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    Giants Fall
    Giants Fall
    Giants Fall
    Ebook296 pages1 hour

    Giants Fall

    By Edward Eaton

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    About this ebook

    Love, obsession, revenge, and rage. When the Trojans and the Greeks arrange for a duel between Achilles and Paris to end the war, everyone — including Queen Hecuba and Prince Paris, expect that Achilles will be victorious. After Paris wins, both camps must deal with the aftermath. The Trojans are ecstatic with their new hero, though Hecuba is not so optimistic. Helen realizes she must face more years of exile as Paris' wife. Odysseus plots and plans to steal Ajax's share of Achilles' spoils, including the lovely slave Briseis, who is given to the men for their sport. In a drunken rage, Ajax grabs his weapons and heads off to exact revenge on Odysseus and the Greeks for their insults. [Drama (rated R for ages 18 and up) released in 2015 by Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. | Available in ebook and print | Other dramas by Edward Eaton include: "Elizabeth Bathory," "Hector and Achilles," and "Orpheus and Eurydice"]

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDragonfly Publishing, Inc.
    Release dateOct 5, 2015
    ISBN9781941278222
    Giants Fall
    Author

    Edward Eaton

    Edward Eaton has studied and taught at many schools in the States, China, Israel, Oman, and France. He holds a PhD in Theater History and Literature, and has worked extensively as a theater director and fight choreographer. He has been a newspaper columnist and theatre critic. He has published and presented many scholarly papers, and has a background in playwriting. He is also an avid SCUBA diver and skier. He currently resides in Boston with his wife Silviya and son Christopher.

    Read more from Edward Eaton

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      Book preview

      Giants Fall - Edward Eaton

      cover.jpg

      GIANTS FALL

      Written by

      Edward Eaton

      SMASHWORDS EDITION

      * * * * *

      PUBLISHED BY:

      Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.

      www.dragonflypubs.com

      Giants Fall

      Copyright ©2015 Edward Eaton

      Drama

      [Rated R for ages 18 and up]

      EAN 978-1-941278-22-2

      ISBN 1-941278-22-1

      Story Text Copyright ©2015 Edward Eaton

      Cover and Illustrations Copyright ©2015 Terri L. Branson

      Dragonfly Logo ©2001 Terri L. Branson

      Music ©2013 Edward Eaton

      Lyrics used with permission

      See the print editions for music and lyrics

      Published in the United States of America

      This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to real people or real events is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced electronically or by any form or by any means, nor may it be rebound, without the prior written consent of the Publisher and the Author. All rights of this play are strictly reserved and applications for permission to perform it, for either professional or amateur productions, must be made in advance to the playwright.

      * * * * *

      DEDICATION

      This work is dedicated to my wife, Silviya,and to my little man, Christopher.

      Sine quibus non

      * * * * *

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      Trojans

      HECUBA

      Queen of Troy, de facto ruler now that Hector is slain and Priam has withdrawn. [Female. 50s-70s+]

      PARIS

      Prince of Troy. One of the very few remaining sons of Priam; senior among them. [Male. Mid-late 20s]

      HELEN

      Paris’ ‘wife’. Also wife to Menelaus, king of Sparta. She is the reason for the war. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. [Female. Early 20s]

      BRISEIS

      Paris’ cousin, Achilles’ slave [Female. 15-20]

      CHORUS

      Trojan Women (1-4) [Female. 20s-30s]

      * * * * *

      Greeks

      NESTOR

      An ancient king. [Male. Ancient]

      ODYSSEUS

      A king. [Male. 25-35]

      AJAX

      Another king. [Male. 25-35]

      ACHILLES

      The greatest hero of his age. [Male. 20-25]

      CHORUS

      Greek Soldiers (2-4) [Male. 20s]

      * * * * *

      SETTING

      The play takes place late in the Trojan War sometime after the events of Hector and Achilles and of Homer’s Iliad.

      The action takes place in the Greek Camp, Achilles’ Tent, Ajax’s Tent, The Walls of Troy, Paris’ Chambers, and the Battlefield before Troy.

      The action of the play takes place over the course of one night.

      There should be no lags or delays between scenes or between actions in various locations.

      * * * * *

      SCENE 1

      THE GREEK CAMP

      [Late afternoon]

      [ODYSSEUS and the CHORUS OF SOLDIERS are playing at knucklebones]

      [ODYSSEUS wins several hands in a row]

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Damn it! Another

      Lucky roll, Odysseus.

      He has the gods’ luck.

      Or does the clever

      King help himself to Hermes’

      Good fortune. Hush. Hush.

      Do not speak so of

      Our betters. One more.

      [Rolls]

      Damn it!

      I only have a

      Few left. One more. Wait,

      Lord. Hermes! Bless my roll. Oh,

      Tyche, guide my hand!

      Now. I feel it. There!

      Thank the gods! Odysseus,

      Beat that score!

      [ODYSSEUS rolls]

      Damn it!

      What meats have you burned?

      To what gods have you burned them?

      The gods can’t back him

      Every roll. We

      Win sometimes, but the wily

      One keeps ahead.

      ODYSSEUS

      I

      Cheat

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      What?

