“The Curse of Vanity: Medusa and Athena” is a mythological play that retells the famous Greek legend of Medusa and the goddess Athena. Once admired for her breathtaking beauty, Medusa lets pride and vanity blind her heart. She mocks the goddess of wisdom, claiming she is more beautiful than Athena herself. But when arrogance challenges the divine, the results are tragic. This play teaches a valuable lesson about humility, respect, and the true essence of inner beauty.
CHARACTERS:
NARRATOR
MEDUSA
COBBLER
FRIEND 1
FRIEND 2
ATHENA
SCRIPT:
NARRATOR: Once upon a time, in the great city of Athens, there lived a girl named Medusa. Though the town was home to many beautiful maidens, Medusa alone was consumed by her own reflection. She was not just lovely; she was breathtaking—and she knew it.
At Medusa’s House
(Medusa stands before a polished bronze mirror, admiring herself.)
MEDUSA: I am the prettiest of them all! Why shouldn’t I say it? My skin is smoother than polished marble. My eyes are greener than the Aegean Sea itself!
NARRATOR: Every day, Medusa didn’t seek company; she sought an audience. She loved her image more than she loved the city itself.
At the Cobbler’s Shop
(The Cobbler is bent over his work, tired.)
MEDUSA: (Dismissively, not meeting his eyes) My hair glows brighter than the sun, doesn’t it, Cobbler?
COBBLER: (Sighing, weary of the routine) I know, Medusa. It brightens this dusty old shop. Now, about these soles…
MEDUSA: (Adjusting a perfect curl) The sun is a pale, flickering candle compared to my glorious reflection. You are lucky to witness it. Don’t touch it, by the way. You have a pitch on your hands.
NARRATOR: She repeated this ceremony of self-worship with every poor soul who passed her path, until the day she made a special visit to the city’s greatest monument.
At the Parthenon
(Friend 1 and Friend 2 stand in awe, gazing at the sculptures and architecture.)
FRIEND 1: The Parthenon is the largest temple to the goddess Athena in all the land. The glory of this place is overwhelming.
FRIEND 2: We should offer thanks. Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, guides our city.
(Medusa walks past them, only looking at the art critically.)
MEDUSA: (Waving a dismissive hand) Yes, yes, the architecture is adequate. But look at these statues of the goddess. She seems so… stern. I’d have thought the sculptor could manage a smile. Or at least, a face that didn’t suggest she eats olives straight from the jar.
FRIEND 1: Medusa! Stop! That’s irrelevant.
MEDUSA: (Running a finger along a statue’s base) Honestly, this entire temple is a lovely tribute… to mediocrity. I would have made a much better subject for the sculptor. The work would be truly inspiring then!
FRIEND 2: (Whispering, urgently) Medusa, please! This is the goddess of wisdom! Not a seamstress to be criticized! Her father is Zeus!
MEDUSA: (Ignoring them, she reaches the grand altar and sighs happily.) This is a beautiful temple. It is a shame it was wasted on Athena. I am so much prettier than she is. One day, people will build an even grander temple to my beauty.
(Medusa’s friends grow pale. Priestesses who overheard gasp. Whispers run through the temple, and people begin to rush out. Medusa, lost in her vanity, doesn’t notice their fear. She pauses by the large bronze doors to admire her reflection.)
NARRATOR: Medusa was so busy looking proudly at her own reflection in the large bronze doors that she hadn’t noticed the departure of everyone else. But as she gazed, the bronze began to ripple like water. A sound like a shield being struck echoed through the empty, silent temple.
ATHENA (Voice, echoing from everywhere): Vain and foolish girl. You think you are prettier than I am!
(Medusa whirls around. The bronze doors now reflect the formidable face of Athena.)
MEDUSA: (Stammering) Athena! I… I only meant the artistry—
ATHENA: (Appearing suddenly, fully armored, her face severe.) Silence! I doubt your claim to beauty to be true, but even if it were, there is more to life than loveliness alone. While others work and play and learn, you do nothing but boast and admire yourself!
MEDUSA: But, Athena, my beauty is an inspiration! I make their lives better simply by looking so lovely!
ATHENA: Nonsense. Beauty fades swiftly in all mortals. It does not comfort the sick, teach the unskilled, or feed the hungry.
(Athena raises her hand, and a divine light begins to shimmer.)
ATHENA: By my powers, your loveliness shall be stripped away completely. Your fate shall serve as a reminder to all mortals: choose wisdom and service over vanity and pride. Now, witness what happens when mere vanity challenges the divine.
MEDUSA: (A high-pitched scream) No, my skin! It’s burning!
NARRATOR: The bronze doors flashed with a violent, sickening light. Medusa staggered, clutching at her head as her silken curls began to writhe.
MEDUSA: (A desperate, choked sound) My hair! What is happening to my hair?! They’re hissing!
NARRATOR: Her face elongated, features warping as her delicate hair became a crown of fighting, coiling serpents.
ATHENA: Medusa, for your pride, this has been done. Your face is now so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it will turn a man to stone! Even you, Medusa, should you seek your reflection, shall turn to rock the instant you see your face. Now, with your hair of snakes, go! Live with the blind monsters—the Gorgon sisters—at the ends of the earth, so that no innocents would be accidentally turned to stone at the sight of you.
MEDUSA: (Hissing, her voice now grating and raw, part human, part serpent’s rattle) Nooo! What have you done to me, Athena! You are not wiser! You are jealous! You destroyed what you could never be! I will be beautiful forever in my rage! You will not change that!
(Medusa turns and flees the temple, the sickening sound of slithering scales echoing as she runs. Athena is left alone, her face stern.)
ATHENA: (Softly, to the empty temple) May all who hear your story remember true glory is found in the heart, not the mirror.
And so, Medusa’s story became a warning whispered through generations. She learned too late that beauty fades, but wisdom and kindness last forever. Athena’s punishment was harsh but filled with meaning—it reminded humankind that arrogance leads to downfall, and true greatness shines not from the face, but from the heart.
The End
Author: Kidsinco, based on a Greek Myth
Moral of the Story: True beauty lies in wisdom, kindness, and humility—not in outward appearance.
Moral Values:
- Humility: No one should consider themselves above others.
- Respect: Even the most powerful should show reverence toward wisdom and divinity.
- Wisdom: Intelligence and understanding are far more valuable than beauty.
- Empathy: Thinking of others brings more joy than thinking only of oneself.
- Self-awareness: Recognizing one’s flaws helps us grow as a person.
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👉 External Resources:
- Athena: Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War – Greek Mythology
- Medusa: The Real Story of the Snake-Haired Gorgon – Greek Mythology
👉 Discover more Kidsinco Greek play scripts! Read the fascinating stories of Arachne and the Goddess of Weaving and Theseus and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur — timeless tales of courage, wisdom, and destiny.
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