BBC world theatre; The Anger of Achilles (Reel 2)

Your heroes seem somewhat out of sorts. What ails you now. Tell me shifty husband which god or goddess Have you been plotting. Am i always to be excluded from these secret conferences. Well you are kind enough to inform me of your plans before setting them in motion. You must not hope to be forewarned of all my decisions here. That's sometimes too complex even for you to grasp. Whenever I talk to disclose in a particular pattern no immortal or mortal will get over it. So rather No sir. If I go apart to meditators not badger me with questions out of their head son of Chronos What is this you know that I never badger you would always leave you to reach your decisions in complete solitude. Today however I'm afraid that charming little if it is the Super 14 what of why we saw her crouched clasping your knees on the mountain top dog. She not persuaded you to retrieve the killer's Honor did she not beg you to let the Greeks suffer a severe defeat in the naval camp and

did you not human with your divine nod wife you will never cease to imagine at all events your eternal meddlesomeness from which I have no means of escape. I cannot alter my plans. In fact the more you meddle the less I trust. I always do exactly as I please. Very one sided I am I am never going to answer your defying frame no. Oh I did take my husband from the bottom of my heart. If only I could make him change his mind. There is my brother Smith. What is it as God of War brave mother señor listen to media mother what is a feast. It would be disastrous if you and our father started wrangling about Morton has and to ask him to the last domestic troubles really not a lot for banquet.

My advice. The Goddess as learned as yourself needs no advice his lif obvious you son. I think he's quite capable of it. Then why should we just. Look pleasant for our sakes and restore his good humor. Now accept this cup of sweet nectar. There. Must be brave and patient how badly he treats you. I could not bear to watch you manhandled the mother and without the least hope of saving her. It would be madness to forget my last attempted intervention by the Food and help me out of that window. I flew through the air landing on nemesis at sunset the crash have killed me but fortunately the kind died and just came to my rescue. Brother you are like a family.

Really look up stories no no I am the God of the organize small town. I am smiling tenderly are you tonight. Let us go and go. The fact is my go is when. Mike and the Olympians snapped. And Zeus himself mounted the couch which he chooses when he desires the god of sleep to visit him. He rested and here rested at his side. All of us go to sleep. Come closer. I have an urgent message for you at your door do's sure send me a dream

soon with a small. I think also what. Happened to me. Post re. Are you there. Yes he's here. Fly right outta there. Greek ships seek out King Agamemnon. You'll find him in the big painted heart and give him this message in my exact words I will whisper it to you as my generous Queen snorting in beside me as you know a yellow rose rose your splendid Ami and march without delay in mass against the Trojans. Great Troy is yours today. How you pay me my first post dream. You must disguise yourself as nest all king of bias whose counsel Agamemnon values more than any man.

You see and know so many people create all you know right through you know it is an urgent message from fathers you know Rose your spleen you know me and much without delay in mass against the true doom great Troy. And they're stuck in their stead of Pylos I know you still dream a lot but then I must rise at once for this is our day of victory look at me my softest most beautiful tunic you know not just cloak and elegant sandals my

feet the bow to get my silver studied sword and my imperishable stepped up to be asked Where is my noble Helen Bierce High King the first complete in the media Privy Council is hiking this to ship. And then when the Privy Council has made someone the entire army to the assembly ground it shall be done my dog. I want. You to meet at once. Pray give me your attention. I was sleeping place until last night when someone resembling your height and appearance invaded my dreams. He stopped me and I heard him say. Here is an urgent message from rouse rouse your splendid

army and march without delay against the Trojans. Great joy is yours today with your cold. Already you can hear the army being summoned. What do you think of my dream vision we might well reject you do as a member who's able to claim to be considered the greatest among us except the midges authentic. Who else wishes to speak. I take your silence for approval of the assembly. But first our very first test.

