Persephone by Ford Ainsworth - Vocabulary and Key Concepts

Vocabulary terms and character definitions from Ford Ainsworth's one-act comedy Persephone.

Persephone

The daughter of Demeter who embodies eternal spring, life, and vitality, described as a warm breeze always blowing, a bright sun never dimming, and a fragrant blossom forever blooming.

Hades (Character)

The darkly handsome King of the Dead and King of Shadows who abducts Persephone to his subterranean kingdom and is responsible for maintaining peaceful desolation for the dead.

Demeter

The goddess of the earth and mother of Persephone who oversees all growing vegetation on earth, such as trees, grasses, reeds, and grains.

Hermes

The messenger from Olympus and errand boy of Father Zeus who carries visitors' visas and negotiates the conflict between Demeter, Persephone, and Hades.

Charon

The crotchety old ferryman who rows souls across the River Styx and threatens to quit when Persephone decorates his ferry with torn shrouds like a carnival cruiser.

Cerberus

The watch-dog of the underworld who barks at visitors from Olympus; in the play, he has only one real head while the other two are papier-mâché masks strapped to his collar.

Ancient Law of Citizenship

The underworld rule written on the visitor's visa stating that any visitor—mortal or immortal—who eats of the fruit of Hades becomes a permanent citizen of Hades.

Achilles

The greatest hero of Troy who sacrificed his life to avenge his friend Patroclus, and who keeps a fitful watch in the underworld guarding Patroclus's bones.

Patroclus

The fallen friend of Achilles whose bones are guarded in death and were mistakenly thrown into the River Styx by Persephone for Cerberus to fetch.

Helen

A deceased resident of the underworld (formerly Helen of Troy) who demands justice against Persephone for disturbing the dead and later defines the profound difference between desire and love.

River Styx

The underworld river navigated by Charon's ferry, along whose banks living flowers begin to bloom due to Persephone's presence.

Six Pomegranate Seeds

The exact number of seeds Persephone swallows from the underworld pomegranate, resulting in Hermes's compromise that she must spend six months each year in Hades.

Throne Room of Hades

The play's subterranean setting, featuring decayed upright and fallen columns and a central throne coated in grime and dust from eons of neglect.

Prologue

The storytelling character who frames the play holding a book of myths, presenting Persephone's tale as an immortal legend of eternal youth and life encountering death.

Ford Ainsworth

The playwright who wrote the one-act comedy Persephone for his high school and college students, winning top honors in the University Interscholastic League One-Act Play Contest.