Heroes will be made.
Learning Objective: to analyze the theme of a classic myth
Scene 1
a forest in ancient Greece
SD1: On a dark and stormy night, Rhea runs through the woods carrying a baby.
Rhea: Do not fear, my sweet little Zeus! I will protect you from your father! (to herself ) But how? Soon Cronus will come looking for me. . . .
SD2: Rhea comes to the edge of a steep cliff. Far below, waves crash against jagged rocks.
SD3: Rhea drops to her knees, holding Zeus tightly.
Rhea (crying ): I have failed. Your father will find us. When he realizes what I have done, he will destroy you.
SD1: Behind her, a sprite emerges from the woods.
Amalthea: Do not cry, Rhea! I will take baby Zeus to my secret cave in the cliffs. He will be safe with me.
Rhea: How can you protect Zeus from his father’s wrath?
Amalthea: I am Amalthea. It is my fate to help your son, just as it is his fate to one day overthrow Cronus and restore peace to our land.
SD2: Gently, Amalthea takes Zeus from Rhea.
Rhea (still crying ): How can I ever thank you? I will return as soon as I possibly can. Zeus, I love you!
SD3: With one last look at her baby, Rhea turns and flees into the woods. The sprite looks down at Zeus.
Amalthea: It’s just you and me now, Zeus. But one day, destiny will come for you.
WHAT TO KNOW
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a group of enormous and powerful gods who ruled the world before the Olympians. Today the noun titan refers to someone or something of enormous size, power, importance, or achievement. The adjective titanic means “of exceptional size, strength, or power.”
Scene 2
Amalthea’s cave, many years later
SD1: A strapping teenage Zeus walks through Amalthea’s cave, carrying a giant goat under one arm.
Zeus (roaring): Look how strong I am!
SD2: The goat does not look happy.
Goat: Baaaaa!
Amalthea: Is this how you show gratitude for the goat whose magical milk gave you your strength? Put her down!
Zeus: Sorry.
SD3: Zeus gently sets the goat down and pats her head.
Goat: Baaaaa!
Amalthea: Zeus, you are strong—physically. But showing kindness to those weaker than you takes a different kind of strength.
SD1: Just then, they hear a woman shouting.
Rhea: Zeus! Zeus! Are you still here?
Zeus: Who’s there? How do you know my name?
Amalthea: I know that voice. That is your mother!
Zeus: Mother?
SD2: Rhea climbs down the cliff and enters the cave.
SD3: She embraces her son, her eyes shining with tears.
Rhea: Thank you, dear Amalthea, for taking such good care of Zeus all these long years. Now the time has come for him to know the truth about who he is.
Amalthea: But he is still so young and impulsive.
Rhea: Yes, but no one else can stop Cronus.
Zeus: Who is Cronus?
SD1: Rhea turns to Amalthea, a question in her eyes.
Amalthea: I have told him nothing, Rhea. I have kept him protected from the world.
Rhea: Cronus is a god, Zeus, and your father. Though once good and kind, he is now evil and power-hungry, like his father before him. I will tell you everything. . . .
Scene 3
SD2: The sound of waves echoes through the air as Rhea begins her story.
Rhea: I am a Titan. We Titans are the oldest and most powerful gods in Greece. Our parents were the Earth and sky themselves, Gaia and Uranus.
SD3: The cave fills with a shadowy mist.
Rhea: Your grandfather, Uranus, was violent and heartless, obsessed with power.
SD1: Wearing a shining crown, Uranus strides out from the mist. He is tall and muscular. His face is stern and cruel.
SD2: Zeus gasps, but Uranus does not react. He is only a vision from the past, called into being by Rhea’s story.
Uranus: I will rule the world! All shall bow before me!
SD3: Cronus and Gaia appear.
Cronus: Father, I beg you! Think of us, your children. Think of our mother!
Uranus: Silence, boy! Or you will join your brothers and sisters in my prison.
Rhea: Uranus’s cruelty knew no bounds. He slaughtered thousands of innocents. Nothing could quench his thirst for power. He had to be stopped.
Gaia: Cronus, you must end your father’s reign of terror.
Cronus: How can I turn against my own father?
Gaia: You have no choice. Who will be safe while he rules?