Carry on. Therefore I rise to suggest that we break off the siege and sail home. Princess marshal protests from all sides and insist on a big fight forward. All the counselors follow the nest out like sheep and the minute I came surging out like I was in the front that happened to precipitate this over a cloudy matter on that side. Like bees the Greek contingent streamed from the ship somehow soon setting the assembly ground in such an uproar as they sat down on benches. But the nine medals present had great trouble in persuading the rioters to let the Cubans make themselves heard. The High King Agamemnon stood up and displayed his imperishable scepter so I will address you. Let no man interrupted.

Some Jews of Greece. Gave OT years of the war got Arie is. Hard hearted xians promise me once in my innocence even pledging me his Framus nod that I should not return to my Seanie before seche the great city of Troy. This ones are cruel deception. It now appears he intended us to sail home in disgrace after suffering severe losses that could only reduce my present view it will be a shame our posterity of such powerful Greek forces worked so wrong on so little useless a war against far weaker opponents. Let me enlarge on this point. Suppose a solid basis were concluded by the two armies. Suppose the function's invited us to enter their gates and Suppose further that we

Greeks divided into companies of take. Each company engaging one trojan household on top of all that. Why are you even there and I can assure you there would not be nearly enough wind port to stick around. Such is the proportion between the Trojan strength that Trojans have seen plenty and it is reduced to prevent us from second drawing not just. Our ship's timbers are rotten and the tackle has perished. And the wives and children at home still await our return. We see no nearer to success. Suddenly we're out of the stock. But I trust therefore do what I suggest. Now in the tense here back in despair of ever forcing our way into the wide streets of

our testers we were ordered to go. It was nice rose to heaven where why darn here I heard it. She turned in alarm to the Goddess and with whom she had planned the Destruction of Troy. Remember. Neither of these goddesses. Here are nor a female could ever forgive Prince Paris of Troy when awarding the prize of beauty to Aphrodite Goddess of Love. When the three of them competed in long years since on Mount Ida. I think Dr. Seuss What are these cries I hear I am in no man's man really about to sail home across the horizon. And we're King Priam and his Trojans make good that boast of keeping clean heaven and hell and home Aphrodite gave to Prince Paris of Troy in return for denying us the prize of beauty

the woman for whose sake so many of these Greeks have died for our native land the baseness which is unthinkable. Yes noble hero wife ensues this is a perilous moment. I will descend to earth and prevent the Greeks from launching a ship. Came out D'Souza. Why do you stay here. Last Greece while you may have known she was sheep's commom confessed to pot but it's nothing to. Do with this rat race. These road not the way of rough and he go he he he he. Because if I do I don't hear the guns or the cats I sit down and say you have missed the

drift of Agamemnon speech he was just. Testing his courage with rebellion. We want to get you down. You will think it is a bad freedom of action. We need a united choice. Back to the ground.

So it was that the men how did back to be assembling and they raised as much noise as in we're not Western we close growing up to be honest people to be there they took their places again and everyone sat quiet except for the same first sight EEs who had no control over his tongue and poured forth an endless stream of abuse against his superiors saying whatever might raise a laugh was by far the ugliest man in the Greek army bandy legged lame backed crook necked and almost bought it. If you want to buy now fill your hearts with enough bronze vests and slave girls to satisfy your awareness it is sexual always get yourself voted the pick of the loot. I dare say you have to do even better by squeezing the father of some German prisoner whom I or my comrades mate for a goal ransom or shall we capture yet another pretty little concubine to war.

No Commander in Chief has the right to treat his men so meanly Rus comes when they should be ashamed of yourself. However doing take turns as possible when back. Have I not already warned you once. Nobody here is attacking royal prerogative as and as the meanest rogue in the ME you had better keep awards of honor out of your nasty talk and show less eagerness to raise the seed. The situation may be obscure. Who can tell yet whether we ought to end this campaign or continue it. But I will not allow you to taunt the High King with accepting what we voted in. Any more nonsense and I shall strip off your cloak and your tunic and drive you down to the steps beating your naked buttocks is your right of a service if I fail to make it just right and here's how I suppose that

I am. Now I am greatly indebted to some of these troops have tried to break. It was to obey your orders loyalist have sacked children or their mothers and complain of homesickness. He just has to stay away from his wife for as little as a month he grows impatient. We already. Have patience yet awhile. We shall see whether.

