Weekly #3

Question: Is History Created by 'the People' or by Individuals? Write a script for a movie about the events that took place in Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars.You should create a character that will live through some of the major events and you will tell the story through that character's eyes. Your character should be a common Athenian unknown to history. Scripts should be between three and five pages (longer is ok) and must include at least two major events. Be creative, but stick to the historical reality of what took place. Really think about what it would have been like to live in this time period and think about structuring your script so that there is some real drama. Imagine in your head what it would look like if we decided to film the script. (In fact, we might!) Email me if you have questions.

The Peloponnesian War

Script by: Sam Werneke

Narrator-In the Year 360 B.C a pair of twins were born to an Athenian women.

ACT 1Scene 1- At Hospital

The screen opens and there is a women giving birth to twins.

She is struggling and as her second twin is born she dies in child birth.

Aunt- Anyclos!

Doctor- There is nothing we can do now.

Aunt- There Boys!

Doctor 1- I’ll take one and raise as my own because my son has just died because his ship crashed at sea.

Aunt- I’ll take the other back to Sparta with me.

The twins are taken there to ways. The aunt travels to Sparta and the other child is left with the doctor at his house.

ACT 1Scene 2- at the doctor’s house 

Wife of Doctor- Who is this baby?

Doctor- Our new son, Philocles.

Wife of Doctor- New son?

Doctor-  No one told you yet? Our son died on a ship when it crashed.

Wife of Doctor-  Oh why would Zeus ever do to this to us.

Wife inspects Baby and decides ponders his name

Wife of Doctor- He is so cute. Why did you take him?

Doctor- His mother died in child birth.

ACT 1 Scene 3- Sparta( Aunts House)

Baby Crying

Aunt- Hush Child you will wake, Archidamos

Archidamos: What is this crying I hear?

Aunt- Our new son

Archidamos- Son?

Aunt- My sister from Athens just died in child birth and I decided to take him back to us.

Archidamos-He looks good, he is healthy and will be the ere to my thrown. I will name him Lysander; he will be a great hero one day.

Aunt-Yes he will.

ACT 2 Scene 1-Sparta-10 years later

Young Lysander is practicing in a courtyard

Archidamos- Good Lysander, You will one day be a great warrior.

Lysander- I know I will. I will lead the Spartan Army and conquer all of Greece.

Archidamos- Not if I get there first.

 They laugh together

The Aunt walks in

Aunt- Lysander how is your practice?

Lysander- I’m ready to fallow in my father’s footsteps.

Aunt- Sure you are.

Archidamos- He is a very strong fighter even better than me when I was his age.

Aunt- Good, Good.

Lysander keeps practicing

His parents go to another room

Aunt- Archidamos! I thought you were going to tell him today!

Archidamos- I will don’t worry.

Aunt- He is getting better and better every day. Soon he will join our army and attack Athens.

Archidamos- What’s wrong with that?

Aunt- I just got news about the other twin. He has been training too. He wants to lead Athens Navy.

Archidamos- What’s wrong with that?

Aunt- One might kill each other.

Archidamos- If he wants to be a king like me he has to work hard and fight. Even if it means to kill his brother.

Archidamos walks out the door mad.

Act 2 Scene 2-the year 430 B.C-Plague

Philocles- Mom what’s wrong with Dad?

Doctor’ Wife- He has come down with the plague stay away from him.

Philocles- Why are the Spartans doing this to us?

Doctor’ Wife- They think we have too much and they want to be the power of the Mediterranean.

Philocles- Wow we will show them who is the power of the Mediterranean.

6 months later

At his father’s funeral

Narrator- Philocles father has just died of the plague.

Philocles- He was the Best father ever he supported me becoming a soldier and naval leader. He was a great doctor too. I’ll avenge his death by conquering all of the Mediterranean.

Act 3 Scene-1-the year 413 B.C.

Lysander standing on a boat. He is the general of the whole Spartan Navy

Lysander- Men today we take Athens!

The men cheer, Lysander gives the signal to the other ships and they head off.

Lysander- Men when we arrive we will cut of the port leading to Athens. This will cause them to starve and make it easier to take the city.

Battle of Aegospotami

Philocles- We will send ships ahead and draw the Spartans to attack then come around with our main force.

The men respond with a cheer.

Philocles- Attack!

 The ships go at it during the day and then finally only nine Athenian ships escape to Athens.

Lysander- Find me the general of the Athenian Fleet.

Men go off and bring the prisoner aboard (Philocles), they take him to Sparta and have him in a courtyard ready to be executed.

Lysander- Speak you name sir.

Philocles- Philocles, sir.

Lysander- Your “almighty Navy” has fallen to the Spartans what say you?

Philocles- Yes it has but the spirit of Athena will live in us all.

Lysander- Where was she today? Execute him!

 An Man with an axe comes down and chops of Philocles’ head

Aunt- Lysander! He was you twin!

Lysander looks at his dead twin’s head and sees the resemblance in him and Philocles

Narrator- He walks away and cries to himself it was a win for Sparta that day and a Loss for Lysander