King Herod

Dramatis personae

Instructor

Student 1,2, and 3.

King Herod

Chief 1,2,3 and 4

Magus 1,2 and 3

Mary 

Joseph

Baby

Chief priest

Acolyte 1 and 2

Tribal leaders

Slaves

People

Slave master

Freeborn

Masquerades

Dancers

Executioners

Palace guards

Prologue

(Light reveals the students. They are waiting for their instructor to come.)

Student 1: The world will be a better place if we all live our lives doing good things. The education in human values is all that we need.

Student 2: The Education in human values exemplifies the life of Jesus.

Student 3: Jesus Christ has helped us to change the world. 

Student 1: What was the world like before the coming of Jesus Christ?

Student 2: I don't know. 

Student 3: I don't know either.

Student 1: I need to know. Thank God we have EHV now.

(The teacher enters. The students greet)

Student 1: What was the world like before the coming of Jesus Christ?

Instructor: Hmm. A very big question. The world was…

(Flashback)

Light out.

Act One, Scene one

(A melodious song builds up in the background. The stage is brightened. Palace of king Herod. Everyone is in a festive mood. The king enters. Everyone bows.)

People: (Unison) Long live king Herod. Long live king Herod. 

Chief 1: May the breeze blow gently on the king. May the sun shine brightly and tenderly on my king. May the earth surrender all her riches for the adornment of my king. May the sea and all the oceans give all their wealth to my king. He is the roaring lion in the jungle. The soaring eagle in the sky. Long live King Herod

People: Long live king Herod. Long live king Herod.

Chief 2: Long live the king of the freeborn.

People: Long live the king.

Chief 2: Long live the conqueror of so many kingdoms. 

People: Long live the king.

Chief 2: Long live to the king of kings.

People: Long live king Herod.

Chief 2: Let's make merry. Let's eat the best food and drink the best wine. Let's have fun. Where are these maidens? Come. Dance. Make the king happy. 

(The people shout gleefully as the dancers enter the stage. The joyful noise continues as the ladies dance. The people shout for joy. The dancers leave after entertaining the people. 

Chief 3: Today is a joyful day. We must make merry. I call on the king masquerades to come and dance. The masquerades and their drummers enter. The masquerades dance and flog themselves entertainingly. The people make a loud noise. The acolytes of the chief priest enter. Her entrance announces the coming of the chief priest."

Chief 4: Enough… Enough. The messenger of the gods is here. (The masquerades leave as the acolytes ensconce on the stage. The chanting of the chief priest is heard from the distance. He enters the stage chanting.)

Chief priest: Greetings my king.  

King Herod: Greetings to the eyes of the gods. 

Chief priest: The gods greet you. There are dangers ahead. The gods demand a sacrifice to ward off this evil.

King Herod: What is this evil about?

Chief priest: A great king will be given birth to. This king will displace you and everything that your ancestors have labored to build.

(The chiefs are dazzled.)

Chief 3: Who is this evil king?

Chief 4: And who is the maiden that will give birth to him?

Chief 1: We have fought and defeated every obstacle before us. Who is this king that will undo what we have done?

Chief priest: They will call him the king of kings.

King Herod: (Stands) I bow to no one. I am the supreme king. I shall be the supreme king forever. (Sits) What are the items of sacrifice?

Chief priest: Fifteen heads of slaves.

King Herod: I will give you twenty slaves. This must not happen. Where is the slave master?

Slave Master: Here I am my king.

King Herod Bring out the slaves. Give the chief priest twenty slaves.

(The slaves enter. Their hands and legs are bound. They are flogged before the king who takes pleasure as the slaves writhe in pain.)

Light out.

Scene Two

Night. Slave quarters. Song builds and fades out.

Tribe leader 1:  Are you sure this meeting will be held?

Tribe leader 2: Yes. It will. I informed everyone. (The people enter.)

Tribe leader 3: We are sorry for coming late. I had to go around to call these people.

