THE WOMEN OF TROY

The Women of Troy

The Divine

Poseidon
Athene

The Mortals

Hecabe
Cassandra
Andromache
Talthybius
Menelaus
Helen

Story

It has been two days since the city of Troy fell and Poseidon weeps. He accuses Athene of the deed. Athene is willing to make amends and to kill the Greeks she had sent because they have not held up their end of the bargain. The Greeks have captured and dragged away Cassandra, daughter of the dead Troyan king, who was to remain a virgin to honour the gods.

“I mean to make their homeward journey - unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, Hecabe, the king’s window, is grieving her fate. Cassandra will become bride to Agamemnon, king of Greece and Hecabe will be married to the king of Ithaca, Odysseus.

Cassandra soon comes forth to face her future, she has heard of a prophecy regarding Odysseus and is unconcerned. Andromache too is devastated. Her husband, a son of Hecabe, is dead and her son has been taken from her. The Greek herald Talthybius soon comes to tell her that her infant son is destined to die.

Menelaus, the general of the Greek army arrives as well. He is looking for Helen, his wife and the reason for the destruction of Troy. Helen tells her husband that she has been a bargaining chip of a goddess and been promised to Paris, another of Hecabe’s sons. Menelaus does not believe the story and accuses Helen of adultery.

In the interim, Andromache’s son has been killed and his body is brought back to be buried. Hecabe is to do it.

“What would the poet write for you as epitaph? ‘This child the Argives killed because they feared him.’ An inscription to make Hellas blush.”

The remaining Greek soldiers are tasked to burn down the ruins of Troy and Helen attempts to fling herself in the fire. She is stopped, however, and led to the ships that will take away from her home and her position.

“Come, trembling aged feet, you must not fail me now. There your way lies: forward into slavery!”