Rhea: That night, Cronus killed Uranus in his sleep.
Uranus: Aaaaaaah! Betrayed by my own son! I curse you, Cronus! Your children will one day turn against you, just as you have turned against me!
Scene 4
SD1: Rhea slumps forward, as if telling the story has exhausted her. The mist in the cave dissolves.
Rhea: My sad tale should have ended there. Cronus and I fell in love, and for many years, we were happy. But Cronus believed his father’s dying words. And when our children were born . . .
SD2: Rhea’s eyes fill with tears.
Rhea: The truth is almost too terrible to say out loud. (pauses) Cronus eats his own children—swallows them whole—so that they cannot take his power.
SD3: Zeus gasps in horror.
Zeus: You mean—I had brothers and sisters?
Rhea: They are gods and goddesses, like us, so it is possible they are still alive. But if they still live, your father will never allow them to be free.
SD1: Zeus jumps to his feet.
Zeus: How did I escape?
Rhea: I wrapped a stone in your baby blanket, and your father swallowed that instead. I ran away and hid you here with Amalthea so you could grow up in safety.
Zeus: I must have a sword. I will free my siblings and stop my father!
SD2: Rhea smiles sadly.
Rhea: You sound just like . . . your father. Do not forget how his story unfolded, my son.
SD3: Amalthea gives Zeus a small bottle.
Amalthea: I brewed this magical potion. If Cronus drinks it and your brothers and sisters are still alive, it will free them.
Zeus: I want more than their freedom. I want revenge.
Rhea: Repeat your father’s mistakes, and the cycle of suffering will never end.
Who are The Cyclopes?
The Cyclopes are one-eyed giants from Greek mythology. In some stories, they are said to be Cronus’s siblings. Fearing they might one day challenge his power, Cronus locked them away in his dungeon.
Scene 5
Cronus’s palace
SD1: Cronus sits at a long table filled with savory dishes.
SD2: His subjects cower before him as he eats.
Cronus: Roast lamb! Delicious!
SD3: Standing among the subjects is Zeus, in disguise.
SD1: Cronus gives Zeus a piercing glare.
Cronus: And who is this?
Zeus: I am a humble traveler. I have heard many stories of your powers, and I came to see if they are true.
Cronus: And?
Zeus: The legends do not do you justice. Truly, I am awed.
Cronus: I like this stranger.
SD2: Zeus holds out Amalthea’s potion.
Zeus: I offer you this precious drink as a token of my respect. Only the most fearsome warriors of my people are strong enough to drink it.
Cronus: Surely, I am strong enough to drink your silly potion.
SD3: Cronus grabs the bottle and drinks it in one gulp.
Cronus: Burns a bit going down.
SD1: Suddenly, Cronus clutches his stomach in agony.
Cronus: Aaaaah. You poisoned me!
SD2: Cronus collapses to the floor, groaning.
SD3: One by one, his children spring from his open mouth.
Hestia: At last!
Hera: It was awful in there.
Poseidon: And smelly.
Hades: Who let us out?
Zeus: I did. I am Zeus, your brother.
Hestia: Our brother has freed us!
Hera: We swear loyalty to Zeus!
SD1: Zeus’s siblings cheer and carry him out of Cronus’s palace on their shoulders.
Cronus (weakly): This isn’t over!
Scene 6
Mount Olympus, years later
SD2: Cronus’s children gather atop Mount Olympus. Rhea is with them.
Poseidon: Will this war with Cronus ever end?
Hestia: At least we have a home here on Mount Olympus, where we are safe.
Hades: Our father’s rage is boundless. He will never yield.
Hestia: We cannot defeat him on our own. We need help.
Hera: What about the Cyclopes?
Zeus: Who are they?
Poseidon: Giants—who are powerful sorcerers.
Hestia: Cronus imprisoned them decades ago. If we free them, they might help us.
Hades: We could kill Cronus at last.
Rhea: My children, if you kill Cronus, you are no different from him.
Hestia: He’s the one who started all this!
Rhea: And you are the ones who can change how it ends.
SD3: They all look to Zeus.
SD1: The morning sun falls through the windows.
SD2: Zeus looks kingly in the bright light.
