01:190:207 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Epic Cycle, Intertextuality
12 Dec 2018
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Document Summary
Today"s radical argument: the kidnapping of helen by theseus is a subtext of the trojan women. Theseus, who kidnapped helen, is mentioned twice in the play, and. Poseidon, who is his father, in some versions, opens the play. Hecuba refers to castor, one of helen"s brothers who fought theseus and took back helen. Today"s less radical argument: the trojan women is in dialog with a number of other myth that deepens the meaning of the play. Cassandra predicts the fates of many of the characters in the trojan. Cassandra alludes to hecuba turning into a dog. Cassandra predicts the death of agamemnon at the hands of his wife. The judgement of paris is invoked by helen and hecuba in their debate. The fate of astyanax and polyxena are not directly stated at first but the audience presumably pick up on references before the truth is revealed. Areas of concern: the sea, horses and earthquakes.