      ODYSSEUS

      I cheat.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Huh?

      ODYSSEUS

      Are you as deaf as you are

      Stupid. I’m cheating.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      You’re cheating.

      ODYSSEUS

      I am.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Wait! You cannot be cheating.

      ODYSSEUS

      Why not?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Why tell us?

      ODYSSEUS

      Why not?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      What?

      ODYSSEUS

      Why not?

      Does it make a difference?

      You suspected it.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      I did not, my lord.

      ODYSSEUS

      You said it just a moment

      Ago.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      It was so

      Long ago. Who knows

      What was said by whom?

      ODYSSEUS

      I heard

      You. Look, never mind.

      I forgive you.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      What?

      ODYSSEUS

      For your insolence.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      But you

      Are the one cheating.

      ODYSSEUS

      So?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Are we allowed

      To?

      ODYSSEUS

      Of course not. If you did

      I’d have to kill you.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Oh well, then. That’s that.

      No, wait, lord. It does not seem

      Very fair, to me.

      ODYSSEUS

      Of course it is not

      Fair! That’s the point! It’s your roll.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      You can’t win ev’ry

      Time.

      [Rolls]

      Again? Damn it!

      ODYSSEUS

      Remember. I am cheating.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      I had forgotten.

      Why do we still play?

      ODYSSEUS

      Because you might win. Cheating

      Does not guarantee

      A win. It merely

      Improves the odds.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      It still seems

      Unfair.

      ODYSSEUS

      Not to me.

      Look. Why are we here?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      To watch as Achilles kills

      Paris.

      ODYSSEUS

      Are you sure

      Achilles will win?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Of course he will. Paris can’t

      Win.

      ODYSSEUS

      That is not fair.

      No one goes to war

      Expecting a fair fight. We

      Go expecting to

      Win.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      If that’s the case,

      Why would Troy fight? They cannot

      Win.

      ODYSSEUS

      Can they not?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      No.

      We have Achilles.

      No Trojan can stand ’gainst him

      And hope to survive.

      ODYSSEUS

      And though Achilles

      Has bested the best Troy can

      Boast of, her walls still

      Stand. How?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      They were built

      By gods, are impregnable.

      ODYSSEUS

      It hardly seems fair.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      It isn’t. Bastards!

      How can we fight a war ’gainst

      A town that can’t fall?

      ODYSSEUS

      How can they wage war

      ’Gainst a hero who can’t fail?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Why do they fight then?

      ODYSSEUS

      Why do you place coins

      Upon the dirt ere I roll?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Perhaps you will lose.

      ODYSSEUS

      Perhaps Achilles

      Will stumble, fall, falter, and

      Be vulnerable.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Achilles cannot

      Lose.

      ODYSSEUS

      And Troy’s walls can’t be breached

      By man nor by god.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Then why are we here?

      ODYSSEUS

      Because…. Let’s see. Once there was

      A philosopher.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      What?

      ODYSSEUS

      Phi…lo…so…pher.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Another Trojan trick!

      ODYSSEUS

      What?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      The bastards!

      ODYSSEUS

      No! No!

      A philosopher’s

      A wise man.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Oh?

      ODYSSEUS

      A crafty

      Bastard.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Got it. Go

      On.

      ODYSSEUS

      This phil…this man

      Moved to Gela. A safe, a

      Peaceful place. There to

      While away his days

      And nights in contemplation

      And native pleasures.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Some native pleasures

      Would go over well about

      Now. P’rhaps we could sack

      Gela.

      ODYSSEUS

      We are not

      Going to sack Gela.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Are

      Their walls strong as well?

      ODYSSEUS

      There are no city

      Walls there.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Then they must have great

      Heroes to keep off

      Enemies.

      ODYSSEUS

      Heroes

      None, nor great armies. Nothing.

      There is nothing there.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Nothing?

      ODYSSEUS

      Nothing.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      But

      The native pleasures.

      ODYSSEUS

      What are

      You talking about?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      The native pleasures.

      The reason the…man went there.

      For…the native…pleas—

      ODYSSEUS

      Of course, there are the

      Native pleasures and a lot

      Of sand. Nothing more.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Nothing? Not even

      Houses?

      ODYSSEUS

      Gods! All right! Houses.

      Boats. And fishermen.

      And, yes, cattle and

      Sheep, and, yes, fish.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      What about

      Water?

      ODYSSEUS

      Water?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Yes.

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Can’t live long without

      Water. Is there wine? I can

      Live without wine, but

      Who would want to?

      ODYSSEUS

      Fine!

      There’s wine. There’s everything

      One would need to live.

      Anyway—

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      Then it’s

      Decided.

      ODYSSEUS

      What’s decided?

      CHORUS OF SOLDIERS

      We’re off to Gela.

      I’ll kill fishermen

      Any day. What kind of fight

      Will they put up? But,

      If the fishermen

      Have all been slaughtered, who then

      Will bring us food? P’rhaps

      The women can. When?

      During the daytime, of course.

      Then what will we do,

      During the day? Sleep

      Off previous night’s revels.

      But won’t the women

      Be tired? Do you care?

      They can

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