The Trojan Women
Synopsis:
In the smoldering ruins of Troy, the conquered women—Queen Hecuba, her daughter Cassandra, Andromache widow of Hector, and the despised Helen—await their fate as slaves to the victorious Greeks. As the gods look on indifferently and Poseidon laments the city’s fall, the captive women voice their profound grief over lost husbands, children, and homeland. Herald Talthybius delivers the cruel assignments from the Greek leaders, sealing the women’s destinies amid heartbreaking farewells. Euripides’ haunting anti-war tragedy powerfully indicts the senseless suffering inflicted on the innocent in the wake of conquest.
Video
Review
Whereas Medea is the story after Jason and the Argonauts, The Trojan Women is the story right after The Iliad but before Agamemnon. Euripides focuses on the tragic outcomes of what’s going to happen to the captured women of Troy following the sacking of the city by the Greeks. Euripides once again focuses on the plight of women ,which is an interesting perspective for his time and nature. There is a mix of some anti-war teachings, or at the very least, some introspection about the outcomes of war, and again, with the focus of it affecting women.
While Euripides does write about the tragedy well, the story bounces to too many characters too often and includes a semi-trial of Helen. While it’s nice to finally see someone call out Helen for causing about 75% of all Greek literature of the time to be written because of Troy, she’s an odd inclusion and takes the focus of all the stories about the women as tragedies. Andromache and her child’s story completes the woeful plot point that I enjoyed in The Iliad and that was devastating to read about. Overall, I didn’t think the play did as much as it could have although I’d be willing to be convinced that I’m wrong.
Final Grade
C+
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