GREEK
Drama
MY
TH
a stor
ancien y from
t Greec
e
BASED ON THE myth of King Midas
The
when your dream
becomes your nightmare
CHARACTERS
*Starred characters are major roles.
Silenus, a woodland god
*Stage Directors 1, 2 & 3
*Dionysus, a powerful god
(SD1, SD2, SD3)
*Chorus 1, read by a group
*Chorus 2, read by another group
GARY HANNA
*King Midas, ruler of Phrygia
*Marigold, Midas’s daughter
AdvisEr
Servants 1 & 2
Lady TAS
Lord ATES
Lady BABA
Lord DYMAS
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AS YOU READ,
THINK ABOUT:
Chorus 2: Oh, misguided Midas, man cannot be
What big idea about
wealth does this story
convey?
nourished by treasure alone.
The Great Hall
The Treasure Room
SD1: A merry crowd has gathered.
SD1: King Midas sits in an enormous room that
SD2: Midas storms in. The room falls silent.
overflows with treasure.
AdvisEr: Apologies for disturbing you, sire. But this
SD2: There are piles of glittering diamonds . . .
man says he knows you.
SD3: . . . stacks of twinkling sapphires . . .
SD3: An old man with an unkempt beard approaches.
SD1: . . . mountains of gold coins.
Silenus: Hello, old friend.
Chorus 1: See King Midas, the richest man in all
Midas: Silenus, the woodland god! Last I heard,
the land.
you were hunting with Dionysus and his
SD2: Midas lies on his back.
friends.
Midas: (dreamy sigh)
Silenus: Indeed I was, but I took an ill-timed
SD3: Midas tosses a handful of coins into
the air.
Chorus 2: He wants
Dionysus was
the Greek god
of celebration.
more. Always more.
SD1: Midas arranges
snooze and they left me behind. I do not know
where they went, so I came here for help.
Midas: As well you should have. We will send
scouts to find them. In the meantime, we will honor you
with a great feast.
coins into stacks,
counting.
The Forest
Midas: One hundred, two
has been found.
Midas, her expression grave.
SD2: Midas and Silenus ride out to the forest.
Chorus 1: Behold, Midas’s
Silenus (burping ): What a feast last night! The lentils,
daughter, Marigold, named for the golden flower.
the figs, the honey cakes . . .
Marigold: Father, will you come see my garden?
SD3: They find Dionysus at the River Pactolus.
The roses are blooming.
Midas (frustrated ): You made me lose
my count!
Marigold: Your advisers tell
me you have not left this room
Dionysus: Where have you been? We thought you’d
strayed into the underworld.
Silenus: I got lost. But good King Midas fed and
sheltered me.
Dionysus: King Midas, as a reward for your kindness,
in days.
tell me your heart’s desire and I will grant it.
Midas: Why would I? My
Midas: Gold is what I cherish most. It brings me
precious gold shines brighter than
happiness. And what could be better than more
the sun.
happiness?
Marigold (quietly): Is there
SD1: Midas thinks for a moment.
nothing else precious to you?
Midas: My heart’s desire is that everything I touch will
SD3: Midas turns back to his
turn to gold.
treasure.
Dionysus: What a terrible wish. Please, choose
Midas (holding up a coin): Oh,
sweet riches, you feed my soul.
12
SD1: The next day, Midas receives word that Dionysus
Scholastic Scope • APRIL 2015
something else.
Midas: I cannot, for that is my heart’s desire.
Shutterstock (Letters); Vincenzo Lombardo/Getty
Images (Dionysus). Illustration by GARY HANNA
hundred . . .
SD2: A young woman watches
Dionysus: And what will you do with all your gold?
Servant 2: Master, could you spare one golden
Midas: I will treasure it, of course.
rose for me?
Servant 1: Even one petal fallen on the
Dionysus (to himself ): You humans. (to Midas) Very
ground would feed our families for an
well. I will grant your heart’s desire.
