Penelope and Ulysses by Zenovia

Author:Zenovia [Zenovia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781452506487
Publisher: Balboa Press AU
Published: 2012-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

Act IV

Under House Arrest

Colours of the Sea

[The PENELOPE that we meet in this dialogue and scene is more controlled and planning. She is standing by the shoreline, looking into the sea, reflecting on her thoughts.]

PENELOPE: The nets of the wolf and the jackal

have been thrown over Ithaca.

The hunters, the opportunists, the thieves

and the murderers live just outside my door.

I am under house arrest.

Right across from my courtyard

they have come, presenting themselves

as cultivated men,

as educated men,

as civilised men.

While all the while I can see their plans and nets,

their claws and smiling white teeth,

the teeth of the jackal and wolf

before they tear into the soft flesh of their prey.

They wait for the bait to fall

into their foaming mouth.

Are these men, wild dogs, or wolves?

I watch them from my courtyard.

They all have become a family that works together

in secrecy and crime

for the prize: the fall of Ithaca,

the bedding and betrayal of me,

the murder of my son.

[AGATHY: About thirty-five. He is handsome and lusts for PENELOPE and her lands. He is a brute. AGATHY has a solid build, the body of a warrior, with dark long hair and dark eyes. He has no scarring on his body, as he has not gone to war, having led a privileged and protected existence. His hands are thick and heavy, like his intellect, and all culture and the fine arts are wasted on him. He is vain, proud, and arrogant and cannot detect when he is being mocked. He truly believes that Zeus gave him birth.

PETROCULOS: About fifty-five. Intellectual, patient, experienced in political and personal life, he wants to achieve domination, not only of Ithaca but the whole region. He accomplishes things through persuasion and gets others to do the physical violence when required. PETROCULOS is a tall, lean, elderly man with the look of education. He too has not gone to war but has given advice on many. His hair and beard are grey; he gives the impression of being your kind grandfather and “sister,” and therefore others trust him easily.

PETROCULOS and AGATHY are speaking together discussing an alliance to work together so that they can outwit the other suitors and PENELOPE. If AGATHY shows aggression towards PENELOPE, she will ask assistance from PETROCULOS, sealing the deal between them: they both will share in the region’s wealth.]

PETROCULOS: Look my boy,

you will have to overcome

your sexual impulses towards Penelope,

because if the other suitors find out

that we have hurt her in any way

or that we are working together

in terrorizing and befriending her,

they will kill both of us.

AGATHY: I understand.

We can’t seem to have an advantage

or spoil the balance of terror that is in place.

PETROCULOS: Penelope is to never suspect or know

of our conspiracy against her.

She must believe that she chose one of us

of her own free will.

All are here to make sure

that Penelope chooses one of them

and everyone here believes it will be he.

To disturb this “balance”

would cause chaos and murder among us,

and the strongest,

or the one who is not murdered in his sleep

will be left standing, and probably not for long.

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