Zeus: Cronus is responsible for this war, Mother.
Rhea (sighing): I know. But do not forget the lessons Amalthea taught you so long ago.
Scene 7
Cronus’s dungeon
SD3: Hades sneaks into the dungeon deep beneath Cronus’s palace.
SD1: The dungeon is a labyrinth of hallways, dark as midnight.
SD2: The air smells of despair.
SD3: The walls drip with moisture, as though weeping.
Hades: Cyclopes! My siblings and I need your help to defeat your enemy Cronus.
SD1: The Cyclopes stare at Hades, each with a single wretched eye in the middle of his forehead.
Cyclops 1: What’s in it for us?
Hades: You give us magical abilities, we give you freedom.
Cyclops 2: Hmmm.
Scene 8
Cronus’s palace
SD2: Zeus and his siblings are ready for battle.
Zeus: With our new powers, we will bring peace to the land.
Poseidon: Yes! This magical trident the Cyclopes made for me gives me power over the seas.
Zeus: I now control thunder and lightning.
Hades: This magical helmet means I can become invisible.
Hera: I can protect women and help people find happiness in marriage.
Hestia: And I can bring joy and peace to life at home.
SD3: Cronus appears accompanied by terrible monsters, each with a hundred arms and a dozen heads.
SD1: The battle rages for many days and nights. Until . . .
Zeus: I call upon the powers given to me by the Cyclopes!
SD2: A bolt of lightning snaps across the sky and strikes Cronus’s palace. With a thunderous boom, it collapses.
SD3: Cronus is trapped under the rubble. His army of monsters flees in terror.
SD1: The siblings surround their father.
Zeus: Admit defeat, Father, and leave us in peace.
Cronus: My father’s prophecy has come true. My children have all betrayed me. Curse you! Curse you!
Zeus: It is you who made the prophecy come true, Father. We did you no harm until you chose to harm us first.
Cronus: I had to protect myself.
Poseidon: By swallowing us whole? By starting a war?
Cronus: Traitors, traitors! My own children!
Hades: He will not listen to reason, Zeus. He has been poisoned by his own hate and fear. You must kill him.
SD2: Zeus stares at his father, who snarls like a caged beast in the wreckage of his once-beautiful palace.
Cronus: Rrraaaaaah!
SD3: Thunder rumbles in the skies. Zeus raises his lightning bolt over his head, ready for the final blow.
SD1: And then a voice echoes in his mind.
Amalthea (whispering): Showing kindness to those weaker than you takes a different kind of strength.
SD2: Zeus lowers his hand.
Zeus: No. Cronus was driven mad by our grandfather’s curse. He has no control over his own actions. But we can choose a different path. I will not become like him.
Hestia: If you let him live among us, we will remain in fear.
Zeus: You are right. I know the place for him. Father, I banish you to the Elysian Fields, the distant home of immortal heroes.
Epilogue
SD3: The characters speak directly to the audience.
Rhea: Peace returned to the land.
Hera: Well, until the next war.
Poseidon: Which Zeus himself started.
Zeus: But that’s the Greek gods for you.
Amalthea (sighing): I did my best.
Goat: Baaaaaaa!
Writing Prompt
Who do you think is the hero of the play: Zeus, Rhea, Amalthea, or the Cyclopes? Answer this question in a short paragraph. Support your ideas with details from the play. Send your work to Olympians Contest.
This play was originally published in the November 2023 issue.
Essential Questions: Does fate control our lives? What makes someone a hero? What can we learn about a society from its stories and myths?
1. PREPARE TO READ (15 MINUTES)
Do Now: Theme Anticipation Guide (5 minutes)
Project the Theme Anticipation Guide on your whiteboard or share the Google Form version with each student (both available in your Resources tab). Have students decide whether they agree or disagree with each statement, then discuss. After reading the play, ask students to share whether any of their answers have changed and, if so, why. You could also have them complete the Theme Anticipation Guide as one of the characters.
Watch the Video (10 minutes)
Watch the Into the World of Greek Mythology video.
Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)
Project the Google Slides version of Vocabulary Definitions and Practice on your whiteboard. Review the definitions and complete the activity as a class. Highlighted words: cower, destiny, fate, impulsive, labyrinth, prophecy, trident, yield. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the slides. Optionally, print the PDF version or share the slideshow link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently before class.
