"Ellen Schoeters is a member of Actorama + where actors can upload a monologue or scene performance for peer review. What do you think of Ellen Schoeters's performance?"
(1 vote)
| Character | Tecmessa | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female | |
| Age Range(s) | Young Adult (20-35), Adult (36-50) | |
| Type of monologue / Character is | Crying, Descriptive, Depressed, Lamenting, Afraid, Reminiscing life story/Telling a story | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Period | Ancient Greek | |
| Genre | Tragedy, Drama | |
| Description | Tecmessa tells the chorus Ajax' horrible deeds | |
Summary
Towards the end of the Trojan war between Troy and the Greeks, Achilles is killed by a Trojan arrow guided by Apollo. Ajax, considered one of the greatest Greek warriors after Achilles, expects to receive Achille's armor as a prize. The Greek commanders, however, decide to give the armor to Odysseus. Ajax loses his mind over this decision and decides to slay Odysseus and the Greek leaders. Athena, the goddess of war, intervenes and makes Ajax temporarily insane. Ajax mistakes sheep for his intended victims and slays them. Later, he realizes what he has done and feels profound shame. His concubine Tecmessa and his friends try to relieve his grief. He leaves and tells them he is going to bury the sword of Hector, a dead Trojan hero, but instead commits suicide by throwing himself onto the sword.
In this monolouge Tecmessa tells the chorus how her husband slaughtered animals thinking they were the Greek leaders and how he grieved when he realized what he had done.
In this monolouge Tecmessa tells the chorus how her husband slaughtered animals thinking they were the Greek leaders and how he grieved when he realized what he had done.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
|---|
| TECMESSA Thou shalt hear all, as though thou hadst been present. In the middle of the night, when the evening braziers No longer flared, he took a two-edged sword, And fain would sally upon an empty quest. But I rebuked him, saying: "What doest thou, Ajax? Why thus uncalled wouldst thou go forth? No messenger has summoned thee, no trumpet Roused thee. Nay, the whole camp is sleeping still." But curtly he replied in well-worn phrase: "Woman, silence is the grace of woman." Thus schooled, I yielded; and he rushed out alone. What passed outside the tent, I cannot tell. But in he came, driving lashed together Bulls, and shepherd dogs, and fleecy prey. Some he beheaded, the wrenched-back throats of some He slit, or cleft their chines; others he bound And tortured, as though men they were, not beasts. Last, darting through the doors, as to some phantom He tossed words, now against the Atreidae, now Taunting Odysseus, piling up huge jeers Of how he had gone and wreaked his scorn upon them. Soon he rushed back within the tent, where slowly And hardly to his reason he returned. And gazing round on the room filled with havoc, He struck his head and cried out; then amidst The wrecks of slaughtered sheep a wreck he fell, And sat clutching his hair with tight-clenched nails. There first for a long while he crouched speechless; Then did he threaten me with fearful threats, If I revealed not all that had befallen him, Asking what meant the plight wherein he lay. And I, friends, terror-stricken, told him all That had been done, so far as I had knowledge. Forthwith he broke forth into bitter wailing, Such as I ne'er had heard from him before For always had he held that such laments Befitted cowards only, and low-souled men: But uttering no shrill cries, he would express His grief in low groans, as of a moaning bull. But now prostrate beneath so great a woe, Not tasting food nor drink, he sits among The sword-slain beasts, motionless where he sank. And plainly he meditates some baleful deed, For so portend his words and lamentations. But, O friends!-'twas for this cause I came forth- Enter and help, if help at all you can: For by friends' words men so bestead are won. |
