A dramatic and delightful interpretation of the Greek myth of Arachne
Learning Objective: to support an opinion about whether a character was treated fairly
SD1: Arachne stands at the center of the stage, trembling. Shreds of brightly colored fabric are scattered at her feet.
SD2: The goddess Athena towers above her, eyes flashing.
Athena: I gave you your great talent, and now I take it away!
SD3: Athena lifts her hand to cast a spell. Arachne sinks to her knees.
Arachne: Have mercy, great Athena! How will I live if I cannot weave?
SD1: Athena gives Arachne a cruel smile.
Athena: Fine. I will be merciful.
SD2: Athena takes a vial from her robe.
Athena: This dark poison shall do the trick.
SD3: Athena sprinkles a few drops on Arachne.
SD1: Arachne’s hair falls out. Her nose and ears disappear.
Arachne: What is happening?
SD2: Arachne’s head begins to shrink, then her whole body begins to change and become tiny.
SD3: Her fingers turn into spindly legs clawing at the air.
Athena: You shall weave . . . you and your descendants shall weave for all eternity!
Scene 1
10 Years Earlier
SD1: High on a cliff above the Aegean Sea sits a simple clay house.
SD2: Inside is a workshop where 10-year-old Arachne sits at her loom, weaving. Her father, Idmon, sits next to a basket overflowing with hundreds of dead sea snails.
SD3: He painstakingly squeezes gooey liquid from a snail into a small bowl.
Arachne: Are you finished yet? You’ve been at it for hours.
Idmon: Last one.
SD1: He tosses the snail into the basket. Then he places the liquid on a sunny windowsill.
SD2: They watch as it turns a deep purple.
Arachne: So much work for such a small amount of dye.
Idmon: That’s why this purple is so rare and costly.
Arachne: It is so very beautiful. And I need more purple thread for my grapes.
SD3: Idmon looks at the tapestry on Arachne’s loom. The scene shows a table heaped with fruit—jewel-toned pears, pomegranates, and grapes.
Idmon: I have often wished your mother were alive to teach you the fine arts, but clearly you are thriving on your own.
Arachne: Thank you, Father.
Idmon: Craft of your quality is rarer than this purple.
Scene 2
One Year Later
SD1: Arachne and her friend Calista sit in the workshop at their looms.
SD2: Calista looks at Arachne’s tapestry.
SD3: It shows a dazzling goddess with a shield and spear standing next to a tree.
Arachne: This is the moment Athena plunged her spear into the earth and the first olive tree sprouted.
Calista: Those olives look real enough to eat!
Arachne: Thank you! Your tapestry is nice too.
Calista: You don’t think this sword looks like a goat leg?
Arachne (giggling): No.
SD1: Idmon walks in with a merchant, who stops at a tapestry depicting a wild horse leaping into the sea.
Merchant: Who wove this? I can practically feel the splash of the water.
Arachne (shyly): I did.
Merchant: It is a marvel. And this one, with the eagle swooping down?
Arachne (blushing): That is also mine.
Merchant: They seem so real. It is as though Athena, goddess of weaving, made them herself.
Arachne: Thank you, sir.
Merchant: You have clearly been blessed by the gods. (to Idmon) Sell me both at once, as well as anything else this child creates.
SD2: Calista squeezes her friend’s hand. Arachne beams.
Scene 3
Nine Years Later
Illustrations by Allan Davey
Snail Slime Dye
A deep reddish-purple dye that was made from the mucus of certain sea snails was one of the rarest and most valuable dyes of ancient times. It could take as many as 10,000 snails to produce a single gram of dye. (A gram is about the weight of one raisin.)
SD3: Arachne sits in the workshop, weaving. Behind her hang all sorts of beautiful tapestries.
SD1: Three travelers walk onstage.
Traveler 1: Have you seen young Arachne’s tapestries? Her weaving is extraordinary!
Traveler 2: I’ve heard it’s dazzling!
Traveler 3: Oh yes—incredible artistry!
Traveler 1: Her workshop is right over there. Come see.
SD2: The travelers enter Arachne’s workshop.
Traveler 2 (looking at the tapestries): Stunning!
Traveler 3: Surely, Athena herself must have taught you.
