Helen of Troy

James · #1 05-14-2004, 10:14 PM

This is related to the Troy thread.

I never thought of Helen as a Tragic Hero before. It certainly wasn't taught that way in Class.

In class, Helen was more like an act of nature, with very little character development she was merely a very beautiful woman. If there is anything merely about such beauty.

And because of her beauty she was abducted and raped as a teen, married off to menelaus, wood by Paris and then I believe married to someone else after Paris died.

But I keep thinking . . . Assuming she was a real person, and assuming she loved Paris, not Menelaus and saw flight to an enlightened wealthy Troy as infinitely preferable to remaining in cold dark Sparta, with a man she neither loved nor chose . . then wasn't she truly a victim of terrible misfortune?

Because at the end of the ten years, she saw Paris dead, Hector dead, all the friends she had made at Troy and that life dead as well as the city burned to the ground. And she lived long enough to go home with Menelaus, back to a cold dark Sparta and a loveless marriage.

She cast the dice opting for a better life and fate saw to fit to leave her alive to see everything she wanted stripped from her in a horrific way.

Anyway . . go see the movie Troy.

CSUSigEp · #2 05-15-2004, 06:23 AM

...way to ruin the movie... put a warning or something!

TigerLilly · #3 05-15-2004, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CSUSigEp
...way to ruin the movie... put a warning or something!

Well, since the movie takes a lot of liberties with history...that didn't actually spoil the movie. Unless you didn't know that Troy lost, in which case I'd wonder where you were the whole time during your high school history/lit classes...

moe.ron · #4 05-15-2004, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TigerLilly
Well, since the movie takes a lot of liberties with history...that didn't actually spoil the movie. Unless you didn't know that Troy lost, in which case I'd wonder where you were the whole time during your high school history/lit classes...

They lost?

TigerLilly · #5 05-15-2004, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by moe.ron
They lost?

Sorry, can't tell, don't want to spoil the movie!

moe.ron · #6 05-15-2004, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TigerLilly
Sorry, can't tell, don't want to spoil the movie!

Will there be a sequel?

CSUSigEp · #7 05-15-2004, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TigerLilly
Well, since the movie takes a lot of liberties with history...that didn't actually spoil the movie. Unless you didn't know that Troy lost, in which case I'd wonder where you were the whole time during your high school history/lit classes...

Well... never had to read any Homer stuff in high school (just had teachers that didnt have it in their syllabi) and we never covered ancient history either... Troy is something that just wasnt covered at my high school...

Luckily here at college, theres always Hist. 111 - Ancient Greece.

LeslieAGD · #8 05-15-2004, 11:14 AM

Is Helen a victim? Maybe...
Is she a tragic hero? Ehh...let's examine the possiblity:

Elements of a Tragic Hero
1) Main Character - Helen is not a main character. The true main characters of the tale are Achilles, Agamemnon, and Hector.

2) Noble Stature - While Helen does have a high social standing, she really has no power. She was only the excuse for Agamemnon to go to war with Troy.

3) Tragic Flaw - What is it? Adultry? Maybe that's she's self-centered because she does believe the war is actually about her?

4) Free Will - This trait she does possess because she leaves Menalaus.

5) Tragic Ending - She does get what she deserves by being taken back to Sparta, although few true tragic heroes actually live at the end.

6) Increased Awareness - It is important that the tragic hero come to some sort of understanding of what went wrong before the end of story. I guess this one really depends on whether you believe Helen comprehends that the war is political.

This is an interesting topic for debate.

swissmiss04 · #9 05-15-2004, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeslieAGD
Is Helen a victim? Maybe...
Is she a tragic hero? Ehh...let's examine the possiblity:

Elements of a Tragic Hero
1) Main Character - Helen is not a main character. The true main characters of the tale are Achilles, Agamemnon, and Hector.

2) Noble Stature - While Helen does have a high social standing, she really has no power. She was only the excuse for Agamemnon to go to war with Troy.

3) Tragic Flaw - What is it? Adultry? Maybe that's she's self-centered because she does believe the war is actually about her?

4) Free Will - This trait she does possess because she leaves Menalaus.

5) Tragic Ending - She does get what she deserves by being taken back to Sparta, although few true tragic heroes actually live at the end.

6) Increased Awareness - It is important that the tragic hero come to some sort of understanding of what went wrong before the end of story. I guess this one really depends on whether you believe Helen comprehends that the war is political.

This is an interesting topic for debate.

Her beauty could qualify her for noble stature since women back then weren't given political power. The fact that everyone she loved was dead and she was forced to go back to Sparta could qualify as a tragic ending. Adultery her flaw? Yeah, works for me. Increased awareness? Maybe.
Interesting!