*Narrators 1, 2, and 3 (N1, N2, N3)
*King Midas: a greedy king *Marigold: Midas’s daughter
*Bacchus [BAH-kuhss]: a god
Servants 1 and 2
Characters
Choose the character you will play. *Starred characters have large speaking roles.
Illustrations by Sebastià Serra
Play,
King Midas
King Midas loves his gold more than anything on Earth—until he loses everything else
By Sari Bodi and Karen Trott
From the December 2021 / January 2022 Issue
Learning Objective: As students read an adaptation of a well-known Greek myth, they will learn about the elements of the mythology genre and identify the lesson this myth teaches.
Complexity Factors
Guided Reading Level: R
DRA Level: 40
Other Key Skills: key details, character, plot, analyzing, character’s motivation, how a character changes, theme
Standards
Scene 1
King Midas’s Treasure Room
N1: Long, long ago in ancient Gordium . . .
N2: Gordium? Never heard of it.
N3: It’s in the country that’s now called Turkey.
N1: Back then, there was a king named Midas, who was the richest man in all the land.
N2: But that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to be even richer.
N3: And that’s what got him into trouble.
N1: Every day, King Midas sat in his treasure room counting his gold coins.
Midas: One billion four hundred million three thousand four hundred and seventy-two . . .
N2: He loved gold more than anything.
Midas: One billion four hundred million three thousand four hundred and seventy-three . . .
N3: More than ice cream?
N1: Yes, and even more than his own daughter, Marigold, whom he named after the golden flower.
N2: Here she comes now.
Marigold: Father, come see my garden. The roses are blooming.
Midas: One billion four hundred million three—oh, Marigold, you made me lose my count!
Marigold: That’s all you care about. You hardly ever leave this room.
Midas: Everything I love is here.
Marigold: Then I’ll leave you to your treasure.
N3: Hiding her tears, Marigold runs back to her garden.
N1: And King Midas goes back to his gold.
Midas: Oh, my precious golden treasure, you shine brighter than the sun.
N2: Watching from Mount Olympus, the god Bacchus decides to pay a visit to King Midas.
Bacchus: This greedy king must be taught a lesson.
Illustrations by Sebastià Serra
Scene 2
The Treasure Room
N3: That afternoon, as Midas continues counting his treasure, Bacchus appears before him.
Midas: Who are you?
Bacchus: Someone who could offer you enough gold to be happy.
Midas: Enough gold? No one can ever have enough.
Bacchus: What if you could share your gold with everyone in the land and still live the life of a very rich man?
Midas: Share? But then I wouldn’t be the richest.
Bacchus: Will nothing satisfy you?
Midas: Yes, something could. If everything I touched turned to gold, then I’d be happy.
Bacchus: It is a wish I will grant you, and one that you truly deserve.
N1: Bacchus places his hand on the king’s head and chants.
Bacchus: King Midas, whose heart is cold, I hereby grant thee limitless gold.
N2: Bacchus snaps his fingers and vanishes.
Midas: I must be dreaming. I’ve been in this room too long.
N3: Climbing over piles of gold, King Midas stumbles out of his treasure room, but as he touches the door . . .
Midas: Gold! It turned to gold!
N1: He touches the wall.
Midas: Again, it’s gold!
N2: Midas runs through the halls of his castle touching everything in sight.
Midas: And now my torches, my windows, my tapestries are all gold—I will be the wealthiest man who ever lived!
Scene 3
The Garden
N3: King Midas races to the garden to find his daughter.
Midas: Marigold! Marigold!
Marigold: Father, look at my lovely roses. They’re so red, and the scent is glorious.
Midas: But I have a surprise for you. If you think your flowers are lovely now, just wait.
Marigold: What could possibly make them more beautiful?
N1: As Marigold watches, Midas touches a rosebush and it immediately turns to gold.
Midas: Now see how beautiful your roses are.
Marigold: Father, how could you? They’re horrible. They’ve lost their color and their smell. Oh! And the petals are so hard.
Midas: But now they’re worth a fortune.
Marigold: My roses are ruined. Please don’t touch another flower.
Midas: Go fetch my servants. I need to speak to them immediately.
N2: Heedless of his daughter’s wishes, Midas races about the garden, touching all the flowers and trees, so that by the time the servants arrive, Marigold’s garden is entirely gold.
Servant 1: Your Majesty, can this be real?
Midas: This is only the beginning. There’s plenty more to come. I wish to hold a banquet in honor of my new power.
Servant 2: Shall we summon all the lords and ladies of Gordium?
Midas: Yes, at once.
Servant 1: Your Highness, could you spare one golden rose?
Servant 2: Or even just a petal that’s fallen on the ground?
Midas: Just one. But I’ll deduct it from your pay.
Illustrations by Sebastià Serra
Scene 4
The Banquet Room
N3: That night, the lords and ladies of ancient Gordium gather at the castle of King Midas.
N1: They are dressed in their finest gowns, trimmed with fur and jewels.