SD3: Arachne tightens her jaw and forces a smile.
SD1: Calista walks in. She sees that Arachne is upset.
Calista: What’s wrong?
Arachne: It’s just that—I taught myself. Athena had nothing to do with it.
Calista: Arachne, you have been blessed with a wonderful gift. Surely it does come from Athena.
Arachne: I gained this skill with my own hands. I worked until my fingers bled. Why must everyone talk of Athena?
Calista: I would be careful if I were you. The gods do not like it when they are not given proper credit.
Arachne: Why does Athena need credit from a lowly human like me? The great city of Athens is named after her. How much glory does she need?
SD2: Arachne’s words hang heavy in the air.
Illustrations by Allan Davey
Weaving in Ancient Greece
Almost all women and girls in ancient Greece were expected to weave—that is, to create cloth by interlacing strands of thread or yarn using a device we now call a loom. Most kept what they wove for their own use, but some sold their work.
Scene 4
Two Months Later
SD3: Idmon and Arachne are at a large market, selling their goods. A customer approaches.
Customer 1: You must be Arachne. Stories of your weaving have not been exaggerated. Your work is stunning.
Arachne: Thank you.
Customer 1: Have you seen the work of Lyra?
Arachne: Who?
Customer 1: Lyra is also a weaver. Quite talented too. And a bit younger than you.
Arachne (aside): Father, who is this Lyra? Have you heard of her? Where does she live?
Idmon: I have heard her name, yes. She must be excellent.
Arachne: But is she better than me? You must go find out!
SD1: Another customer approaches.
Customer 2: What beautiful work! You must be so grateful to Athena for this gift.
Arachne: I . . . have worked very hard.
Customer 2: Only Athena could do better.
Arachne: Enough about Athena!
Idmon: We must show respect to the gods.
Arachne: Why? Are the gods so perfect?
SD2: Arachne’s voice gets louder.
Arachne: Look what the gods have done to us! Zeus has handed down cruel punishments. Hera threw a baby off a mountain. And as for your precious Athena? She turned some poor woman into a monster with snakes for hair!
Idmon: That’s enough, Arachne!
Customer 1: It is not for us to question the gods.
Arachne: So we should give them credit for all we do? It’s my hard work, my skill, my artistry—that’s what makes me the best weaver the world has ever seen!
Customer 2: As I said, only Athena could do better.
Arachne: No. She could not!
SD3: Idmon and the customers gasp.
Customer 1: Good lady, the gods do not take kindly to mortals who make such boasts.
Arachne: I am not afraid. (shouting at the sky) If Athena can do better, let her prove it!
SD1: The sky darkens as clouds pass in front of the sun.
Scene 5
The Next Day
SD2: Calista rushes into the workshop.
Calista: You challenged Athena to a contest?! Are you mad? She invented weaving!
Arachne: But does Athena spend all her time practicing like I do? No, she is too busy meddling in the lives of others.
Calista: Arachne, no one denies you are an extraordinary artist, but you cannot believe yourself equal to the gods.
Arachne: Are you telling me not to believe in myself? I am proud of what I have achieved.
Calista: I’m proud of you too, but . . .
Idmon: Arachne, there is a difference between pride and arrogance.
Arachne: Do you not see? I have earned every drop of my praise. What did Athena do to earn hers? She sprang fully formed from the forehead of Zeus, the king of the gods. She was celebrated from day one without lifting a finger!
Calista (sighing): Do you ever wonder why I don’t come to the workshop as often as I used to?
SD3: Arachne stares at Calista blankly.
Calista: You did not even notice, did you? Because the only thing that matters to you is you.
SD1: Before Arachne can reply, Athena—disguised as an old woman with scraggly white hair—walks in.
SD2: She gazes at the hanging tapestries.
Athena: How beautiful! (to Arachne) You must be the young weaver I’ve heard so much about.
Arachne: Yes.
Athena: Your gifts are remarkable. Thanks be to Athena.
SD3: Arachne rolls her eyes.
Athena: I said, thanks be to Athena.
Arachne: I heard you.
Athena: Dear girl, there is no shame in attaining great fame among mortals, but you should not deny Athena the recognition she is due.