Tribe leader 1: Let's have our seats. (Everyone sits.) I call this meeting for us to deliberate on how we would liberate ourselves from King Herod. His inhuman treatment of the twelve tribes of Israel is becoming rather unbecoming. 

Tribe leader 4: His reign of terror needs to be stopped. We need to be liberated. 

Tribe leader 5: What he did today was the height of it. We cannot take it anymore. We need to stop it. 

Tribe leader 1: This is the reason why I called this meeting. We must do something.

Tribe leader 6: We have been treated like animals. Even dogs have more dignity than us. Our youths have been killed. Our elders have been rendered incapacitated. Our women have been raped and our children's future is hopeless. We need to do something. Very fast.

Tribe leader 7: (Stands) I know we are in pain. I know we are being treated like animals as you have said. But what can we do? What? To pick up arms against someone who is more powerful than we are. We will be digging our grave and putting the future of our children in jeopardy if we make a funny attempt to challenge King Herod's authority. 

Tribe leader 8: You spoke my mind, comrade. It is foolish to try to help ourselves.  

Tribe leader 1: So we should fold our arms akimbo and continue to be maltreated.

Tribe leader 9:  But what are we going to do? 

Tribe leader 7: We are farmers, not soldiers. We are fishermen, not warriors. Let's have this at the back of our minds. Picking up arms against king Herod will only lead to our doom.

Tribe leader 2: What then are we going to do?

Tribe leader 6: The prophecy. My people, the prophecy. 

Tribe leader 3: Nonsense. The Messiah will not come. If the prophecy is real, the Messiah should have come and set us free.

Tribe leader 11: It is an unfulfilling prophecy. It will never come to pass. We need to help ourselves.

Tribe leader 12: I disagree. It is foolish to try to help ourselves. We need to depend on divinity for help. I want to beg everyone in this gathering. Let's come together tomorrow. Let's pray to the God of our Fathers. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Let's cry to him in one voice. I believe he will answer us.

Tribe leader 6: I agree with you. Let's come tomorrow with our family and everyone in our households. Let's pray to God one last time. I will answer us. 

Tribe leader 1: Hmmm. One last time, isn't it?

Tribe leader 7: Yes.

Tribe leader 1: Ok. (He speaks into the ears of others.) Ok. My comrades have agreed. We will come tomorrow. We will pray and hopefully, he will answer us. We shall leave now and come back tomorrow.

Light out.

Scene Three

Song builds in the background. The priest burns incense. People enter the stage in twos, threes, and fours to pray. Everyone kneels on the stage praying. At the far end of the stage, two freeborn are standing, looking and laughing at the people who are praying.

Freeborn 1: Death to the Israelites Death and pain to them. 

Freeborn 2: The gods will not help them. They have been abandoned by their gods. 

Slave master: They pray in vain, those who pray to foreign gods to help them from my grip. I'm the indefatigable slave master. I will deal with them mercilessly. Yes… that is what I will do.

Freeborn 2: Yes… Deal with them. Death to the Israelites.

(They leave while the people continue their prayers.)

Light out.

Scene Four

Twilights. A manger. Sheep beat here and there. Two women help a maiden to give birth. There is joy thereafter. 

Scene Five

Light reveals the palace. The king and chiefs are having a meeting. A palace guard enters.)

Guard: (Bows) My king. There are three strangers outside. 

Chief: Who are these strangers?

Guard: I don't know. They came from a faraway place. And they demand to see the king.

King: Let them in. 

(The guard leaves. The magi enter.)

Magi: (Unison) Long live the king. We greet you.

King: I greet you. You may sit down.

Magus 1: It is a matter of urgency. We have no time to sit.

King: This is serious. You have my attention.

Magus  2: We were led to this kingdom by a bright shining star. 

Magus 3: This star is so bright. Nothing of such has been seen before now. It is the star of a great king that has been born in this kingdom. We have come to pay our respect to this great king.

Magus 1: Please show us your child. This child has to be your son. Show us the child 

Chief 1: The king does not have a new child born to him. 

