Our engaging Greek-mythology play tells the story of Persephone and Demeter.
Learning Objective: Students will learn about the genre of myths as they read a play adaptation of the Greek story of Demeter and Persephone.
Prologue
GC1: In ancient Greece, gods and goddesses rule the world.
GC2: Zeus is the king of heaven and Earth.
GC1: Poseidon rules the seas and oceans.
GC2: And Hades is the lord of the dead.
GC1: But mankind depends on their sister Demeter.
All Chorus: The goddess of the harvest.
GC2: Demeter looks after the trees and fields, making sure everything grows and thrives.
GC1: Why, then, do trees go bare in winter?
GC2: Why do crops wither?
GC1: Why do people starve?
All Chorus: Listen, and we will tell you.
Scene 1
The Greek Countryside
N1: Farmers are working in their fields.
N2: They see two figures shimmering in
the sky.
Farmer 1: Demeter and Persephone are coming down from Mount Olympus!
N3: Demeter descends in her golden robe. Her grown daughter, Persephone, follows.
N1: Demeter loves Persephone beyond measure. The two are never apart.
N2: The farmers kneel at their feet as Demeter inspects their stalks of corn.
Demeter: These crops are strong and healthy.
Farmer 2: We use the farming methods you taught us.
Persephone: It is clear you love the land as much as we do.
N3: Demeter takes out a handful of golden grains from her pocket and blows them gently.
N1: As they spread out over the field, the corn grows taller.
Farmers 1 and 2: Thank you!
N2: Demeter and Persephone stroll through a green field to the next farm.
N3: Persephone runs through the grass.
Persephone: Remember when I used to do this as a little girl?
N1: Wherever she steps, flowers spring up, creating an explosion of color.
N2: Persephone’s joyous laughter fills the air.
Demeter: Persephone, don’t stray too far!
Scene 2
A Nearby Field
N3: Hades has come to Earth from the Underworld, the land of the dead.
N1: As he lumbers through the countryside, he hears Persephone’s laughter.
Hades: What is that sound? Is it . . . happiness?
N2: Hades sees Persephone across the field. She is dancing, holding an armful of bright flowers.
Hades: This is what my kingdom is missing: color and warmth and laughter!
N3: Hades considers how to persuade Persephone to come to the drab Underworld. He frowns.
Hades: She will never come willingly. I must trick her.
N1: Hades creates an exotic fuchsia [FYOO-shuh] flower and plants it in the field.
N2: Its sweet scent draws Persephone to it.
Persephone: What an unusual flower!
N3: As she bends down to smell it, the ground suddenly splits open.
N1: Out charge four jet-black horses pulling Hades’ black chariot.
N2: Hades grabs Persephone.
Persephone: Put me down!
Hades: Don’t worry. You’ll love the Underworld.
N3: He puts her in the chariot and turns the horses around.
Persephone: You won’t get away with this! (yelling) Motherrrr!
N1: Demeter hears a strange noise in the distance.
Demeter: Persephone?
N2: The chariot plunges back down into the darkness. The ground closes behind them.
N3: Demeter frantically looks around.
Demeter: Persephone! Where are you?
Scene 3
The Underworld
N1: Hades brings Persephone to his palace of gleaming black marble.
Hades: Welcome to your new kingdom!
Persephone: It’s so dark and dreary.
N2: He seats her on a black throne and gives her a gold crown with black diamonds.
Persephone: I don’t want your jewels.
Hades: What then? You can have anything.
Persephone: I want sunshine! I want flowers! I want my mother!
Hades: Well, not anything.
Persephone: I demand you take me back.
Hades: The land of the dead needs your sweet laughter.
Persephone: You won’t hear me laugh again.
Hades: Why is that?
Persephone: Because I will never be happy again!
Hades: So you’re not happy—but you must be hungry.
N3: He takes her to his gloomy garden, where nothing grows except for one gnarled pomegranate tree.
N1: He plucks a ripe pomegranate and tears it open.
N2: Hades knows that if she eats anything from the Underworld, she will have to stay in the land of the dead forever.
N3: He holds the fruit out to her.
Hades: Here, have a bite.
N1: Persephone stares longingly at the blood-red, juicy seeds.
Persephone: I am a bit hungry.
N2: Then she looks into his devious eyes and changes her mind.
Persephone: No! I will never eat your food!
Scene 4
The Greek Countryside
N3: Weeks pass, then months. In her sorrow, Demeter neglects nature.
N1: The earth turns brown. Crops die.
N2: Demeter does nothing but roam the countryside, desperately searching for her daughter.
Farmer 1: Goddess, can you help us?
Farmer 2: We are running out of food.
Demeter (in despair): Nothing will grow until Persephone is found.
N3: Demeter shuffles off.
Farmer 1: We can’t survive much longer. We must help find her.
Farmer 2: Let us ask Helios, the sun god. He sees everything as he journeys across the sky.
N1: The farmers call out to him.
Farmer 1: Oh, Helios! We need you!
N2: The sun flashes an angry glare.
Helios: I’m busy.
Farmer 2: Persephone is missing.
