Week 4 Story: Homer's Iliad
(Trojan Horse of Movie Troy, Canakkale, from Flickr)
Host: "You are listening to 100 Aegean Radio, coming to you live from the island of Santorini. We're taking callers for the next thirty minutes to chime in about current events. Call in now and let us know what you think about this upcoming Trojan war!"
Host: "Caller number one you're on! What's your name and where are you calling from?"
Menelaus: "This is Menelaus calling from Sparta! I just want to say that in this upcoming war I HOPE I see Paris on the battlefield. I'm going to crush that little fledgling of a boy and take back my woman!"
Host: "Wait a second, this is THE Menelaus? King of Sparta?"
Menelaus: "That is correct."
Host: "Oh man we've got a celebrity on the line ladies and gentlemen, the mighty king Menelaus who was so daft he couldn't even hold onto his woman!"
Menelaus: "What did you sa-"
Host: "Caller number two, you're on! Name and where you're calling from please!"
Menelaus: "IT'S STILL ME!!!"
Host: "Oops!"
*click*
Host: "Sorry about that folks, but now for real! Caller number two, how's it going?"
Caller 2: "Hello, am I on the air?"
Host: "Sure are! Who am I speaking to and where do you hail from?"
Paris: "Hello, my name is Paris, Prince of Troy. I just wanted to say that Helen is far happier here in the city of Troy with me than she ever was with Menelaus."
Helen, in the background: "Send help..."
Paris: "So anyway, Menelaus if you're listening, just don't even bother hahaha, she doesn't want you!"
Host: "Wow folks, that's a lot of drama right there. Is there anyone else who wants to chime in on the matters at hand? Caller number three, hit us with a name and location please!"
Achilles: "I find all this bickering over a woman to be folly, but I will see this war end and my name remembered for eternity. I am Achilles, son of Thetis and Peleus, That is all."
*click*
Host: "Yeesh, don't wanna be on his bad side. Alright folks, there you have it. Young, kidnapped Helen is a girl worth fighting for, and Menelaus has all of Greece on his side, including the mighty Achilles. Who's gonna win? Send in your votes and we'll read em off next week an Aegean Weekly! Tune in then!"
Author's Note: This week I chose to do a story over a story lab, and chose to use part of the Iliad as the basis for this story. In the Iliad, Helen is taken to Troy by a man named Paris. The issue is, Helen was already with Menelaus, king of Sparta and brother to Agamemnon. This incident sparked the Trojan war, a fierce war between Greece and the city of Troy. I chose to explain this exposition in the form of a call-in radio show.
Bibliography:
Alfred Church, Homer's Iliad, from http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-iliad-retold.html
Hello Jacob! I really like what you did with the story by making it into a call-in radio show, I thought it was very unique and worked for this kind of story. I really like how you added the "click" noises in to emphasize the radio was being used. Was a great way to see Homer's Illiad through a different kind of view, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHey Jacob! I really enjoyed the way you chose to write your story. It was engaging and made an age old tale new and fun to read. I hope to see more creative writing from you stories as you are very good at it! My favorite part is the personality you gave the host, I feel like I can hear him when reading which such a great quality to have in your writing.
ReplyDeleteJacob, your take on this epic is really fun! I loved reading the interactions of the various characters, and you did a good job of portraying them as they are in the original tale. I never would have thought to write it this way, and your creative take allows you to poke fun at each of the characters in turn. It also made me curious as to the identity of the host? Overall, it's short and sweet, and the dialogue made me laugh. Excellent work!
ReplyDelete