The Struggle
By Jon Bodenet
By Jon Bodenet
CHARACTERS:
The Farmer
The Spartan Boy
The Narrator
The Chorus
NARRATOR:
The narrator walks across the stage speaking to the people
The events take place
at a farm near Athens, Greece. It is
late afternoon. There are come clouds in
the distant sky and the sun is slowly dipping toward earth, dissipating its
warmth to the cool breeze that sweeps across a fox farm in the Athenian
countryside. A young Spartan boy slips
stealthily into the farm and lingers for a while prowling about unseen. Noticing the farmer, the boy slips quietly
out of the farm in an effort to leave undetected.
Narrator walks off
stage and stands to the side
ACT ONE SCENE ONE
Coming out of the
farm gate and dashing onto the road the Athenian farmer moves quickly in
front of the young Spartan boy. The
Spartan boy stops casually and looks innocently at the farmer. But the farmer looks carefully and
suspiciously at the young Spartan boy.
He circles the boy saying nothing for the moment, waiting for the boy to
entrap himself with his own words. But
the boy appears calm and unafraid. It is
the boy’s reticence more than anything that piques the farmer’s interest.
Action…
Farmer:
As he circles the boy, the farmer’s thoughts reveal his
suspicions.
“You stole my fox. Where did you hide it? Return it to me at once!”
The farmer speaks his thoughts…
FARMER
His thoughts assessing the boy
“He’s a young Spartan boy I see by his attire. Far from home, he is. What brings such a fair young lad to my farm…
if not to steal a fox? I know
these Spartan boys. Only the strongest
of them are even spared life. And those
who survive are then weaned on stealth and fed on deprivation. Yea… adversity has been their close companion
since birth. And they are clever. Their
gods have given them such cunning as to deceive even a clever serpent. They are always ready for heroic battle or
whatever clever mischief serves their present interest… And
their truth?… it is only relative. With them duplicity is a spoken art… as
poetry is to the Athenian ear. The
melody of prevarication to them is like music to the gods. And they keep their motives hidden so deep
that not even Zeus can know their heart.
SPARTAN BOY:
Standing erect and wearing a proud expression on his calm
face… he holds his coat closed and speaks calmly to the farmer.
“I am not a common thief as you describe me,
sir. What evidence begs your summary
conclusion that I have stolen your fox?”
Do you see here a fox? Unless the
gods have endowed you with their own gifts, you cannot tell without seeing
whether or not a fox has indeed been stolen.
Now, sir…I must leave that I may hurry on to my destination.”
Narrator
The boy turns and starts to leave, but the farmer quickly
steps in front of him again. Then, circumventing the boy as before the farmer
once more contemplated how his interrogation should proceed… (Pause). He stopped abruptly and put his hands on his
hips. Then he faced to boy directly but with a curious face. The sun now begins to dip… a chill descended
over the farm.
The chorus, dressed
in fine white robes and looking regal now moves slowly behind the two
figures. Filing in from opposite sides, they speak (sing). Lights on the
farmer and the young lad slowly dim while the lights gradually illuminate the
chorus.
THE CHORUS:
What
fair and youthful face
Can hide
Such malice in a
youngster’s heart
Can it be that evil may
abide
With beauty
Even from the purest start?
The Chorus files out slowly The
scene ends
ACT ONE - SCENE
TWO
NARRATOR
The farmer now walks
slowly around the boy and surveys his lean healthy features. He is still intrigued by the boy’s confident
posture. He stops again in front of the
youth and places his right hand on the boy’s left shoulder. He is convinced there is more to this
encounter than appears on the surface but he does not know if the boy has
indeed stolen a fox. Moving his face
closer to the youth he peers into the young Spartan’s eyes as though searching
for his heart. He speaks now in a soft
voice as a father might speak to a dearly loved son. He admires this boy. Yet, his lingering
suspicion continues to prompt his interrogation.
ASIDE:
A black
robed and hooded figure moves somberly and silently across the stage behind but
not close to the two figures. Then after a couple of times the dark figure
leaves the stage.
FARMER:
“You’re a Spartan boy, aren’t you? I can tell by your speech and your manner
and also your unusual attire. You
Spartan boys are a bit too cocky…intrepid and undaunted by adversity you seek
always to prevail… and with the certitude that you will.
The farmer begins to relax his posture now. He has grown more curious than
aggressive. Yet, he still has lingering
suspicions. What was this young lad was doing on his farm? Why so far from his family?