Helios: Not my problem.
Farmer 1: It is everyone’s problem. Everything in nature is dying!
Farmer 2: Do you know where she is?
N3: Helios hides behind a cloud.
Farmer 1: We know you’re still there!
N1: Helios peeks out.
Helios: I can’t tell you. Hades has such a temper.
Farmer 2: Hades? Did he take her?
Helios: You didn’t hear that from me.
N2: The farmers run to find Demeter.
Scene 5
Mount Olympus
N3: Demeter storms up to Zeus’ throne.
Demeter: Hades took my daughter!
Zeus: The Underworld deserves a bit of happiness, don’t you think?
Demeter: If she is not returned to me, nothing will ever grow again.
N1: She gives him a steely look.
Demeter: I’m serious. The world will starve.
Zeus (sighs): All right. I’ll send Hermes to bring her back. But there is a rule I cannot change: She can return from the land of the dead only if no food or drink has passed her lips.
Scene 6
The Underworld
N2: Hades sits on his throne, tossing pomegranate seeds into his mouth.
N3: Persephone sits beside him. Her skin has turned pale. The light has gone out of her eyes.
N1: Hermes arrives.
Hades: Welcome, Hermes! Persephone and I were just laughing about old times!
N2: Hermes looks at Persephone’s glum face.
Hermes: Riiiiight. Zeus sent me to bring her back.
Hades (through gritted teeth): All right.
N3: Persephone lifts her head.
Persephone: I can leave?
N1: Hades smiles a little too sweetly.
Hades: Yes.
N2: Persephone feels joy for the first time in ages.
Persephone: I’m going home!
Hades: Here. Take some seeds before you go.
N3: In her happiness, Persephone takes three pomegranate seeds and eats them.
Hades: Have a safe journey. Until we meet again.
Persephone: Oh, we will not meet again.
Hades: Don’t be so sure.
Scene 7
Mount Olympus
N1: Persephone rushes into her mother’s arms.
Demeter: I thought I’d never see you again!
Persephone: I missed you so much!
N2: As they embrace, rays of golden light sprinkle down onto Earth.
N3: Trees begin to grow leaves, flowers bloom, grass turns green.
N1: Demeter looks at her daughter.
Demeter: Tell me, did you eat anything while you were down there?
Persephone: Um . . . just a few pomegranate seeds.
Demeter: No! That means you are still bound to the Underworld.
N2: Hades appears.
Persephone: You tricked me!
Hades: I only fed you.
N3: Demeter turns to Zeus.
Demeter: You must settle this.
N1: Zeus strokes his long white beard.
Zeus: Since Persephone ate the food of the dead, the Underworld has a claim on her.
Persephone: Don’t make me go back!
Zeus: But while she was gone, the earth suffered greatly.
Demeter (angrily): And will suffer again if she returns to the Underworld.
Zeus: Therefore, Persephone shall spend part of each year in the land of the dead. One month for every seed she swallowed.
Persephone: Three months! That’s an eternity!
Hades: Three months! That’s too short!
Zeus: That is my final answer.
Epilogue
GC2: So every year, Persephone must leave her mother’s side and return to the Underworld.
GC1: That’s when the earth turns cold, like Demeter’s sad heart.
GC2: The ground freezes, the trees go bare, nothing grows.
All Chorus: This is winter.
GC1: Once three months have passed, when Persephone comes home, all of nature rejoices. The world turns green again. The ice melts. Flowers bloom.
GC2: Mother and daughter are together once more.
All Chorus: Spring has come at last.
Write to Win
Imagine you are a teacher in ancient Greece. Write a speech to explain to students why we have seasons, based on this myth. Send it to “Winter Contest” by Dec. 1, 2017. Ten winners will each receive a copy of She’s All That! by Megan E. Bryant.
More About the Story
Skills
Genre, fluency, vocabulary, character’s motivation, inference, plot, compare and contrast, analyzing, explanatory writing
Complexity Factors
Levels of Meaning
Based on the Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter, the play tells the story of a young woman taken to the Underworld and the demands of her mother—the goddess of the harvest—that she be returned. On another level, the myth explains why we have seasons, and the play explores the purpose of myths.
Structure
The play is chronological, with seven scenes plus a prologue and an epilogue.
Language
The play includes terms related to mythology; i.e., Mount Olympus, chariot. It also includes some sarcasm.
Knowledge Demands
Some familiarity with mythology aid comprehension.
1. Preparing to Read
Preview Text Features and Vocabulary (20 minutes, activity sheet online)
2. Reading the Play
Read and Unpack the Text (45 minutes, activity sheet online)
Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)
3. Skill Building
Featured Skill: Genre
Have students complete the genre activity to help them respond to the writing prompt on page 25
Research the Scientific Reason for the Seasons: Connect this play with your science curriculum! Now that your students are familiar with the ancient Greeks’ story for why the earth has seasons, have them research the scientific explanation. NASA’s Space Place has details at spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/. National Geographic has information as well, including a lesson plan. Find it at nationalgeographic .org/activity/the-reason-for-the-seasons/.
Differentiate and Customize
