Women of Troy Free Essay Example, 1750 words

Then finally enters Helen the cause of the Achaean War now on trial by the Spartan king Menelaus who revenged his brother’s death by reducing Troy to rubble and a city of ashes. ‘The Trojan Women’ begins with Poseidon lamenting over the death of Trojan heroes and the fall of Troy at the hands of the Greek as a result of the Achaean war. The war for Helen of Troy cost the lives of Achilles a Spartan warrior together with the lives of the Achaean king and Hector a Trojan prince. The war also cost both nations more than ten thousand troops and ten years of fighting. Afterwards, after the war, Talthybius the Greek Herald brings the bad news for the women. Hecuba, who was also the queen of Troy, is condemned to be the slave of Odysseus a Greek General after the loss of her husband. Her daughter Cassandra is to be dragged away as the concubine of Agamemnon. Talthybius also hides the sacrifice of Hecuba’s other daughter Polyxena and instead tells her that her dau ghter is a maid at the tomb of Achilles. We will write a custom essay sample on Women of Troy or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now To rub it in further, Andromache, Hector’s widow tells her about the death of her daughter which further throws her into a frenzy of sorrow and sobs. Of all the heathen gods that survived the past few centuries, it comes without a doubt that the Greek gods as portrayed in the various Grecian odes, plays, verses and manuscripts remain the most famous and the most known among men. Talthyibius returns with yet another message for Andromache. Knowing what the Achaeans had done with killing Hector and dragging his body for everyone to see, Talthybius bears the bad news for Andromache’s son Astyanax who has to be killed to avert the probability of revenging his father’s death. This throws Andromache into a mà ©lange of emotions and grief as her son is thrown off a cliff further deepening the hatred between the Trojan women and the Achaeans. Odysseus actions claim the life of yet another Trojan and to him this is just the beginning. From the bosom of war enters Menelaus the Spartan king and in a judgmental tone and deeply infuriated summons Hecuba and Helen. He begins by condemning the war and says that it was not the love of Helen that caused the war but Paris’s stupid move to snatch her away under his nose and furthermore during a peace council between the Spartans and the Trojans. From the metallic stance in his voice he expresses a desire to kill Helen for the loss of his fellow countrymen. Helen takes the stand to defend herself tears and fear welling up in her. Helen blames Aphrodite for her beauty and for the charm that attracted Paris to her.