Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Pandora’s Box

Teachers’ Notes

Working with children on this play helps teachers to cover the following elements of the National Curriculum:

History Key Stage 1 Knowledge, skills and understanding 1a, 1b, 2a, 3, 4b, 5, 6c Key Stage 2 12 A European history study–Ancient Greece Knowledge, skills and understanding 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3, 4b, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6

English Key Stage 1 Programme of Study En 1 Speaking and Listening Knowledge, skills and understanding 1a, 1c, 1f, 2a, 2d, 2e, 4a, 4b, 4c, 8a, 8b, 8d, 9a, 11a, 11b, 11c En2 Reading Knowledge, skills and understanding 1l, 3d, 3f, 6c, 6d, 6f, 6g Key Stage 2 Programme of Study En 1 Speaking and Listening Knowledge, skills and understanding 1e, 2d, 4a, 4d, 6a, 6b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9c En 2 Reading Knowledge, skills and understanding 2b, 2c, 2d, 4a, 4c, 4h, 4i, 8e, 8f

Literacy Strategy (Key Stages 1 & 2) Shared Reading Guided Reading Independent work – preparing presentations

This dramatisation focuses on the myth of Pandora’s Box. It gives scope for discussion on the ideas, beliefs and attitudes of the ancient Greeks. A comparison can be made between this Greek myth of how pain and suffering came into the world and the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.

There are eleven speaking parts but as these include the narrators and various gods and goddesses the number of children who actually speak can be extended to suit particular circumstances. The chorus was a major feature of Greek theatre and teachers might want to explain the link between the function of the narrators and the chorus. When the play is finished the children playing the parts of the gods and goddesses can return individually and explain who they are and their function in the pantheon of Greek gods. For example, Apollo was supposed to have driven the chariot of the sun across the sky and Hermes was the messenger of the gods. At the end of the assembly the children can explain how Mount Olympus gave its name to the games held in honour of the gods.

Staging Directions

The major difficulty inherent in dramatising the story of Pandora’s Box is the impossibility of having actors hidden in the small box. This is overcome by having Pandora throw the box off stage and the creatures coming on from the side of the staging area. There are eight evil creatures named in the script but this number can be added to or decreased as needed. Pandora’s Box

(Zeus is sitting on a throne with a thunderbolt in his hand. He looks very bad tempered.)

Narrator 1: Come back with us through time to the land of the ancient Greeks.

Narrator 2: The Greeks believed that their gods lived on the mountain they called Olympus.

Narrator 3: The most fearsome and terrible of all the gods was Zeus. He was vain and often cruel.

(Zeus strokes his beard and sneers at the audience)

Narrator 4: And when he was angry everybody suffered.

Narrator 5: He was famous for hurling thunderbolts at the earth to show off his power.

(A person walks onto the stage. Zeus leaps to his feet and throws the thunderbolt at this poor unfortunate who screams and scurries off)

Narrator 1: But, one day, Zeus decided that throwing thunderbolts at harmless humans was beginning to bore him.

Narrator 2: So he made up his mind to send something far worse to trouble the world.

Narrator 3: He summoned the other gods and goddesses to him.

Narrator 4: They all rushed to stand before Zeus as he sat on his throne.

Narrator 5: And waited with bated breath to hear what he had to say.

Zeus: My fellow gods and goddesses, I’ve decided to punish humankind. They don’t respect me enough and it’s time I reminded them of my power. Gods: But what do you want us to do?

Zeus: You will create a beautiful woman and I will send her to earth to marry the Giant Epimetheus.

Gods: But won’t that make him happy?

Zeus: Certainly not, for I will make her vain and selfish and silly. Now do as I have commanded.

Gods: At once.

Narrator 1: The gods all raced away to do as Zeus had ordered.

Narrator 2: Before long they returned with the woman.

Narrator 3: Zeus looked at her and then smiled.

Zeus: You have done well. This woman is beautiful. But she is also self centred and greedy. I shall name her Pandora. Pandora you may speak.

Pandora: Hello Zeus. Thank you for making me so fabulously stunning.

Zeus: It’s my pleasure, my dear. Now I shall send for the man who will be your husband. You’ll like him because he’ll give you anything you ask for.

