Paul Tam
LLRN 102-17
Dr.Scaramella Evelyn
September. 22. 2017
Written Reflection #1:
The story series of The Trojan Women is episodic. Unlike other stories it does not follow the structure where the plot has a background, rising action, climax, falling action, then a resolution. Following the series as individual and separately, the reader can tell the episodes is not a plot, therefore, it is a tragedy. Euripides wanted his audience to understand wars are always unpleasant. Overall the scenes of tragedy convey the suffering that the Trojan War causes not only to the soldiers but also the innocents people who were not fighting.
Each of the characters’ hopes become a tragic situation in their lives. Euripides focused on the women’s fates after the war. Hecuba, Helen, and Cassandra are strong and smart “Lift up your head from the ground…Change with the spirit of change……” (page. 464) compared to others. Also these characters represent other women of Troy whose husbands have been killed and the remaining children are enslaved. Cassandra who is crazy but intelligent had to give up her virginity to the Greek King Agamemnon. Her hope was to remain purity until she finds the right man. Hecabe’s hope suffers from seeing her daughter getting married which was not by free will “What? A slave for his Spartan wife……” (page. 469). The conversation between Hecabe and Talthybius highlight equality and sexism. It shows the society was blinded that the unhappiness of women working under men.
Aristotle would analyzed the narrative arc of the tragedy as a coherent whole and each scenes last long enough to represent the reversal of the hero’s fortune. Euripides purposely shown men like Talthybius and Menelaus were less brave and indecisive. Talthybius cannot speak up as a messenger when facing Hecabe because she was strong and persuasive. The moral of the play is to show us men has weaknesses as well. Menelaus, who represents Ancient Greek men, was convinced by Hecabe and Helen and further pushback the punishment. Euripides indirectly shown to the audience that women are intelligent enough to be equal as men. The Trojan Women contradicts the idea where males dominate wealth and power and females is born for being households.
