Echo and Narcissus (from Elements of Literature 1st course) told in turn by each of the Gods/Goddesses in the myth.
CAST
Zeus
Hera
Echo
Narcissus
Aphrodite
Zeus: It all started when one day I had nothing to do, so I decided to go down to Earth and chase some nymphs....
Hera: Since Zeus goes down to Earth a lot, I decided I would start following him. After a few times of going down to the mountains, it struck me as odd that I always ran into Echo, this annoying little wood nymph. Oh, she talks so much! My ear nearly fell off last time. I'm glad I stopped her...
Echo: Hera somehow found out that Zeus had told me to stop her from finding him, which meant bad luck for me. She put a curse on me! I was only allowed to repeat what other people say... and I couldn't talk unless someone started talking to me first...
Hera: I think this was quite a suitable punishment, so I returned to Olympus.
Echo: For a long time, I sat on the rocks and wept, repeating what the other nymphs and satyrs said. I got used to it after a while, but then a great misfortune befell me...
Zeus: In comes Narcissus. Narcissus was the son of a god of a river close by and a nymph. He was on these mountains where Echo lived because he was hunting. Lots of nymphs looked at him and then adored him. He would laugh, however, because he loved only himself...
Narcissus: No one else is good enough for me, except for... ME!
Echo: Once I laid my eyes upon Narcissus, I knew it was love at first sight. I wanted so badly to tell him how I loved him, but the curse Hera put on me prevented me from doing so...
Narcissus: One day, when I had gone farther than I normally did, I called out "Is there anybody here?" hoping to be heard by a shepherd or my friends...
Echo: I was filled with glee, because now I could speak to Narcissus, so I cried "Here!" and he looked around...
Zeus: He could not find who was shouting to him, so he yelled again "Why are you avoiding me?" and Echo repeated the words with tears in her eyes...
Echo: Narcissus called again "Come here and let us meet!" and I called out "Let us meet!". My heart was leaping, and I ran out to see Narcissus...
Narcissus: Nasty! I couldn't let this creature touch me. Nothing is good enough for Narcissus! I cried to the nymph "I would die before I would have you touch me!" and she called back "I would have you touch me!" and she sat down on the rocks...
Zeus: Narcissus spoke to the nymph once more, saying "Never will I let you kiss me!" and she cried to him "Kiss me! Kiss me!" and he pushed her away, saying one touch of those lips would kill him...
Aphrodite: This is when I heard Echo and her mournful cries. I thought I should put her out of her misery, because she had truly loved Narcissus...
Zeus: So she pined away and died, while her voice remained, lingering among the rocks, calling back whenever another called...
Aphrodite: Since Echo really, truly loved Narcissus, I decided he must be punished. By scoffing Echo, he scoffed love itself. By doing that, he scoffs me. No one shall insult me and get away with it! So I decided that he should love himself and no one else...
Zeus: And so he did...
Narcissus: One day, when I was dying of thirst, I came upon a small pond. I sat down to take a drink, when I saw a beautiful water nymph, more beautiful than anything else I've ever seen...
Aphrodite: What he did not know was that he was merely looking upon his own reflection in the water...
Narcissus: I stayed there for days, but finally my heart broke...
Zeus: He faded away and died, and the earth covered his bones...
Aphrodite: When spring came, a flower poked it's way through the soil: a white flower with a yellow center...
Hera: The flowers continued to grow, and the breeze brew through them like Echo herself came to kiss them.