 1's hair) Persephone spends three months with Hades and nine months with her mother and that is that!

NARRATOR 1: Well then Hades gets the shorter end of the stick then doesn't he! Three months compared to nine that's hardly equal!

NARRATOR 2: Equal? Equal! Who cares about equal?! Zeus made them agree to the compromise, and Zeus' word is law! Isn't it Zeus? (Both Narrators turn around)

NARRATOR 1: Hey, where did they go!

NARRATOR 2: Where did they go? How do I know where they went?!

NARRATOR 1: Stay cool they're still watching. Three months, six months. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.

NARRATOR 2: I suppose the details don't really matter. So, friend (violently slings an arm around Narrator 1's shoulders. Narrator 1 slaps Narrator 2 on the back very hard), to answer your question, that's why we have Winter, because when Persephone returns to the Underworld, Demeter is sad and the weather starts getting colder and nothing grows. So thank you very much.

(Both Narrators bow with a flourish and exit stage right still arguing over who ruined the story)