Charon & The Erinyes Reader's Theater Script | Chthonic Gods | Greek Mythology

This Charon & The Erinyes: Enforcers of the Afterlife Readers’ Theater Script charts the grim dance of death’s ferryman and the Furies across 12 gripping scenes. Charon poles his skiff over the Styx, demanding “Coin buys your ride,” thwarting the unburied while bending for Orpheus and Heracles. The Erinyes—Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone—hunt oath-breakers and Orestes with “Serpents bite your soul,” their wrath tempered only by Athena’s trial. From Hades’s throne to Greece’s plains, their tale enforces justice and fate’s unyielding grip.

With 17 roles—stoic Charon, fierce Furies, defiant heroes, and trembling shades—this dialogue-rich script brims with mythic tension, perfect for high school performers. Flexible casting suits any class: blend narrators for smaller groups or split roles across scenes, ensuring every student ferries souls or lashes guilt in this saga of law and legacy.

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What's included?

1) Teacher's Guide & Answer Key

• Standards Alignment (CCSS Grades 9~12, CCRA)
• Teacher Tips
• Answer Keys for all worksheet sections
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• Format: Google Doc & PDF (8 pages)

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~17 Characters, 2050 words,
• Format: Google Doc & PDF (7 pages)

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script.
• 3 Reflection Questions
• Format: Google Slides & PPT (20 Slides)

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about 45 minutes
• Depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.

Script Summary:

Scenes 1-3: Origins and Rules

The Erinyes rise from blood with “Justice burns in our veins now,” and Charon takes his post, saying, “My skiff cuts fate’s tide” (Scene 1). Charon ferries a shade but denies an unburied soul with “No coin, no passage, fool” (Scene 2). Orpheus bribes Charon with “Let music pay,” stirring Hades’s wrath (Scene 3), setting their enforcer roles.

Scenes 4-6: Defiance and Judgment

The Erinyes hunt an oath-breaker to Charon’s shore with “Our cries hunt you” (Scene 4). Heracles forces Charon with “My club splits stone,” prompting Hades’s call (Scene 5). The Furies judge Heracles, but Hades spares him with “Let him pass alive” (Scene 6), testing their laws.

Scenes 7-9: Pursuit and Warning

Orestes kills Clytemnestra, her shade cursing “Furies wake for me” as Charon ferries her (Scene 7). The Erinyes chase Orestes with “Madness fits your guilt tight now” (Scene 8). Charon warns Greece with “Swear true or face them” as he delivers a defiant shade (Scene 9), linking their roles.

Scenes 10-12: Resolution and Legacy

Athena cleanses Orestes with “I cleanse him free,” redirecting the Erinyes to “Guard my city” (Scene 10). Hades unites them against a plague with “Charon, ferry them swift” and “We scourge oath-breakers” (Scene 11). Their legacy teaches with “Our legacy scars you. Honor rites, dread our wrath always” (Scene 12), sealing Greece’s awe.

Will this work for my classroom?

Download this similar yet FREE Hades Reader's Theater Script :)