Euripides’ play Women of Troy: Woman`s Surviving in the Patriarchal Society
Euripides’ Greek playwright The Women of Troy is a historical tragedy performed to the Athenian audience in the aftermath of the Trojan war, evaluating the atrocities that were instigated by the Greeks. During wartime, a similar event occurred at both places Melos and Troy. The Greeks were conquering land and enslaving women, and men were killed, even the lives of young boys were not spared. Although the female protagonist such as Hecuba and Cassandra become the true heroes, that stands to protect their rights and the rights of other Trojan women. However, not all women are considered as true heroes, as Helen the 'Troy sacker' intentionally deflect blame onto others and consequently aims to leave unscathed from the warfare that has occurred due to her selfishness and lustful desire. This made the Trojan women grief-stricken innocent victims, that lament over the loss of their beloved and survive as commodities to the Greek nobles in a patriarchal society. Through the play, Euripides depicted to his Athenian audience that women will reveal their true selves when confronted with adversity.
Euripides presents to the Athenian audience Hecuba as a stoic woman and who has the inner strength of a leader. In the parados of the play, Hecuba the former Queen of Troy is “throned in the dust” which portrays her loss of identity. Even though she has now become Odysseus' slave, she still shows immense nobility during times of devastating grief, and as “a mother bird at her plundered nest” she represents the Hellenic women collectively. During times of lamenting she consoles with the women of Troy around her to raise their hopes before they were “allotted” to Greek nobles as slaves. Hecuba’s inner strength and fortitude allow her to overtake the role of a leader, and care for those that are suffering from immense brutality caused by the Greeks. Apart from being a leader, Hecuba is also depicted as a voice that represents other women, and the grief that all women suffer. As the Queen, she carries all the burdens on her shoulder by herself. Furthermore, she gathers all the women to tell them that “no, no one is happier dead. The living at least has hope.” As an empathetic leader, it engenders a sense of camaraderie, between her and the other Trojan women. At the end of the play, the Athenian audiences are greeted by this woman that’s suffered extensively till the point that nothing could “encompass the grief that she feels”. It is the determination that allowed her to become a true hero that others admire.
In the play, the female protagonist Cassandra is portrayed as both the victim and a true hero. Cassandra who’s a “god-crazed daughter” and a prophetess she’s able to foresee the future, but due to her cursed talent, people don’t believe in her. She is also arguably noble in accepting her fate as being Agamemnon’s concubine, exclaiming that “mother, you must cover my hair with flowers, A victory crown to celebrate my triumph, Marrying a King.”, at the wedding ceremony with Agamemnon. When others are lamenting for their fate, Cassandra is dancing to the Maenad and declaring to those around her that Agamemnon “Will find me more destructive as a wife than ever Helen was”. As she foreshadows her future and the destruction on the House of Atreus. Unlike other characters in the play, Cassandra seems less overwhelmed by all her surroundings. Since she knows that she’s able to seek retribution on the Greeks, for her father King Priam who’s “hacked down at the alter steps”, and her brother Hector. Although she’s a princess she’s not timid by death and “puddles of blood smear the sanctuaries”. Her sense of empowerment is what enables her to seek vengeance on the Greeks and what makes her a true Trojan hero.
In contrast to Hecuba and Cassandra, Helen’s self-serving actions and manipulative thoughts make her unworthy of being a hero. Although she is reputed as the most beautiful woman in the world, her lustful desire for Paris made her ‘unfaithful’ towards Menelaus the King of Sparta. After Menelaus had discovered her betrayal, Helen only wanted to deflect the blame of her adultery. Thus, Menelaus has instigated a hunting party to Troy, where the deceptive wooden horse “whose capricious belly was pregnant with armed commandos”, was able to pass through the gates of Troy and that was the start of the utter decimation and led to dire consequences in the end for the Trojans. Although the hunting party was sent for the sake to capture Helen, they’ve also “sent ten thousand men to death'. Those men that have fought for Troy were all brutally killed, women from Troy were enslaved as “spoils of war” and soon they will become “allotments”. In the argon between Hecuba and Helen, Hecuba confronts Helen for her self-preservation and uncovers her deceits. In the play, Helen is known as “a dangerous woman”, who is self-interested “wearing make-up, your hair brushed, with your best dress on”, while the innocent victims are still suffering due to her actions. Instead of confronting to reality, she diverts the blame, and she doesn’t even value the life of others.
Euripides’ play Women of Troy, highlights women as the true hero surviving in the patriarchal society without the support of men. Women are always presented as inferior to male. However, Women of Troy elucidates to the audience that even women can be the support of one another under crucial circumstances. It’s the spirit of those that have a sense of obligation to fight back for themselves when they're faced with adversity. It also shows that women will not become a burden to others, they’re capable of seeking guidance in their way. However, it doesn’t exclude some that only avoid reality. Euripides expounds on the idea that even women can defend themselves in certain situations.
