The Cyclops

Cyclops: Andrew
Odysseus: Victor
Man 1: Allison
Man 2: Leslie
[scene opens on Odysseus and his two men]
Odysseus : Look, a cave!
[they enter the cave]
[light a fire, eat, talk]
[Cyclops enters, blocks the cave with a stone]
Cyclops: Who are you and where are you from?!
Odysseus: We are Greeks on our way home from Troy who have been prevented from r
eturning home by bad weather and godly forces. We hope you will be kind and welc
ome us into your home, but do not hurt us as we are under the protection of the
gods.
Cyclops: I do not care about your gods, as I believe myself to be far stronger t
han them. How did you happen to land on these shores anyways?
Man 1: We were driven onto the shore when Poseidon himself wrecked our ship.
[Suddenly, the Cyclops takes two of the men and eats them, then he stretches and
goes to sleep. Odysseus and his two men are in shock, but decide not to kill hi
m as they cannot move the rock themselves.]
Man 2: [breaks down, sobbing] What shall we do?
Man 1: I don t know.
[Odysseus and his men go to sleep, in despair.]
[In the morning, the Cyclops wakes up, he eats two more of the men for breakfast
and then leaves the cave, carefully making sure none of the men escape.]
[Odysseus and his men explore the cave.]
I
Man 2: [walking aimlessly, bashes into a huge log in the Cyclops cave] OWWWWWWWW
!!!!!
Man 1: What s wrong?
Odysseus: [ignoring Man 2 s cries of pain, stroking his chin]: Hmmmm . maybe we can
use this.
Odysseus: [starts sawing at the log, cuts a length of it off, sharpens it, calls
his men]: I think I ve figured out a way to escape. Tonight, when the Cyclops com
es back from his day s work, I will be waiting for him, and I will attempt to get
him drunk using some wine. When he falls asleep, we will drive this spit into hi
s eye and blind him. When he wakes up, angry, we will hide under the rams.
Cyclops: [comes back in, bringing his sheep with him]
Odysseus: Cyclops, please, stop eating my men! I bring you this goblet of wine a
s a peace offering in the hopes that you will stop this nonsense, as no other tr
aveler will ever come again to see such a mad, unbearable, monster!

Cyclops: [delighted, happily drains the cup of wine] More! More! What is your na
me kind stranger?
Odysseus [talking to man 1]:Pass me the bottles of wine.
Man 1: Here.
Odysseus: [passes wine to cyclops] Since you asked, my name is Nohbdy, everyone
I know calls me Nohbdy. What is my reward?
Cyclops: I'll eat your friends first, and then you, probably the best reward you
could ever wish for.
[Cyclops falls to sleep drunk and hiccuping]
Man 2: I'm scared.
Man 1: Are you sure we should do this?
Odysseus: [Confidently, picks up the wooden spit] It's the only way; there s no go
ing back now. Together, we will stab him in his eye.
[Odysseus and Crew stab the Cyclops in the eye with the wooden spit]
[Cyclops eye becomes bloody, roars while clawing his face]
Cyclops: Nohbdy, Nohbdy's tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me!
[Odysseus and crew laugh, Odysseus starts to plan a way to get out]
[Odysseus sees rams (blankets)]
Odysseus: Wow, those are some sturdy rams. Come here, you two!
[Man 1 and 2 come]
Odysseus: Listen. I know how to hide from the Cyclops.
Man 1 and 2: Really?! How?!
Odysseus: You see those rams? [points] I m going to tie you two and myself under t
hem as well as our fallen friends. That way, we will be hidden and protected.
Man 1: Under them ? How long do we have to hide?
Odysseus: I m not sure, but whenever we get the chance we will escape.
Man 2: Not too reassuring...but I suppose it s the best we ve got.
[Odysseus ties Man 1 and 2 as well as dead comrades to rams bellies and then ties
himself to another ram.]
[Morning comes, and the Cyclops goes to rams as they begin to wake up; however,
the Cyclops doesn t see Odysseus and the men. Cyclops pets the rams tenderly and t
hen goes to Odysseus ram.]
Cyclops: Oh, poor ram. Why are you so behind the rest? Usually you go the farthe
st to graze and are always the first to return, but here you are dead last. Why,
my poor ram? Could you be grieving the loss of my eye? That jerk Nohbody outsma
rted me with that wine of his. I swear, none of them will get out of this cave a
live. I m going to bash that Nohbody against the walls and splatter his brains acr
oss the rocks. That ll show him, that insolent brat.

[Cyclops dismisses by , who walk out of cave, and Odysseus and men escape from u
nder, tying up rams and taking them to the ship as well as dead comrades. Odysse
us then turns around to face the cave.]
Odysseus: O Cyclops! Would you feast on my companions? Puny, am I, in a Caveman s
hands? How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal? Eater
of guests under your roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!
(Cyclops breaks the hill and threw it at sea
Odysseus: Oh no! We re back at shore.
Man #2: Godsake, Captain! why bait the beast again? Let him alone!
Man #1: That tidal wave he made on the first throw all but beached us.
Odysseus: Cyclops! If any man questions who put you to shame and blinded you, te
ll him Odysseus did, Laertes son, whose home is on Ithaca
Cyclops: A wizard once told me that I would lose my eye. However, I did not expe
ct to lose it this way, to a small weakling who put me down with wine. Come back
and I ll treat you well.
Odysseus: If i can take you down, i would hurl you down to hell! That way you ca
nnot be healed.
Cyclops: [stretch towards sky, praying to Poseidon] Poseidon! Never let Odysseus
return home. If he shall, let his1 his 4journey back home be a and painful. Let
him lose all his friends and return back home sad.