Servant 1: My Lady, would you care for some pigeon pie?
Lady Caraway: I’d love some roasted peacock, if you have it.
Servant 2: Yes, indeed. And perhaps a bowl of pomegranate seeds?
Lord Elderberry: I, for one, would like some of that pudding with rose water. Did the petals come from your roses, Marigold?
Marigold: Yes, Lord Elderberry, although I fear it may be the last you will ever taste of them.
Lord Elderberry: Why?
Marigold: Only my father can answer that.
Midas: Yes, I have something to reveal. Lady Caraway, hand me your dish.
N2: The moment the king touches Lady Caraway’s dish, it turns to gold.
Lady Caraway: Wow! Is this solid gold?
Midas: It certainly is.
Lady Laurel: Your Majesty, touch my plate!
Lord Elderberry: And mine—and my fork too.
N3: Before their very eyes, King Midas transforms all the dishes and utensils into gold.
N1: Even the flames on the candles harden into gold.
Lord Sage: A toast! A toast to our host!
N2: The servants fill the goblets with the finest wine.
Lady Caraway: Gordium will be the richest country in the world!
Lord Elderberry: Thanks to your golden touch.
Lady Laurel: The Midas touch.
Midas: It’s astounding, isn’t it?
N3: King Midas swirls the wine in his goblet and puts it to his lips.
N1: At once the liquid hardens into golden ice.
N2: His face turns pale. His hand shakes as he reaches for bread.
N3: As his finger touches the loaf, it becomes a golden brick.
N1: Marigold notices the look of dread on her father’s face.
Marigold: Father, what’s wrong?
N2: She rushes to his arms before he can stop her. The moment she touches him, she turns to solid gold too.
Midas: Nooo!
Lord Sage: Marigold! She’s become a golden statue.
Lady Laurel: We must flee before King Midas reaches for one of us.
N3: The guests stuff their bags with golden treasures as they bolt from the castle.
N1: King Midas collapses beside the statue of his daughter.
Midas: Bacchus, how wrong I was. This blessing is a curse.
Illustrations by Sebastià Serra
Scene 5
From the Palace to the River
N2: Hours later, Midas still kneels beside his daughter trapped in gold.
Midas: Oh, Bacchus, have pity on me.
N3: Finally, Bacchus appears before him.
Bacchus: What will happen if I do show you mercy?
Midas: I will open up my treasure room and share it with the poor. Having my daughter again matters to me more than wealth.
Bacchus: I see you’ve learned your lesson.
To reverse the spell, come with me and bathe in the River Pactolus, just beyond the garden.
N1: As Midas steps into the river, flecks of gold wash off him and mix with the sand.
N2: He races back to the castle.
N3: In the garden, he discovers that the roses are once again as red and fragrant as before.
Midas: Marigold!
N1: Marigold rushes out to meet him.
Marigold: Father!
N2: Midas embraces his daughter.
Midas: You are so precious to me.
Marigold: More than gold?
Midas: More than anything.
N3: And so, as promised, King Midas shared his gold with his kingdom.
N1: Which wasn’t difficult, since he never ever wanted to touch gold again.
Illustrations by Sebastià Serra
Write to Win
Think about how, and why, King Midas changes. What lesson do you think this myth teaches? Answer in a well-written essay with examples from the play. Send it to “Midas Contest” by February 1, 2022. Five winners will each receive a $20 gift card to the online Scholastic Store. Visit the Storyworks Contests page for more information.
This play was originally published in the December 2021/January 2022 issue.
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Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Table of Contents
SEL Focus, Close Reading, Critical Thinking
5. Differentiate and Customize
Striving Readers, Advanced Readers, Multilingual Learners
1. Preparing to Read
Engage Students, Preview Vocabulary, Set a Purpose for Reading
Invite students to imagine they have a new power: Everything they touch will turn to gold. Ask them to turn and talk with a partner about the advantages of this new power and whether there could be any disadvantages. Come back together as a class and ask volunteers to share the advantages and disadvantages they discussed.
Preview vocabulary by showing or digitally sharing our Vocabulary Slideshow. Follow up before or after reading with the Vocabulary Skill Builder. Highlighted terms: Mount Olympus, tapestries, glorious, heedless, banquet, summon, deduct, astounding, mercy, embraces
Call on a volunteer to read aloud the Up Close box on page 20 for the class. Assess prior knowledge by prompting students to share what they know about myths. Ask: When do they usually take place? What kinds of characters do they have? What myths are you familiar with?
Invite students to imagine they have a new power: Everything they touch will turn to gold. Ask them to turn and talk with a partner about the advantages of this new power and whether there could be any disadvantages. Come back together as a class and ask volunteers to share the advantages and disadvantages they discussed.
