T H E T R O J A N W O M E N A T T H E P H O E N I X T H E A T R E

Ten long years of war are at an end. The Greek army, hidden within a great wooden horse, has breached the walls of Troy. The city has fallen, the massacre has begun, and the grief-stricken women await their fate...

The Trojan Women was first performed in 415 BCE, during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. The year before this performance Athens invaded the neutral island Melos, demanding Roman copy of a fourth-century that the Melians assist in the war. BCE bust of Euripides. When Melos refused, the Athenian army executed all of the men and Euripides is one of three ancient enslaved the women and children. playwrights for whom full plays have survived to the modern day, The Melos massacre shocked the the others being Sophocles and Greek world, and The Trojan Women Aeschylus. The youngest of the was clearly written in response to three, he was the least praised in his life. Euripides’ characters those events, dramatizing the could be described as more aftermath of The Trojan War. common and human than the larger-than-life figures of other All Greek citizens would have Greek plays. These relatable known the myth. Euripides used characters may have been the this familiarity to make an reason more of his works survived important point: behind the heroes than both of his contemporaries and glory in legends like The Iliad combined. and The Odyssey, there was brutal violence and incredible pain.

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G R E E K T H E A T R E

Greece is considered the birthplace of Western theatre, where actors first took the stage portraying characters instead of themselves. However, a few elements clearly distinguish Greek theatre from modern theatrical traditions.

D I O N Y S A M A S K S C H O R U S All plays were written for The Greeks did not think The use of the Greek large, annual, festivals the human face was chorus to comment on the held to honor Dionysus capable of expressing the action of the play remains (god of wine, theatre, and emotions of gods and one of the most startling festivals). Plays were heroes. All actors wore innovations in the history performed once and masks. When you see the of theatre. The chorus judged by administrators twin masks of comedy provided music and called Archons. Three and tragedy, this is a spectacle and served as playwrights were selected direct link to ancient the conscience of society. to present and one was Greek theater. declared the winner.

W H E N M Y T H B E C O M E S H I S T O R Y

Whether the Trojan War happened, or if Troy even existed, is up for debate. For ancient Greeks, the Trojan War was absolutely a real event in their history. Today, historians aren't so sure. But many believe there is a core of truth to the myth: a Greek campaign against Troy around 1200 BCE. There wasn’t a Trojan Horse, or a kidnapped queen, but on the west coast of Turkey there was an ancient city believed to be destroyed by Greeks 3000 years ago.

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e k her Clic mary o sum vide T H E T R O J A N W A R for a The Myth begins with a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. When the goddess of discord, Eris, isn’t invited to a wedding party she leaves a golden apple marked “for the fairest.” The goddesses ask Zeus to say who the fairest is, but he chooses Paris (son of Queen Hecuba of Troy) to make the decision. Aphrodite offers Paris the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen queen of Sparta, if he chooses her. So, he does! Paris steals Helen away in the night, and the Greek kings launch a thousand ships to reclaim her.

T H E G O D S T A K E S I D E S !

G R E E C E T R O Y

Zeus god of the sky, thunder and king of the gods

Hera Poseidon goddess of women, family, and god of the sea and storms queen of the gods

Athena (Pallas) Apollo goddess of wisdom and god of the sun, oracles, and warfare archery

Aphrodite Cassandra, Hecuba's daughter, was once offered goddess of love and beauty the gift of prophecy is she would sleep with Apollo. Although she refused, she was still granted the ability... with one catch: all of her prophecies were dismissed as raving nonsense.

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C H A R A C T E R S

G R E E C E T R O Y

The goddess Athena The god Poseidon

Menelaus - king of Sparta Hecuba -queen of Troy Helen - queen of Sparta Cassandra - daughter of Hecuba Talthybius - Greek Herald Andromache - daughter-in-law of Hecuba Chorus - the women of Troy

I M P O R T A N T C H A R A C T E R S M E N T I O N E D

Agamemnon - king of Priam - king of Troy Mycenae Paris - son of Hecuba Odysseus - king of Ithaca Polyxena - daughter of Hecuba Achilles - Greek hero Hector - son of Hecuba Ajax - Greek hero Astyanax - son of Andromache and Neoptolemus - son of Achilles Hector

I R O N Y I N T H E T R O J A N W O M E N

Dramatic irony was an important part of Greek storytelling and myths. It is present in many plays and would have been very apparent to Greek citizens of the day.

Menelaus and Helen Civilized and Barbarians Paris’ Prophecy The play ends with Throughout the play the When Paris was born, it Menelaus promising the Trojans are referred to as was said he would bring execution of Helen, for the “barbarians” while the Troy’s destruction, and that grief she has caused. destructive and cruel he must be killed. He was Greek audiences would Greeks are called “civilized.” abandoned on Mount Ida to know that Helen became die but survived to queen of Sparta again. eventually cause the fall of Troy anyway.

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