Arachne: What do you know about it?
Athena: With age comes wisdom. Ask Athena to forgive you. Admit how foolish you were to deny her hand in your marvelous gifts.
SD1: Calista stares at the old woman’s striking gray eyes.
Calista: Arachne, I really, really think you should listen to this woman.
Arachne (ignoring Calista): My gifts are my own. If Athena is so upset, then where is she? Is she afraid of my challenge?
SD2: Her gray eyes ablaze, Athena sheds her disguise and rises to her full height.
Athena: Athena is not afraid!
SD3: Arachne’s face flushes red.
Athena: You, Arachne, are vain and disrespectful. I accept your challenge. But know this . . .
SD1: As Athena speaks, the room shakes.
Athena: If you lose, you shall never weave again. History will remember only a selfish, bragging child who took a gift from the gods and sullied it with her pride.
SD2: Athena strides out of the workshop.
Scene 6
That Afternoon
SD3: Two looms are set up side by side in the agora, an open public area in the city. A crowd has gathered to watch.
Idmon: Plead for forgiveness, Arachne, and walk away from this contest.
Arachne: How would it look if I backed down now?
Idmon: It would look like you came to your senses.
Arachne: I have faith in myself, Father, even if you don’t.
SD1: A panel of judges assembles as onlookers chatter.
Onlooker 1: Arachne does not have a chance.
Onlooker 2: There is no denying her courage, though.
Onlooker 3: Nor her arrogance.
Nikolas: Welcome, all, to a most unusual contest between a goddess and a mortal.
SD2: The crowd applauds as Athena and Arachne take seats at their looms.
Nikolas: The tapestries will be judged according to their originality, beauty, and craftsmanship. Athena, Arachne—please begin.
SD3: The goddess and the girl plunge themselves into their work. For hours, neither utters a word.
SD1: Slowly, behind a blur of flying fingers, spectacular images take shape.
SD2: Finally, the weavers’ fingers come to rest.
Nikolas: Let us view the tapestries! Goddess Athena, show us your work.
SD3: Athena holds up her tapestry.
Crowd: Oooooooh . . .
SD1: Athena’s tapestry portrays the gods and goddesses in all their glory.
Onlooker 1: Look! There is Zeus on his golden throne.
Onlooker 2: And there is Poseidon with his trident, creating the first horse and gifting it to humankind.
Onlooker 3: Exquisite. The metallic threads cause the cloth to glow almost magically.
Athena: As you can see, we gods are powerful and benevolent.
Nikolas: Now, Arachne, please show us your tapestry.
SD2: Arachne holds up her creation.
Crowd (gasping): Oh!
Idmon: Oh, Arachne!
Calista: What have you done?
SD3: Arachne has portrayed the gods and goddesses at their worst, committing acts of cruelty and violence.
Onlooker 1: Is that Poseidon turning a princess into a sheep?
Onlooker 2: Yes. And there is Artemis turning a hunter into a deer and setting the hunter’s own dogs on him.
Onlooker 3: The images are shocking. But . . . the tapestry is magnificent.
Onlooker 1 (quietly): Every bit as magnificent as Athena’s.
Arachne: The gods have done much good. But they have also brought great pain and destruction to the world.
Athena: How dare you!
SD1: Athena takes two quick strides, snatches the tapestry, and shreds it.
Athena: Stupid girl! I hope you enjoyed weaving that monstrosity, for it was the last thing you shall ever weave!
Arachne (in barely a whisper): What about the contest?
Athena: The contest is over! You lost.
SD2: Athena towers over Arachne.
Athena: I gave you your great talent, and now I take it away!
SD3: Athena lifts her hand to cast a spell. Arachne sinks to her knees.
Arachne: Have mercy, great Athena! How will I live if I cannot weave?
SD1: Athena gives Arachne a cruel smile.
Athena: Fine. I will be merciful.
SD2: Athena takes a vial from her robe.
Athena: This dark poison shall do the trick.
SD3: Athena sprinkles a few drops on Arachne.
SD1: Arachne’s hair falls out. Her nose and ears disappear.
Arachne: What is happening?
SD2: Arachne’s head begins to shrink, then her whole body begins to change and become tiny.
