The Trojan Women

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) in her temple. Athena is outraged by this act as she views it as completely disrespectful. She has summoned Poseidon, along with Zeus (the king of the gods) to take revenge upon the Greeks. She plans to create dangerous, stormy seas to wreck their ships and punish the army upon its journey home.

With this scheme in place, the gods depart and the mortal plot begins to unfold. The women of Troy are gathered together in a camp, among the wreckage of their beloved city. In their midst is Hecuba, the