FARMER: What are you doing here so close to Athens?
Did you come on some important family matter, which you keep secret in your
heart… or did you come to
steal my fox?
(Italics spoken slowly)
NARRATOR:
Still undaunted, the Spartan boy does not move back as the
farmer moves closer to him. But now the
Spartan boy begins to show subtle signs of distress. The farmer being a keen observer and sees the
boy’s eye begin to wet. He noticed a
perceptible shiver come over the lad as well.
Lights are dimming
low now. The farmer and the boy are
shadows in the dark. The Chorus is
unseen but heard to speak (sing).
By the light of the moon
When
secret plans are laid
Capricious gods design the fate
That
snares the mighty and the weak
Extinguishing the light of life too
soon
With no remorse nor love nor hate
SPARTAN BOY: (Impatiently)
“I did not come to steal your fox! You can see, sir. I have no fox! You may watch me take my leave and see that
I will not recover any fox. So, Let
there be an end to this fruitless altercation for I have urgent needs that beg
my attention. And as you have no
evidence to offer in proof of your accusation, you must grant me leave of your presence without further
demands.”
THE CHORUS:
Pain
is nothing
To a Spartan
man
Or even to
a Spartan lad
It’s but a feeling
spent in vain
Like a
washed out, faded color
The test of man is not
vested in his pain
It is
vested in his valor
The chorus leaves and the scene ends
ACT TWO
SCENE ONE
NARRATOR:
The farmer, still standing in front of the Spartan boy, is
struck by the change in the boy’s expression.
The young Spartan’s posture now begins to slightly stoop. His appearance is pale and tired. In the minutes that have passed the boy has
grown pale white and apprehensive. His
expression is that of compensated pain. “Is this a clever Spartan trick?” the
farmer’s thoughts entertained.
A dull yellow light now illuminates the two figures. A lone figure in the black hooded robe
returns and moves somberly in anticipation behind the young Spartan boy.
FARMER:
Now testing the boy
“Do you entreat me with a
smile, young Spartan? I grow all the
more convinced of your guilt yet I wish not to raise my hand against
you. Your time now grows short. One last opportunity is left to save you from
the judgment of a lie.”
NARRATOR:
The young Spartan boy bending in a stoop clearly has no
smile. It is pain that sweeps across his
face. He is now beyond pale; he is
ghostly white. He is obviously weakened.
The bright youthful light is his eyes have now grown dull and he speaks
in interrupted panting tones. Yet he
maintains his innocence. The dark robed
figure slowly moves closer to the young Spartan and shadows him for a moment.
SPARTAN BOY:
Now unable to speak without pain, he speaks in interrupted
breaths.
“I did not… steal your fox. It’s just as…I have told you. I must leave you… now… at once. Do not detain me …
any longer.”
The light focuses on
the three figures. It dims very
gradually and pans on the farmer as the boy and the black figure fall into the
shadows but remain visible.
The Spartan boy begins to take his leave
and the farmer follows slowly behind, mystified by the strange turn of events.
The dark figure follows the boy and watches the farmer with caution. The evening shadows are now falling
quickly on the two lonely figures. The
farmer recognizes that he was not as patient or perceptive as he was blinded by
his own convictions. He is still convinced of the boy’s guilt, yet he has no
heart to lift up a strong hand against the lad.
As he prepares to reach out a caring hand to the young Spartan, the
boy’s body collapses limp to the ground.
Momentarily startled by this, the farmer stood with unresolved
emotions, his hands reaching out to the Spartan; he is gripped now by great
sorrow. Then he bends down and looking
at the boy’s lifeless face he pulls open the lad’s coat and falls quickly
back. He is startled by the discovery
of a fox. Inside the boy’s coat a fox
had been steadily eating out the young Spartan’s bowels as they stood and
argued. As the fox sped off down the
road, a flood of grief fell over the farmer.
Tears welled up in his eyes and he cries out loudly as he caresses the
boy’s face like a loving parent, still unable to reconcile the events with any
logic or reason.
FARMER:
“Oh, how sad it is to see this fair lad die so young, and
such a miserable and meaningless death at that.
How he must have struggled, with his hopes and his game. Torn between
truth and duty... Oh how his gods have deceived him, and deprived him of his
hope and even his own free will.
THE CHORUS:
What
fickle gods are these?
That care
not how
Our youth may fail
What good is bogus valor?
That is
predicated on a lie
That brings a fair young lad
To
death’s dark murky parlor
So meaningless to die
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