The Storyteller: Greek Myths (TV Series)

Theseus & the Minotaur (1991)

Michael Gambon: The Storyteller

Photos 

Quotes 

• The Storyteller : Ten centuries ago a creature was born. Child of a terrible passion, son of a queen, son of a bull. A creature so monstrous, Minos, King of Crete had this maze build to hide him. Every seven years there was a blood tribute paid to Crete. Every seven years a black-sailed ship came from Athens. Seven youths in their prime, seven pure maidens were taken as sacrifice. Brought here to the labyrinth, where every passage is a promise broken, every way out is a way in and where the Minotaur's savage appetite for human flesh could be dealt with in the dark...

• The Dog : [about Medea]  I don't like her, she's a witch.

  The Storyteller : She was a witch, she was also a mother. And she knew Theseus. She knew nothing would stand in his way, not love, not fear, not a promise.

• The Storyteller : [Theseus has defeated the Minotaur]  It lay there on the floor, bleeding to death. And Theseus stood above it with his sword. And as he watched, its huge jaws moved. And it seemed to him as if the sounds coming from them were almost human. Mother, it seemed to say, mother... father... brother... sister.

  Ariadne : No... don't! Don't kill him. He's my brother.

• The Storyteller : And Ariadne watched, pale as sin. Watched and waited for her new lord to join her. Waited for him to lie with her. And when the fire had died to its embers, when the wineskins were dry, when his feet could no longer carry him, Theseus came to her. And all night he promised her anything. Everything. The promise of a man to a woman. The promise his father had made to his mother... and broken.

• The Storyteller : Theseus, son of Aegeus, bullslayer, king of Athens. Many nights he would dream of wondering through the winding corridors of his palace. Looking as he had done once before for a monster to kill. But in the dream, it was always his mother, or his father, or his wife he killed. And when he caught his own reflection, he had the monster's face.

• The Storyteller : As Ariadne came from the labyrinth, ran from monster left with its secrets, Theseus son of Aegeus sailed into Crete. And as the childen of Athens came before her, Theseus the hero stood defiant. As he saw her, as she saw him, the threads of their lives crossed. Tangled, knotted them together.

• The Storyteller : [about Aegeus]  His heart broke and he lept out into the dazzling light of the day into the sea, which ever after bears his name.

• The Storyteller : At first it was wonderful.

  The Dog : There's a "but" coming up.

  The Storyteller : But...

  [the dog nods]