WOT - important flashcards
BP1 elab: ‘troy is burning ‘whole generation’…
Helpless and devastated, Hecuba calls on the chorus to lament the ‘burning’ of ‘Troy,’ futher reinforced by the chorus of women who bemoan the ‘whole generation of women’ who were ‘raped in their bedrooms.’
BP1 analysis: ‘troy is burning ‘whole generation’…
Presenting Hecuba as an embodiment of the ‘burning’ city, Euripides draws parallels between the destruction of the women’s bodies, mirrored through the desecration of the beloved Troy.
While Troy endures a literal siege and metaphorical rape, the women endure a metaphorical siege and literal fear of rape and abuse, reduced to nothing but sexual artifacts and fertile wombs.
Through the vulnerability of the Trojan women, Euripides crystalises the collective suffering, tragedy and loss through the mutilation of Troy, exposing the women as innocent victims reflected through the spoils of war.
BP1 or 2: ‘lie forgotten in foreign land…’
Having foreseen the destruction of Troy and the suffering brought forth by war, Cassandra deplores the foolish and ignorant behaviour of the Greek soldiers that hastily go to war, only to ‘lie forgotten in a foreign land,’ never to be seen again.
BP1 or 2 analysis: ‘lie forgotten in foreign land…’
Through Cassandra, Euripides highlights the futility of hastily going to battle in the hope of achieving the status and honour mythologised in Greek society, as it only leads to a tragic and undignified death.
This further demonstrates how the complexities of war transcend the simplistic classification of individuals as oppressors or victims, as individuals on both sides endure immense trauma and loss.
Elab. Poseidon BP3
Overlooking the destruction of Troy in the prologos, Poseidon warns that ‘When a man sacks and destroys everything…The same destruction sooner or later will fall on his own head.’
Analysis Poseidon BP3
Elucidating the problematic and destructive cyclical patterns of history in contemporary Athens, Euripides cautions how that committing barbaric acts of violence cannot go unpunished, as the same acts of brutality and misery will continue to perpetuate a never-ending cycle of war and conflict. While the Greeks are ultimately considered the victors of the war, they too are punished for their barbarous actions through an excruciating ten-year-long journey back to Greece.
Segue BP3
Even so, Euripides continues to demonstrate how attempting to fulfil a duty rooted in masculinist Grecian ideals can result in a miserable fate.
Elab. Hecuba BP3
Adrift in a sea of hopelessness, Hecuba attempts to ‘die in [the] embrace of the’ burning ‘city’ of Troy in the hope to release her pain, but is painfully restrained and instead forced to ‘March down to the Archean fleet’ along with the suffering Trojan women.
BP3 Analysis Hecuba 1
As a manifestation of ‘burning’ Troy, Hecuba experiences anagnorisis upon realising that her desire to be a dutiful queen and wife, aligned in the structures of patriarchal, Hellenic values, has ultimately led to her downfall, forcing her to accept a new life in which she is exploited and dehumanised
Hecuba analysis 2
As a result, Euripides’ contemporary Athenian audience are denied of experiencing the emotional cleansing associated with catharsis, as the women are evidently led to a catastrophic and heartbreaking future as sex slaves to selfish Greek men, who are never held accountable for their crimes and dishonour.
VVS BP3
Furthermore, Euripides advocates for his Athenian audience to question current standards to break the ongoing cycle of sinful and barbaric acts, stemming from the corruption of duty and obligation.
Elab. Cassandra ‘who could wait…’
Expressing her deep longing for a favourable turn of events, Cassandra fervently cries ‘Who could wait for the wind that fills her sails more eagerly than I do?’
‘who could wait…’ analysis 1
While Cassandra pretends to accept her tragic fate by willingly agreeing to embrace her new life with Agamemnon, Cassandra’s desire to fulfil her duty reflects her unwavering hope for vengeance and revenge.
‘who could wait…’ analysis 2
Through the metaphor of a ship waiting for ‘the wind’ to propel its ‘sails,’ Cassandra compares herself to a vessel ardently anticipating a change in fortune, while the phrase ‘more eagerly’ amplifies the magnitude of her longing, which surpasses that of anyone else, thus intensifying the extent of her motivation to pursue her obligation in avenging her loved ones.
‘who could wait…’ analysis 3
Despite her knowledge of impending doom, Cassandra’s spirit remains resilient, martyring herself as a metaphorical ‘trojan horse,’ patiently waiting to seek retribution for the greater good.
