The Twelve Labors of Heracles

PREFACE: It all began with the King of the Gods, Zeus. Known for his promiscuity, Zeus had an affair with Alcmene, who then bore him the hero of our tale, Heracles. Hera, wife of Zeus and Goddess of marriage, grew angry with her husbands constant affairs, and from the moment he was conceived, hated Heracles. One day to get back at Heracles for essentially just existing, she made him go mad. In his madness, he killed his wife Megara and his children. Heracles wanted to atone for his crimes so he went to the oracle at Delphi to see how to do so. The oracle told him he had to complete 12 labors from his cousin Eurystheus from which the prize will be immortality. Scene I, Labor 1: The Nemean Lion Narrator: Kat, El Acting: Steph Prop: Jo Narrator One: The first of Hercules labors was to kill the Nemean Lion that was threatening civilization. The lion had skin that was impenetrable by all weapons, so Heracles, being clever, snapped the lions neck in order to kill it. Heracles: Whos king of the jungle now! Narrator Two: Hercules prize for this labor was to keep the skin of the lion as a trophy. Yet, since it couldnt be pierced by weapons, Heracles had to skin it with its own claws. From that moment on, Heracles was always seen wearing his lion skin. Scene II, Labor 2: Lernean Hydra Narrator: Kat (Iolaus), Steph Prop: El Acting: Jo Narrator One: The next labor Heracles had to undertake was the slaying of the hydra sent by Hera that was wandering near Lernea. The hydra had one immortal head, and had poisonous venom. Narrator Two: Heracles, with the help of his cousin and best friend Iolaus, defeated the immortal hydra. He then dipped his arrows into the poison of the hydra, and they were a fatal magical emblem from that day forth.

Heracles: Damn, whenever I cut off one head, two more grow to replace it. How can I

defeat this monster! Iolaus: Maybe if we burn the stumps after you Heracles: Quiet, foolish cousin, youre interrupting my thoughts. Hmm.. What if we burned the stumps after I cut the heads off? Iolaus: Thats what I justHeracles: Now, Iolaus! Dont just stand there! Scene III, Labor 3: Ceryneian Deer Narrator: Steph (Artemis), Jo (Apollo) Prop: Kat Acting: El Narrator One: Heracles third labor was to capture the Ceryneian deer, which happened to belong to Artemis. After tracking the animal for a year, he finally wounded it with his arrows, threw it over his shoulder and headed back to Mycenae. Narrator Two: Along the way, Heracles met Artemis and Apollo, who were not pleased with his capture. Heracles apologized and explained to them that he was under order. Artemis accepted his apology and allowed him to show the deer to Eurystheus, after which Heracles had to let the deer go. Apollo: Stop, Heracles! That deer is sacred to my sister Artemis! You cannot take it. Heracles: But I need the deer to complete the task given to me by my cousin. Please, I beg of you to let me take it. Artemis: Its fine. Just dont kill it, and let it free after you show it to him. Scene IV, Labor 4: The Erymantian Boar Narrator: Jo, El Prop: Steph Acting: Kat Narrator One: Next, Heracles had to travel to Mt. Erymanthus in Arcadia, which is located in the central Peloponnesus. Narrator Two: Heracles had to capture the boar and bring it back to Eurystheus. Heracles: That was an easy one. Scene V, Labor 5: Augean Stables Narrator: El, Kat