Chorus 1: For that is what Midas truly
entire year.
deserved.
Chorus 1: But Midas is not listening.
He is gleefully touching butterflies as
they flit past. They thud to the ground—
The Treasure Room
SD3: Thud.
SD2: Midas wakes up to find that he is back
SD1: Thud.
SD2: Thud.
in his treasure room.
Chorus 2: Was it all a dream?
Chorus 2: —one after the other.
SD3: Midas stumbles toward the door.
SD1: As he touches it . . .
The Banquet Room
Midas: Gold! It turned to gold!
SD2: He touches the wall.
Chorus 1: That night, the lords and
Midas: Again, gold!
ladies of Phrygia gather at the palace of
SD3: Midas runs through his palace whooping, touching
King Midas for a lavish feast.
everything in sight.
Servant 2: My lady, would you care
Midas: And now my torches, my windows, my
for a piece of pigeon pie?
tapestries: gold. All gold!
Lady TAS: I would prefer roasted goat.
Lord ATES: I would like some of that
pudding with rose water. Did the roses come from your
The Garden
SD1: Midas races to the garden. His daughter
and two servants are tending a rosebush.
Midas: Marigold! Marigold!
Marigold: Father, look at my lovely roses.
They’re so red and the scent is glorious.
GARY HANNA
Midas (impatiently): Yes, yes. I have a
garden, Marigold?
The mythical Midas
was likely based
on a real king who
ruled in the 8th
century b.c. He was
famous for (you
guessed it) his
massive wealth.
Marigold: Yes, although I fear this may be the
last you will ever taste of them.
Lord ATES: Why?
Marigold: I will let my father answer that.
Midas: Yes, I have something to reveal.
(standing) Lady Baba, hand me your plate.
surprise for you.
Chorus 2: The moment the king touches the plate, it
SD2: Midas touches the rosebush and it immediately
turns to gold.
turns to gold.
All: (gasp)
All: (gasp)
Lady BABA: Is that . . . solid gold?
Midas: See how beautiful your roses are now!
Lord ATES: My lord, turn my plate to gold!
Servant 1: My lord, can this be real?
Lord Dymas: And mine!
Midas: This is only the beginning. There is plenty
SD3: Before their eyes, King Midas transforms
more to come.
everything on the table.
Marigold: I do not know what you have done to attain
SD1: Even the flames on the candles.
such a power, but you have ruined my flowers. They
Lady BABA: Phrygia will be the richest country in
have lost their color. They smell like
the world!
metal. And the petals are so sharp.
Lady TAS: Thanks to your golden touch.
Midas: But they are worth a fortune.
Lord Dymas: The Midas touch.
Marigold: They are ruined. As I fear are you.
SD2: Smiling, King Midas lifts his
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goblet to take a drink.
SD3: At once, the liquid hardens into
golden ice.
should an innocent girl suffer for the foolish deeds of
her father?
Dionysus: You have learned your lesson, Midas, and
SD1: Midas’s hand shakes as he reaches
so I will help you. You must bathe in the River Pactolus.
for bread.
Only then will all be restored.
SD2: The bread hardens into a golden brick.
Marigold: Father, you look ill.
SD2: Midas drags his withered body out of the treasure
room, groaning with effort.
SD3: Marigold places a hand his arm.
SD3: He crawls all the way to the forest, leaving a trail
Midas: No!!!
of golden ground behind him.
Chorus 1: But it is too late. Marigold’s skin now shines
SD1: His arms ache, his skin blisters.
as bright as the flower for which she was named.
SD2: At last he reaches the river and
All: (shrieks of horror)
tumbles in.
SD1: The guests bolt from the palace in terror. Some
SD3: He begins to heal, to grow strong. He
stuff their bags with treasure as they flee.
stands, refreshed.
SD2: But Midas does not notice. He collapses beside the
SD1: He wades to the side of the river and touches a
statue of his daughter, weeping.
twig. Then a rock. Nothing happens.
