Apollo’s Unrequited Love

Characters

Daphne, a nymph

Apollo, god of the Sun and music, truth and prophecy; archery; medicine, healing and plague, poetry, and the arts

Cupid, the god of love

Peneus, a river god, father of Daphne

Setting

Mount Olympus and Ancient Rome

Time

The Mythic Past

As the Curtain rises, we see Cupid and Apollo standing in a green meadow.  Apollo is standing on the far left of the stage, while Cupid is standing on the far right of the stage. Daphne is standing center stage.

Apollo: (in a condescending voice) Hey, Cupe-what’s a guy like you doing with weapons like this?  Only real a real god should play with such weaponry.

Apollo walks towards Cupid and picks up his bow and arrows. He starts playing with them.

Cupid: (angrily) Just because I make people fall in love does not make me less godly.

Cupid rushes toward Apollo and grabs the bow and arrows away from Apollo.

Cupid: (vindictively) You, Apollo are too haughty.   You think I have no power?  I shall curse you with the powers I have.  I shall shoot you with one gold arrow so you feel only love and one lead arrow so you will feel hatred.  Once shot with both of these, you shall be in constant pain.

Apollo without showing any fear takes a step closer to Cupid.

Apollo: Go ahead, child.  Your little arrows cannot harm me in the slightest.  Give it your best shot.

Cupid raises his bow and simultaneously shoots his arrows. Daphne who remains statuesque during the conversation between Cupid and Apollo screams out in pain.  Apollo runs over to Daphne who lies twisted on the ground with a lead arrow pierced through her heart and tries to tend her.  Cupid does not move nor does he say a word.  He looks on and smirks.

Apollo: (bending down to see Daphne’s wound) My love, where does it hurt?  How can I help you?

Daphne: (disgusted) Step away from me you fool.  I am not your love.  I do not want or need your love.

Cupid: (mimicking Apollo in a hushed voice) Go ahead, child. Your little arrows cannot harm me in the slightest.  Give it your best shot.

Apollo: (angrily) Can it, Cupe.

Cupid smiles and laughs before he flies away leaving Apollo to watch Daphne.  As Apollo gazes upon Daphne, she stands up and pulls the arrow out of her chest stands and flies away as the stage become pitch black.  As light descends upon the stage we see Daphne dancing whimsically to Mozart’s Lullaby in a forest full of blooming flowers. Peneus, her father steps out of the river in the background and approaches his daughter who continues dancing.

Peneus:  Daphne, my darling daughter, it’s time to find you a husband that you can love so that you may have children to fill your life with happiness as you have done for me.

Daphne laughs loudly and continues dancing.

Daphne:  Father, I shall never marry.   Love holds no interest for me.  I beg you to allow me to remain unmarried like Artemis.

Peneus:  Daughter, with your beauty it shall be impossible for you to remain unwed like Artemis.

Daphne:  Father, you exaggerate my beauty.  I have no desire to wed. (She pauses) Besides, I have no acceptable suitors.  Even if you were to find me an acceptable suitor, one who matched my own whims, I would never love him or any child I would birth.  I do not have a loving bone in this body of mine.

Peneus:  I wonder what happened to my daughter who loved and cared for more than those things that lie in this forest.

Apollo suddenly appears on the stage behind Daphne.

Apollo: Peneus, if it pleases you, I shall tell you why your daughter has changed.

Daphne finally stops dancing and turns to Apollo with her face beet red.

Daphne: (irately) You! (She yells) I told you to never come near me ever again.

Peneus:  Child, let Apollo speak.

Daphne glares at Peneus and pouts.  Peneus then shakes his head at her and she resumes her dance.

Apollo: Thank you very much, sir. (He clears his throat)  Well, sir, her current behavior is my own fault.  I challenged Cupid and his godliness and he attempted to punish me by shooting me with both a gold and lead arrow to teach me not to be arrogant.  His aim was off and the lead arrow pierced Daphne’s heart instead of my own. But, it should please you to know that I love her anyway.  I still want her to be my wife.  No other man will have a woman who is as cold as your daughter has become.