Chief 2: None of the royal family have a new baby?

Chief 3: A very big star in the sky. A great king. I remember what the chief priest said.

Chief 4: I remember. Does it mean that the sacrifice we offered was not received by the gods?

King: (Shout) Enough. (To the stranger.) Please look for this glorious child. Pay him your respect. On your way going, remember to come here to tell us who this child is and who his parents are so that we may pay them our respect.

(The magi look at themselves.)

Magi: We have heard. Long live the king. They bow in deference and they leave)

(Outside the palace.)

Magus 1: I see evil and jealousy in the eyes of the king.

Magus 2: I see it too.

Magus 3: Evil breeds in the king and his chiefs. I think they are up to something.

Magus 1: Something so dark like the night. Evil. Sinister. Machinations.

Magus 2: It is better that the identity of this child is concealed before the king. He does not need to know.

Magus 1: That is true. He does not need to know. Magi, I beg you. Let us not go back to the king when we have paid our respect to the baby.

Magi: Good. Very good.

(The magi leaves.)

Light out.

Scene six

(Songs. Light enters the stage. It reveals a manger. A nursing mother carries her baby. A group of women is with them. The magi enter. They prostrated before the baby.)

Magus 1: The king of kings. The Lord of lords. You are welcome to the midst of the mortals.

Magus 2: May humanity be blessed and transformed for good by your presence. 

Magus 3. Long live the king of kings. We are happy to have you.

(The magi stands.)

Magus 2: Who is the mother of this child?

Mary: I am.

Magus 1: Hallowed maiden. Blessed are you amongst women. Blessed is the fruit of your womb. 

Magus 2: You have been favored by the creator. Please continue to be good. Where is your husband? 

Mary: He has gone out. He will soon be back.

Magus 2: Please take care of the child. 

(Joseph enters)

Mary: Here comes my husband. These men have come to see our child.

Joseph: Welcome sir. We are pleased to have you.

Magus 3: This child is not ordinary. Please take care of him. These are our gifts. 

(The magi drop their gifts and depart)

Joseph: May God help us to take care of this child.

Blackout.

Scene Seven

(Palace. The atmosphere is tense. The king and his chiefs are worried. Chief 4 enters.)

Chief 4: The magi have left. We combed everywhere to no avail. They have left.

King Herod: (Roars). This can not be. (The chiefs bow). Did anybody reveal our plan to them?

Chiefs: (Unison) No. 

King Herod: Call me the chief guard and the executioners.

(Chief 1 leaves and returns with the palace executioners).

Chief 1: They are here. (The chief guard and the executioners bow before the king)

King Herod: I want all the babies born one year and below in the slave quarters to be killed. Kill all of them.

Executioners: We have heard. (They leave. A solemn song builds up in the background.)

Light out.

Scene Eight

(The song fades slowly as gunshots and acrimonious yellings are heard. Light reveals Joseph, Mary, and their babies running away. Light fades as the yellings continue.) 

Scene Nine

(Palace. The kings and his chiefs are very happy. Executioner enters.)

Executioner: (Bows) All the children born between last year and this year have been killed. 

King Herod: Very good. You may take your leave.

(Executioners leave.)

Chiefs: Long live the king. May you reign forever. 

Blackout.

Scene Ten

(Many years later. Jesus is grown and doing wonders. He sits with his disciples.)

Man 1: Moses gave us the law.

Jesus: Yes. He did that to guide us. 

Man 2. Which of these laws is the greatest?

Jesus: You shall love the Lord your God with all your strength and your neighbor as yourself. (Actor preaches five human values.) You shall go into the world and preach these values. These values will make the world a better place.

Epilogue

Student 1: The world was full of evil. Thanks to Jesus Christ.

Instructor: Jesus sent his disciples and everyone to go into the world to preach his good news. We should love our God and our neighbors. This is what Education in human values is all about. Please do what is good and live your life right. We have come to the end of our class.

Blackout