Chorus 2: Behold, the richest man in all
Midas: I am free!
the land.
SD2: He runs back to the palace. In the garden, the
roses bloom as red as before. Butterflies flit about.
SD3: Marigold rushes out to meet him.
The Treasure Room
SD3: Midas cries into his hands.
Marigold: Father!
Midas: Oh forgive me! You are so
SD1: As each tear splashes onto
precious to me.
his hands, it turns to golden dust.
Marigold: More than gold?
SD2: Midas is deathly thin. His
skin is sallow, his hair stringy. He
has wasted away.
SD3: Dionysus appears.
Midas: More than anything.
Chorus 1: From that day on,
Midas was a changed man.
Chorus 2: He shared his
Dionysus: Why so forlorn,
gold with his
Midas? Do you not have your
kingdom.
heart’s desire?
Chorus 1: Some say
Midas: Please, my stomach
twists inside my body.
Dionysus: I warned you.
Midas: I am cursed.
Dionysus: I can see that.
Midas: My hunger is not the
worst of it. I would gladly
endure this misery until I die if
that flecks of gold still
sparkle in the River
Pactolus.
Chorus 2: But Midas never
went to look.
Chorus 1: For he never wished
to see gold again. •
freed from her golden prison.
SD1: Dionysus looks at the
statue of Marigold.
Midas: I beg you. Save her. Why
14
Scholastic Scope • APRIL 2015
Today, if someone is said to have “the Midas
touch,” it means that person is successful
and makes money easily. It’s a compliment.
Does the myth support today’s meaning of
the expression?
GARY HANNA
only my daughter could be
ESSAY
Can Money Buy Happiness?
As Hannah Salwen found out, it can—when you give it away, that is. By Kristin Lewis
H
annah
Project. The money was
Salwen,
used to help the people
14, and
of some 40 villages in
her dad
Ghana.
were driving to their
The More You Give,
the More You Get
large, beautiful house in
Atlanta, Georgia, when
Can money buy
they came to a red
light. Looking through
happiness? Certainly,
the window, Hannah
having enough money
spotted a fancy car in
for your basic needs—
the next lane. Outside
food, shelter, health
the other window she
care, clothing—brings
saw a homeless man
a sense of security and
sitting on the sidewalk.
safety. But increasingly,
He had a sign that read:
studies show that
“Hungry, homeless, please help.”
In that moment, something inside Hannah
changed. She was haunted by the stark
contrast between the luxury of the car
and the poverty of the man. How
many meals could be purchased
for the price of that car?
Hannah began pestering
her family to do something to
Hannah Salwen
on the latest iPhone or designer jeans, but from
contributing to something bigger than yourself.
Volunteering to clean up parks, organizing a blood
drive, or reading to an elderly neighbor makes us
feel good. Some scientists believe that’s because
our brains are hardwired to be altruistic. Unlike
stuff we buy, acts of generosity provide lasting
satisfaction.
help those in need. Finally, her
It’s an idea that Hannah and her family now
mother asked, jokingly, “What do
understand firsthand. For them, living in a smaller
you want to do—sell our house?”
Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images (Money);
Allison Shirreffs (Hannah Salwen)
true contentment comes not from splurging
home brought them closer together. Their lives
That was exactly what Hannah wanted.
became more joyful and fulfilling. And they found
She convinced her family to sell their $1.5
themselves spending more time with one another,
million dream home, move into a house half the
size, and donate $800,000 to charity. After some
research, the Salwens chose to give to The Hunger
talking, connecting.
And that kind of happiness is something money
just can’t buy. •
writing contest
What theme do the play and essay share? Use details from both texts to support your
answer. Send your response to MIDAS CONTEST. Five winners will each receive The Eyes of
Kid Midas by Neal Shusterman. See page 2 for details.
Get this
activity
Online
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