Peneus paces the forest where his daughter danced and seems to be in deep thought as he considers Apollo’s words.

Daphne:  Father, please do not make me marry this brutish man.

Apollo:  Darling Daphne, I love you.  Be my wife.

(Apollo approaches Daphne and bows before her holding out a bouquet of pansies to show his love)

Daphne:  Apollo, step away from me.  I shall not marry you or any brute of a man.

Apollo: Daphne, I can write you words of poetry, fight for your honor, and give you all you desire.

Daphne:  Apollo, I do not desire you or any other god or mortal man.

Daphne flies away and the stage once again grows dark.  When the lights on the stage become bright, we see Apollo standing in Rome outside the Temple of Venus.

Apollo: (looking slightly ashen cries out) Cupid, I beseech your help in gaining the love of Daphne, my first and only love.

The Beatle’s “All You Need is Love” plays softly and is barely audible in the background.  As Cupid appears in front of Apollo, the words “Love is all you need” are clearly heard.

Apollo:  Apparently, love is not all you need.

Cupid:  Apollo, my dear friend.  Are you ready to admit that I too have godly powers?

Apollo: (softly) Yes, Cupid.  I admit that you have godly powers.

Cupid: What was that, Apollo?  Speak louder as I cannot hear you over the voices of my mother’s worshippers.

Apollo: (loudly) I admit that you have godly powers.  Now, will you help me?

Cupid: (in a childish voice) Sure, I’ll help you, Apollo.  Follow me.

Apollo follows Cupid off stage and the stage once again turns dark.  When the light turns back on, we see that Cupid has taken Apollo to Daphne’s forest.  They enter the forest quietly and watch Daphne dance to Chopin’s “The Last Waltz”. Apollo approaches Daphne.

Apollo:  Daphne, may I have this dance?

Daphne: (curtly) No, you may not.

Cupid steps between Apollo and Daphne.

Cupid:  Daphne, will you allow me the joy of dancing with somebody as beautiful as you?

Daphne: (curtly) No, I will not.

Cupid:  Daphne, this game has gone on too long.  You are aware that you and Apollo are currently equally matched.  Mark my words; he will catch you soon enough and you will become hisbride.

Daphne starts to run.

Apollo: (calling out to Daphne lovingly) You shall see my love that being with me is not dreadful.  Being with me shall bring you a lifetime that is full with happiness, joy and laughter for as long as we are together.

Daphne is about to fly away. Apollo catches her and holds her tightly.

Daphne: (crying out in despair) Father, save me from a lifetime full of pain and sorrow with this brutish god.  Father, I beg of you to rescue me from the hands of Apollo. 

Daphne claws herself away from Apollo’s strong grip and begins running.

Apollo: (running after her) Daphne, my love, please return to me.

Daphne: (running) Never, Apollo.  Father, again I beg you to save me from Apollo.  Let the earth open up and swallow me whole. Allow me to be transformed into a piece of nature that I hold dear. Father, change my physical form so that neither Apollo nor any man, mortal or god shall ever desire me again. 

As she finishes her prayer to her father, a wind chime along with the sound of a river is heard and Daphne suddenly is transformed into a tree.  Her skin no longer is soft and pale, but is in the form of the bark of a tree.  Her hair turns to leaves, her arms turn to branches, and her body becomes the trunk of the tree and her legs to which Apollo is clinging to become the roots of the tree.

Apollo: Daphne, I will always love you.  I do not care about your physical appearance.  Since you have decided to take on this form, I vow that I will always protect you.  Your leaves will decorate the weapons of warriors and be used on the crowns of kings.  With all my powers, I vow that you in the form of a tree will always be green and healthy unlike the other trees of the forest which decay.

As the curtain slowly falls, we see Apollo hugging Daphne who is now a tree.  In the background, we hear Shania Twain’s “Forever and For Always” playing until the curtain is completely down.