Overview
Synopsis
Euripides’ famous tragedy, The Trojan Women follows the fate of the women of Troy following the war between the invading Greek armies and the people of the city. Led by Hecuba, Andromache, and Cassandra, the band of women face a bleak future. Their city has been sacked, their husbands killed, and many of the women have been raped and captured as slaves for the Greek warriors. The war began after Helen eloped to Troy with Paris, a Trojan prince. Her husband, Menelaus, started the war in a bid to get his wife back and the other women blame the beautiful Helen for her selfish act. Using a traditional Greek chorus, the women lament their losses and wonder what will become of them under this new, tyrannical rule. Their homeland is burning and they must prepare for new lives as slaves.
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Context
Euripides’ most famous work, The Trojan Women was first produced in 415 BC during the Peloponnesian War. It was the third play in a trilogy dealing with the Trojan Wars, following on from Alexandros and Palamedes. The play won second prize at the festival of the City of Dionysia.
The events in the play run parallel to Euripides’ play Hecuba. Regularly performed to this day, it has been translated and adapted many times over for both stage and film. The Trojan Women is often
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As the play opens, the Greek gods Athena (the goddess of war) and Poseidon (the god of the sea) have descended from Mount Olympus to face the bloody aftermath of the Trojan War. The city of Troy has been sacked and destroyed by the invading Greek armies and the death toll is high. Athena supported the Greeks, while Poseidon sided with the Trojans. However, Athena has now turned her back on the Greeks after one of their warriors, Ajax. raped Cassandra (daughter of Hecuba and a Trojan princess)
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Trojan Women.
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Monologues
Scenes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
The Brutality and Pointlessness of War
Euripides completely upends the traditional Greek celebratory view of military triumph by shifting the perspective to the victims. Rather than highlighting heroic battle victories or divine favor, the play focuses on the brutal human cost of war: the slaughter of innocent children, the violation of women, and the utter desolation of a civilization. By showing that the Greek conquerors are ultimately just as miserable, cursed, and morally
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Quizzes
Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher