CLASSICS 2D03 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Euripides, Odysseus, Clytemnestra
13 Jun 2018
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The Trojan Women – WEEK #9
Euripides – The Trojan Women
The Story: The action takes place before the walls of Troy, an ancient city near the western coast of
present-day Turkey. The play begins at dawn on a day after the Greek armies won the Trojan War. Troy
is in ruins. Corpses lie unburied on the battlefield in front of the city. Trojan women – including Hecuba,
the queen of Troy – gather outside the walls of he city in deep despair. They are to become slaves of the
victorious Greeks.
Background:
• Set after Iphigenia at Aulis
• After Helen is taken by Paris to Troy, King Menelaus (Helen’s husband) and his brother King
Agamemnon, assemble a mighty army of brother Greeks who include the finest warriors in the
land. Together they cross the sea in one thousand ships to make war against Troy and win back
their pride – and Helen
• After years of fighting, one of the Greek leaders, Odysseus King of Ithaca, devises a plan to end
the war. He suggests that the Greeks construct a great wooden horse as a weapon of war. A
Greek named Epeus supervises its construction.
• Afterwards, a Greek with a persuasive tongue deceives the Trojans into believing that their foes
have wearied of the war and that the giant horse, which stands at the gates of Troy, is a parting
gift. Seeing no Greeks on the battlefield, the Trojans move the horse into the city.
• At night, Greek soldiers hiding inside the belly of the horse drop down and open the gates of the
city for the Greek armies hiding outside. The Greeks pour into the city and overwhelm the
Trojans, wreaking slaughter and destruction and taking women as captives.
Story:
• Troy lies in ruins after Greek armies win the Trojan war and loot the city. Poseidon comes
ashore and laments the downfall of the city.
▪ In front of the tent of the victorious Greek general, Agamemnon, the great sea god says that
the groves of Troy are now empty and that its holy temples run with blood. Priam, the king
of Troy, is dead.
▪ The Greeks burden their ships with Trojan gold and other booty before debarking for their
native land
• Now that Troy has fallen with the help of Greek-loving Athena and Hera, Poseidon is
abandoning the site as a lost cause.
• As he speaks, he hears the screams of captive Trojan women whom the Greeks will take with
them on their gold-laden ships.
▪ Among them is Helen, the Greek beauty whom the Trojan prince Paris brought to Troy to
become his lover
▪ Poseidon also hears the lamentation of old Hecuba, Priam’s widow, as she lies in front of the
gates of the city
• Athena then appears before Poseidon and asks him to help her bring ruin upon the Greeks.
▪ Athena explains that she turned against them after the Greek archer Ajax (Aias) the Less
raped the Trojan prophetess Cassandra when she sought refuge in a temple dedicated to
Athena. The other Greeks did nothing to help Cassandra, nor did they reprimand Ajax for his
foul deed
Document Summary
The story: the action takes place before the walls of troy, an ancient city near the western coast of present-day turkey. The play begins at dawn on a day after the greek armies won the trojan war. Corpses lie unburied on the battlefield in front of the city. Trojan women including hecuba, the queen of troy gather outside the walls of he city in deep despair. They are to become slaves of the victorious greeks. Background: set after iphigenia at aulis, after helen is taken by paris to troy, king me(cid:374)elaus (cid:894)hele(cid:374)"s hus(cid:271)a(cid:374)d(cid:895) a(cid:374)d his (cid:271)(cid:396)othe(cid:396) ki(cid:374)g. Agamemnon, assemble a mighty army of brother greeks who include the finest warriors in the land. He suggests that the greeks construct a great wooden horse as a weapon of war. The greeks pour into the city and overwhelm the. Trojans, wreaking slaughter and destruction and taking women as captives.
