Jupiter, the father of the gods, falls in love with Semele, the beautiful daughter of the king, just as she falls in love with him. Semele desires nothing more than to experience him in his true form: Only when he shows himself to her in all his divinity does she feel truly equal to him. Jupiter’s jealous spouse, Juno, only adds fuel to the fire of Semele’s ambition—but this leads her to ruin. The mortal Semele has nothing to protect her from Jupiter's searing presence. Semele must perish, while Jupiter goes on…

Barrie Kosky shows the gods to be just as entangled as human beings in the rules they have created for themselves, thus bringing gods and humans closer together