You remember that famous scene yesterday. And we kings bring sacrifices. Reading knockings appeared from under the old dotted towards and under very tough broad jump we just don't know have built. Up the trunk and swallowed each of the nestlings in turn while the distressed mother floated overhead keeping indignantly. Then the snake seized the hen Sparrow by the way and swallowed hot also. As we stared in amazement at this interruption of a solemn sacrifice. Has prophesied. That

whether one stuck out as. Well. It has a. Name like it. So. Yeah Paul. You have cow because his prophecy is now nearing fulfillment. And I bet you're right.

He's so. Proud of you without any interest in war. So far you have done no more than talk. Oh you wouldn't waste your entire fortune in trying to shape a common policy is no lie. Keith Woods from his abode which used to ship with us through the hazards of battle no one should think of going home until he has a huge pet is the true Jones and going no wife for. Whoever feels any reason just to go to Zion. You can try to be the first to die till you have

made the best speech of the session venerable best. Film of the gods would provide counsel as a shrewd as yourself but surrounded me with so much place wrangling and quarreling that my mind is never at ease. Olo Achilles provoked that violent dispute about his captive I confess to having lost my temper before he did. Now do your due next and afterwards we shall take up our preference take turns I wote Spears sharpened shields to speak horse and all chariots totally gone over the British for the day of our fight and if I catch a nice soldiers on their ships Why don't carry your birds chappies corpse. The troops dispersed timely to their lines kindled fires on the Hearts cooked and at their dinners. But each first sacrificed one of the Olympians and implored protection from the coming

slaughter. Agamemnon's only victim was a fat five year old bull and who summoned six counselors to assist at a sacrifice namely mistaught of Pylos. I don't mean use of Crete great Ajax and little Ajax Diomede use of Augusts and reduce use if I can. Many layers came uninvited guessing how distracted his brother must have been to forget him. These seven princes then stood round the victim while Agamemnon prayed to Zeus. Greatest of gods in heaven abiding with unabated power the storm cloud writing. Let not this sudden go dark no darkness for me till I and these seven kings here grouped about me. Have fired the many door dwelling of Priam but not one wall so tall as I am. Till soldiers have read the bright tunic of Hector and him with Dade

Troy days to protest. Though accepting Agamemnon sacrifice did not grant his plea but rather made matters worse for him. Over the twinkling of Brahms could be seen at a great distance as when a mountain forest was busy miles away. And the Greek soldiers pouring from their ships and hops into the sky. A flock of migrating birds migrating to some small voice here in their splendid

joy over. The plane echoed the tread of beasts and men as the Greeks gathered upon it. You've got to pull that enemy to pieces. How numerous they were two like leaves and blossoms bursting out from every last. Like flies of spring that went there. Their leaders control easy or property of each minding his own flock. A common cluster. In the center Road King was a waste of air. God of the sea. He reminded everyone of a standing nobody prepared

to defend his her so heroic and by the grace of Heaven was his appearance. When there were no myrmidons at his. Because I was sucking at the camp brooding miserably over the abduction of Smith and while anger out against us kept his heart. In the clash and amuse themselves along the shore quite. Heartily wishing that someone would lead them to. The myrmidons horses. And. Stowed away. My lord king I am weary. Another night I will sing more

sweetly. Go to bed. And good night to you all. We've heard part one of the anger of Achilles. An epic for radio by Robert Graves from his translation of Homer's Iliad Memnon was played by Maurice Denham Achilles by Robert Hardy and discussed by John Slater Nestor by Norman Shelley and Zeus by Francis to Wolf.

Famous son of Homer a borrowed well spoken and song by Dennis QUIGLEY The music was composed by Roberto Gerhard and the BBC World Theatre production was directed by Raymond breaks these world theatre programmes are produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Their broadcast is made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Next week listen for part 2 of the anger of Achilles which want to predict. This programme was prepared for broadcast by W. R. v r the FM station of the Riverside Church in New York City. This is the national educational radio network.