Pandora: Oh goody! There are lots of things I want like clothes and money and jewels.

Zeus: Of course you do. But there is one thing you must ask him for.

Pandora: What’s that?

Zeus: A wooden box that his brother Prometheus gave him to keep safe. The box is full of things Prometheus doesn’t want humans to have. But I don’t like Prometheus so I think it’s only fair that you humans have them, don’t you my dear?

Pandora: Oh yes. Yes, why should greedy old Prometheus keep those things for himself?

Zeus: Quite right, Pandora. And if your husband really loves you he’ll let you have the box. Do you promise me you’ll nag him until he gives it to you?

Pandora: Oh I promise. Zeus: Good. Now, Hermes, fetch Epimetheus here immediately.

Hermes: With a shake of my winged heels I’m gone, Lord Zeus.

Narrator 4: Hermes, the messenger of the gods, quickly flew down to earth and brought a very frightened Epimetheus back up to Olympus to meet his bride.

Zeus: Ah, there you are Epimetheus. What do you think of Pandora, your bride to be?

Epimetheus: She’s truly lovely but, lord Zeus, I don’t want to marry anybody.

Pandora: Yes I am beautiful and I’m going to be your wife whether you like it or not because Zeus said so, so there.

Narrator 5: Epimetheus could see there was no point in arguing so he and Pandora were married straight away and returned to earth to live.

(Zeus and all the gods and goddesses exit from the stage leaving Epimetheus and Pandora alone)

Pandora: Well, Epimetheus, don’t you think you should buy me a new dress to wear?

Epimetheus: Yes, I suppose so.

Pandora: And I’ll need a diamond necklace to go with it.

Epimetheus: Very well, I expect I can afford it.

Pandora: Oh yes, and I want that wooden box your brother gave you.

Epimetheus: No, I’m sorry but you can’t have that. I promised Prometheus I would keep it safe and never open it.

Pandora: Don’t you love me?

Epimetheus: Well, yes.

Pandora: Do you want to make me happy?

Epimetheus: Of course I do, you’re my wife.

Pandora: So give me the box.

Epimetheus: No.

Pandora: Give me the box! Give me the box! Give me the box! Epimetheus: No! No! No!

Narrator 1: Pandora stamped her foot in fury and Epimetheus stormed out of the room.

Narrator 2: However, Pandora was determined she would have the mysterious box. She believed that it must contain precious jewels or gold coins.

Narrator 3: So she made up her mind to steal it.

Narrator 4: She hid behind a curtain and waited for Epimetheus to return. She did not have to wait very long.

(Re-enter Epimetheus clutching a wooden box.)

Epimetheus: Good. Pandora’s gone. No doubt she’s admiring herself in a mirror somewhere. Well, I’ll hide the box in here so she’ll never find it.

Narrator 5: Epimetheus hid the box and then left the room again.

(Pandora comes out of hiding)

Pandora: So I’ll never find it won’t I? Well Epimetheus, for your information your wife has got brains as well as beauty.

(She picks up the box)

And now I’ll just unlock this casket and help myself to the gold or the jewels or whatever treasure is hidden away inside.

(She lifts the lid, looks inside the box then screams in horror and throws the box offstage)

Narrator 1: The box did not contain treasure at all.

Narrator 2: Instead every evil thing ever created was trapped inside it.

Narrator 3: And now Pandora had set them free.

Narrator 4: The horrid creatures, whose names were Spite, Anger, Hate, Envy, Disease, Hunger, War and Pain swarmed into the room and danced around Pandora before rushing off to bring trouble and heartache to the world.

Narrator 5: Pandora fell to her knees in despair but then one last creature came out of the box and walked over to her. The creature took her hand and suddenly Pandora felt better.

Pandora: You are not like the others. Who are you? Creature: Pandora, your greed has released terrible troubles into the world but I am here to try and make things better. My name is Hope.

Narrator 1: And so it was that even though Pandora had opened the box

Narrator 2: And let all the horrors loose

Narrator 3: Just as Zeus had known she would

Narrator 4: Human beings did not give up in despair

Narrator 5: Because Hope was in the world.

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