SD3: Her fingers turn into spindly legs clawing at the air.
Athena: You shall weave . . . you and your descendants shall weave for all eternity!
SD1: The crowd watches in horror as the poison takes its full effect. On the ground is now a tiny creature.
Athena: I will call this creature the spider. (to the crowd) Let her be a reminder to you all: This is the cost of pride!
Shutterstock.com
Today scientists refer to spiders as “arachnids.” Where do you think the name comes from?
Epilogue
Writing Prompt
Do you think Arachne’s punishment was fair? Why or why not? Support your opinion with text evidence.
This play was originally published in the February 2025 issue.
Essential Questions: What is pride and how does it help or hurt us? When is competition healthy, and when is it dangerous? Does being the best matter?
1. Prepare to Read
(20 minutes)
Do Now: Journal About Pride (10 minutes)
In their journals or on a sheet of paper, have students respond to the following questions:
What is pride?
Why is it important to take pride in yourself and your accomplishments?
Is it possible to feel too much pride? In other words, can pride ever be a negative thing? Explain.
Invite volunteers to share any part of what they wrote.
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: arrogance, artistry, benelovent, sullied, tapestry. 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 to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently before class.
2. Read and Discuss
(55 minutes)
Invite a volunteer to read aloud the As You Read box on page 16 or at the top of the digital story page.
Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class.
Divide students into groups to discuss the following Discussion Questions, which are also located in the Resources tab.
Discussion Questions (30 minutes)
1. How does Arachne’s attitude toward Athena change from Scene 2 to Scene 3? What do you think causes this change? (character) In Scene 2, a merchant compares Arachne’s weaving to Athena’s weaving and says that Arachne has surely been blessed by the gods. Arachne responds by thanking the merchant and smiling—she is clearly flattered by the merchant’s comments. In Scene 3, which is set nine years later, Arachne’s attitude has changed. She is annoyed that people credit so much of her skill to Athena. Perhaps Arachne’s change in attitude is simply a result of hearing so many people make comments about Athena, or perhaps as Arachne has become more skilled, her success has gone to her head.
2. In Scene 4, a customer mentions a talented weaver named Lyra. How does Arachne respond, and what does this moment reveal about her? (character) Arachne becomes upset. She wonders, “But is she better than me?” and asks her father to go find out. This moment suggests that Arachne is competitive—that she’s obsessed with being the best. It also suggests that for all her apparent confidence, Arachne may be insecure.
3. Arachne receives several warnings about her behavior. Where are these warnings in the play, and why do you think the authors include them? (author’s craft) At the end of Scene 3, Calista warns Arachne to be careful. “The gods,” Calista says, “do not like it when they are not given proper credit.” In Scene 4, Idmon tells Arachne that it’s important to show respect to the gods, and Customer 1 tells Arachne, “Good lady, the gods do not take kindly to mortals who make such boasts.” The authors probably include these warnings to create tension and drama as Arachne continues to show disrespect to Athena and to let the reader know that Arachne is headed for trouble.
4. In ancient Greece, people believed it was important to please the gods. How does the myth of Arachne reflect that belief? (critical thinking) Arachne is punished because she displeases Athena.
5. What theme (message) does the myth of Arachne contain that applies to us today? (critical thinking, theme) The myth contains the message to beware of excessive pride or arrogance. The myth also encourages us to show respect and gratitude to our teachers, elders, parents, or anyone else by whom we have been supported or guided.
Come back together as a class to read the sidebar “A Gallery of Curses.” Then discuss the following question:
6. In Scene 6, Athena says the gods are “powerful and benevolent.” Arachne says that while the gods have done much good, “they have also brought great pain and destruction to the world.” Whose description of the gods does the information in the sidebar better support? (key ideas and details) The sidebar supports Arachne’s statement. It describes the gods acting out in anger and inflicting cruel punishments.
3. Write About It: Character
(30 minutes)
Have students complete the Featured Skill Activity: Character. This activity will prepare them to respond to the writing prompt on page 20 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page:
Do you think Arachne’s punishment was fair? Why or why not? Support your opinion with text evidence.
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.
Connected readings from the Scope archives