Preview vocabulary by showing or digitally sharing our Vocabulary Slideshow. Follow up before or after reading with the Vocabulary Skill Builder. Highlighted terms: Mount Olympus, tapestries, glorious, heedless, banquet, summon, deduct, astounding, mercy, embraces
Call on a volunteer to read aloud the Up Close box on page 20 for the class. Assess prior knowledge by prompting students to share what they know about myths. Ask: When do they usually take place? What kinds of characters do they have? What myths are you familiar with?
2. Reading the Play
- Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class or in groups. You can also listen to an Editor Read-Aloud of the play!
- After reading, put students in small groups to discuss the close-reading questions. Then discuss the critical-thinking questions as a class. Discuss the SEL Focus before or after the critical-thinking questions.
SEL Focus
Concern for Others
King Midas is a classic picture of greed: Nothing matters to him except having more gold than anyone else. Though students are not likely hungering for gold, they might be able to see parallels between King Midas’s values and those sometimes expressed today. Ask: What would a fourth- or fifth-grade “King Midas” (at the beginning of the play) be like today? (For example, he might ignore his friends as he constantly seeks to buy the latest video games and collect more than anyone else.) What would the changed King Midas (from the end of the play) be like today? Put students in groups to come up with ideas.
Close-Reading Questions
Based on Scene 1, what is important to King Midas? How is he different from his daughter, Marigold? (compare and contrast) The only thing that is important to King Midas is gold. He wants an endless amount of it. Marigold values her beautiful roses and realizes that money isn’t the only thing that’s important.
In Scene 2, Bacchus grants Midas’s wish that everything he touches turns to gold. Why does Bacchus tell Midas this wish is “one that you truly deserve”? (inference) Midas thinks that turning everything he touches to gold will make him happy. But Bacchus wants to teach Midas a lesson. What Bacchus tells Midas suggests that Bacchus thinks that Midas deserves to find out that his greed will get him into trouble.
In what ways does Midas display greed and thoughtlessness in Scene 3? (character) Midas turns all of Marigold’s roses to gold, even though she begs him not to. This act is both greedy and thoughtless. He also tells his servants that he will deduct the tiny bit of gold they receive from their pay. For a man who has an endless amount of gold, this shows terrible greed.
- Reread Scene 4. What does Midas realize about his new power? What makes him realize this? (plot) Midas realizes that turning everything to gold is not always a good thing; sometimes it has awful consequences. When Midas’s wine and bread turn to gold, he realizes he will not be able to eat or drink. When he touches Marigold, she becomes a golden statue. Midas realizes he has lost her to his greed.
- How has Midas changed by the end of the play? (how a character changes) Midas realizes that some things are more important than gold—like his daughter. Rather than hoarding gold for himself, he shares his riches with the kingdom.
Critical-Thinking Question
What is the message of this play? How is this myth still important today? (genre/theme) The message of the play is that wealth is not the most valuable possession we have. Some things, like the people we love, are more important. Also, it’s better to share your fortune than to keep it all to yourself. Both of these ideas are important today because it’s still possible to lose sight of what really matters and focus on money or possessions more than on the people around us. The myth warns us to not go down this path.
- Do you think Bacchus was right to show King Midas mercy in the end? (evaluating) Answers will vary. Students might say that Bacchus was right because as a result, Midas changed and became a better person.
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: Main Idea
Assign the Genre Skill Builder and have students complete it independently or together with a partner. This skill builder will help prepare students to respond to the writing prompt on page 25.
4. Digital Spotlight
- Be sure to share with students our fun slideshow on English expressions that come from Greek myths. In addition to explaining the meaning of the expression “to have the Midas touch,” the slideshow will teach them what it means “to open a Pandora’s box,” “to have an Achilles’ heel,” and more!
Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers
Be sure to share with students our fun slideshow on English expressions that come from Greek myths. In addition to explaining the meaning of the expression “to have the Midas touch,” the slideshow will teach them what it means “to open a Pandora’s box,” “to have an Achilles’ heel,” and more!
For Advanced Readers
Have students write a journal entry from Marigold’s point of view, describing what happened at her father’s banquet and afterward. Make sure they include how Marigold feels about the events.
For Multilingual Learners
To practice fluency, have students listen to our editor read-aloud of the play. Invite them to choose a character they would like to play, and at the end of each scene, pause and practice saying that character’s lines aloud. When they feel comfortable, have them pair up with a native English speaker to read aloud the part they practiced while their partner reads the other lines.
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Explore the Storyworks Archive
Are your students loving mythology? Find other fun adaptations of Greek myths, such as The Curse of Winter (Persephone and Demeter), The Snake-Haired Monster (Perseus and Medusa), and Jason and the Golden Fleece.
Encourage Generosity
King Midas’s story teaches a valuable lesson about the dangers of greed and the importance of sharing with others. Help inspire your students to give back to their communities with these ideas from Scholastic Parents. From donating their old sports equipment to volunteering at senior centers, your students are sure to find a charitable activity that excites them.
Learn About Ancient Greece
Explore ancient Greece with this article from Britannica Kids! Students will learn all about the civilization’s unique government, culture, and history.
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