Prop: Jo Acting: Steph Narrator One: The next labor given to Heracles by Eurystheus was meant to be purely humiliating. He was assigned the task of cleaning out the poop-filled stables of Augeas, a son of Helius. Narrator Two: Without mentioning his prior commitment to Eurystheus, Heracles made a deal with Augeas that if he could clean the several feet deep pit of poop that was his stables, he would receive a portion of Augeas cattle. Heracles did it by funneling in water from the river, but Augeas didnt follow through on the deal anyways since he found out about the task serving a double purpose. Heracles: Man, this is horsecrap. How am I going to clean these stables? Maybe if I divert the river Scene VI, Labor 6: The Stymphalian Birds Narrator: Kat, Steph Prop: El Acting: Jo Narrator One: Heracles next task proved to be even more difficult than those before it. Eurystheus sent him to take care of an enormous pack of birds flying around near Stymphalos. Narrator Two: With the aid of Athena, Heracles defeated the birds, shooting them down with his bow and arrows, or according to some tales, a slingshot. Scene VII, Labor 7: Cretan Bull Narrator: Steph, Jo Prop: Kat Acting: El Narrator One: Now Eurystheus ordered Heracles to capture the Cretan bull, an animal summoned from the sea by Minos. Heracles sailed to Crete, grabbed the bull by its horns, tossed it into the sea, and rode it back to the Peloponnesus. Heracles: Yee haw! Lets ride back to Eurystheus. Narrator Two: After its inspection, the bull ran away towards the north, where it arrived at the plain of Marathon. There, the bull is killed by Theseus, another hero. Scene VIII, Labor 8: The Horses of Diomedes Narrator: Jo, El Prop: Steph Acting: Kat

Narrator One: Heracles next labor was to the capture the flesh-eating horses of Diomedes, who was the son of Ares and the King of a tribe in northern Thrace. Narrator Two: Heracles tamed the horses by feeding Diomedes to them. Heracles: Looks like he was pretty tasty. Scene IX, Labor 9: Girdle of Hippolyta Narrator: El, Kat Prop: Jo Acting: Steph Narrator One: After dealing with the horses of Diomedes, Heracles was told he had to come back with the girdle of Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. This labor is a sexual one, since to loosen ones girdle meant to offer yourself sexually. Forcibly removing it meant rape. Narrator Two: Heracles traveled to the dwelling of Hippolyta, and she gladly gave him the girdle belt because he was so charming. This made Hera mad, what else is new, and she disguised herself as an Amazon to run through their city proclaiming that Heracles was kidnapping Hippolyta. Freaking out, Heracles strangled Hippolyta and then took the girdle before getting out of that place. Heracles: Zeus Beard! All these foreign women are insane! Scene X, Labor 10: The Cattle of Geryon Narrator: Kat, Steph Prop: El Acting: Jo Narrator One: Heracles next had to travel to the end of the world, in order to capture the cattle of Geryon, a monster that apparently had three heads and three sets of legs. His cattle was guarded by the two-headed dog Orthus. Narrator Two: Open arriving to the field in which the cattle were grazing, Heracles was attacked by Orthus. He then clubbed the dog to death. Once Geryon caught wind of Heracles trying to steal his cattle, he also attacked. He was shot dead with Heracles bow and arrows, allowing Heracles to get away with his magnificent cattle. Heracles: I guess three heads arent always better than one! Scene XI, Labor 11 - Apples of the Hesperides Narrator: Steph, Jo Prop: Kat Acting: El

Narrator One: Next, Heracles was to bring back the Apples of the Hesperides. These apples grew on a magical tree, a wedding gift from Zeus to Hera. Unfortunately, Heracles had no idea where to find this tree, so he asked the sea-god Nereus for help. Heracles eventually finds Atlas and persuades him to fetch the apples for him; in exchange, Heracles takes over carrying the world. Narrator Two: Atlas fulfills the task, but wants to take the apples to Eurystheus. Heracles agrees, but asks if Atlas can take over for a minute while Heracles gets a cushion - a trick! Heracles leaves Atlas with the burden and runs off to give Eurystheus the apples. But the apples were too dangerous to keep, so Eurystheus gave them to Heracles, who gave them to Athena, who returned them to the Hesperides Scene XII, Labor 12: Cerberus Narrator: Jo, El (Hades) Prop: Steph Acting: Kat Narrator One: Heracles last labor was to go to the Underworld and bring back Cerberus, the many-headed guard dog. Heracles went to Taenarum, the entrance of Hades, and asked Hades and Persephone for permission to take Cerberus. Narrator Two: Hades agreed as long as Heracles didnt use any weapons. Heracles still had his lion skin from the Nemean Lion to protect him, and he put a leash on Cerberus and dragged him to Eurystheus. Hades: Theres no way you can do this without weapons. Cerberus will eat you alive. Heracles: Well see about that. Here, boy! Here! Good dog.