2. READ AND DISCUSS (55 MINUTES)
Close-Reading Questions (25 minutes)
Describe the mood of Scene 1. Which details help create this mood? (mood) The mood is dark, intense, frightening, etc. Details that help create the mood include the phrase “dark and stormy night,” the steep cliff and waves crashing on jagged rocks, Rhea’s crying, and the looming threat of Zeus’s father’s wrath.
Why did Rhea take Zeus away from Cronus? (key ideas and details) Cronus believed his father had cursed him and that his children would one day turn against him. He ate Zeus’s brothers and sisters so they could not threaten his power. Rhea took Zeus away from Cronus because she did not want Zeus to meet the same fate as his siblings.
In Scene 4, Rhea tells Zeus, “Repeat your father’s mistakes, and the cycle of suffering will never end.” What does she mean by this and why does she choose this moment to give Zeus this warning? (inference) Cronus, Zeus’s father, killed Uranus, Zeus’s grandfather. As he was dying, Uranus placed a curse on Cronus: “Your children will one day turn against you, just as you have turned against me.” Zeus has just expressed that he wants to take revenge against Cronus for eating Zeus’s siblings, which is why Rhea chooses this moment to warn Zeus against killing his father. If Zeus were to take revenge against Cronus, he would be repeating his father’s mistakes. The curse would likely continue to the next generation, with Zeus’s future children turning against him and killing him. “The cycle of suffering” would continue indefinitely. It is up to Zeus to put an end to the cycle by not letting his anger overcome him.
In Scene 5, Cronus’s subjects “cower before him” as he stuffs his face with a lavish feast. What can you infer about how his subjects view him from this line? (inference) You can infer that Cronus’s subjects greatly fear him. They feel small and inferior in his presence.
In Scene 6, sun shines through the windows and SD2 says, “Zeus looks kingly in the bright light.” How does this description foreshadow what is to come? (foreshadowing) These lines foreshadow that Zeus will emerge as a leader and become king of the Olympians, as he is described in the character box. At the beginning of the play, Amalthea says of Zeus, “it is his fate to one day overthrow Cronus and restore peace to our land.” And Zeus does exactly that. He begins by freeing his siblings from Cronus’s stomach and then leads them in a battle against Cronus. Cronus is defeated and Zeus banishes him to the Elysian Fields. After this, peace is restored.
Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)
Do you agree with Zeus’s decision at the end of the play to spare Cronus? Why or why not? Answers will vary. Students who agree may say that at the very beginning of the play, Amalthea teaches Zeus how “showing kindness to those weaker than you takes a different kind of strength.” By sparing Cronus, Zeus is putting this lesson into action. Additionally, if he had killed Cronus, he would be repeating his father’s mistakes, taking a risk that the cycle of suffering would continue. Those who disagree may say that Cronus’s actions—eating his own children, treating his subjects with cruelty, and starting a war—are unforgivable.
Does the epilogue change your opinion of Zeus? Why or why not? Answers will vary. Students may say that the epilogue changes their opinion of Zeus because the peace that Zeus created was impermanent. He shows maturity in Scene 8 when he decides to spare Cronus, even stating, “I will not become like him.” Thus, it may be disappointing to learn that Zeus, like his father, started a war. It seems doubtful that Zeus truly learned the lessons about strength, kindness, and forgiveness that he appeared to have mastered. Other students may say that their opinion of Zeus is unchanged because starting a new war does not take away from the fact that he saved his siblings, ended the first war, and defeated the evil Cronus.
Do you believe that fate controls our lives? Responses will vary.
3. WRITE ABOUT IT: THEME (45 MINUTES)
Have students complete the Featured Skill Activity: Theme. This activity will prepare them to respond to the writing prompt on page 24 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page:
Who do you think is the hero of the play: Zeus, Rhea, Amalthea, or the Cyclopes? Answer this question in a short paragraph. Support your ideas with details from the play.
Alternatively, have students choose a task from the Choice Board, a menu of culminating tasks. (Our Choice Board options include the writing prompt from the magazine, differentiated versions of the writing prompt, and additional creative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of a story or article.)
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