TROY
Adele Geras
Greek Gods:
Aphrodite = goddess of love, desire
Ares = god of war
Eros = god of love, desire
Hades = lord of the Underworld
Hephaestus = god of fire
Hera = goddess of marriage
Hermes = fast; guide to Underworld
Poseidon = god of the sea
Athena = goddess of the city, wisdom
Apollo = god of music
Zeus = lord of the sky; rain god
Remember this?
Amazons:
Women warriors
Elysian Fields:
Paradise of heroes
Mount Olympus:
Where powerful gods hold council
River Styx:
Separates Earth from Underworld
Odysseus:
King of Ithaca, wife = Penelope,
stranded on Calypso Island for 20 years
The Blood Room
What is it?
•Where wounded soldiers are taken after battle
Who works there?
•Xanthe, Charitomene, Boros
Which gods are in the Blood Room?
•Eros – shoots Xanthe
•Aphrodite – shoots Marpessa and Alastor
•Ares – god of war
•Zeus – briefly observing, bored of war
Helen & Paris’ Quarters
Helen = beautiful, blonde, heavily jeweled, in love
with Paris (because of Aphrodite), left daughter
Hermoine in Sparta when she left King Menelaus,
motherly to Marpessa, kind, selfish?
Paris = handsome, dark hair, blue eyes, Prince of
Troy, commits adultery, drinks, getting fat, cowardly
Marpessa = orphan, barely speaks, weaves best
tapestries in Troy, beautiful, teenager
Andromache and Hector’s
Quarters
Andromache = dark hair, beautiful, skinny, caring,
mother of Astynax and devoted wife to Hector
Hector = Troy’s best soldier, dark hair, handsome,
father of Astynax, loyal???
Astynax = 2 year old son, speaks very little, loves
horses, future heir to the throne, curly hair
Xanthe = teenager, beautiful, works in Blood Room
and caretaker of Astynax
King Priam’s Quarters
King Priam = King of Troy, father of Paris, Hector,
Cassandra (among others), caring father, good king
Queen Hecuba = Queen of Troy
Cassandra = “crazy” sister, hears and remembers things from
gods (Apollo’s curse is that no one believes her)
The Singer = Singer for the King, tells stories of past and
present events for guests, gossips, old man
Polyxena = The Singer’s granddaughter, genuine friend,
honest, loyal, horse-like features, “monkey-face”, gossips
You’re dreamy, I
love you.
All you need is Love…
Polyxena
Iason
Hey buddy can you
ask Xanthe to marry
me?!
So much drama…
Iason Loves Xanthe…
Marry Iason,
he’s amazing
Meh, maybe
later
Xanthe loves Alastor…
Who do you
love? Where
are you going?
I’m madly in love with
someone, but it’s a
secret! If you see
Marpessa tell her I
said hey
Alastor and Marpessa
I desire you
Go away, maybe
I’m
Pregnant
Okay, let’s recap:
The Greeks left a big wooden horse on the Plains, the
Singer and citizens of Troy tell the King it is a sacrifice to
Athena for stealing The Luck Of Troy (small statue). They
think they’ve won and celebrate.
In the middle of the night, the Greeks attack, killing many
very easily and overpowering the ones who fight back.
The Attack!
Pg. 304 – Agamemnon (Agy)
Tells of their brilliant plan to attack in the middle of the
night while all of Troy is drunk and asleep
Kill men, don’t waste time with women – bring them to ship,
we’ll deal with them later (rape, slavery)
Iason wakes up to see Troy ablaze! Gets horses safe
Mission – FIND XANTHE!
Pg. 307 – FIRE
•
Personification is giving human qualities to animals or
objects.
•
How is fire personified?
Still Attacking…
Andromache sleeping peacefully for first time since
Hector’s death = IRONY
Astynax wanted Xanthe so he’s with her. Xanthe has agreed
to marry Iason because she hates her sister
Marpessa goes to Helen – she regrets the fight with Xanthe
then has a miscarriage, Helen very helpful
Pg. 312 (Pyrrhus)
The Fall of Troy is easy, few are fighting back as Odysseus
warned – Pyrrhus MUST kill King Priam, wants it
More…
Polyxena is looking for The Singer, then remembers he
is with King Hector (oh no!)
Poly sees city on fire and hears someone tell Agy that
Priam is his to kill (Pyrrhus) – Poly knows shortcuts
and runs off
Pg. 314 – Greek soldiers (unnamed)
Attack on Phrontis’ house – they see an old mouthy
woman and kill her, one young girl (Agamede) runs off,
Alastor is not there.
Soldiers kill them and drink
Alaster left to save Marpessa – left his mother because
he figured no soldier would murder an old woman
(rules of war) – Whoops!
Boros thinks he’s Greek, almost kills him then doesn’t
Pg. 317 – Who is this?
The swords and fire are not enough
Ground swells up, shaking sturdy rock structure
(earthquake) – who is responsible? Why?
Poly walks through Palace – everybody dead. She sees The
Singer (318) – sad scene
Queen, Cassandra, women of Palace all captured and
brought to ship, say the Gossips before being captured
themselves.
Which one kicks/hurts a soldier?
Pg. 322 – Menelaus
Thinking about what to do to Helen – take her back and
kill her? Or will she weaken him again? What do you think?
The Most Tragic Event of ALL
TIME
3 Soldiers come to Xanthe’s room with Andromache
captured, Astynax cries at mother’s agony
Xanthe tries to protect Astynax but no use, soldiers take him
and knock him out when he cries
WHY ARE THEY KILLING ASTYNAX?
Pg. 328 – Greek soldier
Hears Boros cry for Xanthe so he stabs him – says he doesn’t
want to be part of what they’re about to do to Astynax, would
be easy to just quickly kill the baby but they’re doing
something “spectacular” and he disapproves. Effect?
Poly and Iason see each other – Poly in tears, they go hide
Marpessa in agony – Helen helping her. Aphrodite tells Marpessa
she had to do this otherwise Marpessa would have taken the
poison which is much worse on the body. Helen will take care of
Marpessa and Marpessa will take care of Xanthe.
Pg. 333 – Traitor! Odysseus comes to get Helen, she jokes about
going back.
Alastor looking for Marpessa – sees Charitomene die (crushed)
and takes her scarf, he remembers his mother saying he had skin
of youth, eyelashes of a girl… he has a plan!
336-339 (italics) BRUTALITY
Astynax’s death told from Greek POV – soldier says
the captain talked about the plan over and over and
not all soldiers agreed
Image and sounds will haunt him forever
Who is speaking?
What is the effect?
How did you feel while reading this?
The Aftermath
King M has forgiven Helen – is it genuine????
Helen takes Marpessa, Alastor (dressed as a girl), and
Xanthe
Hecuba and Andromache – what do you think happens?
Page 346 – DISTORTED NARRATIVE
Effect – This is Xanthe’s mind, no reason or rationale – the
reader sees the traumatic effect Astynax’s death is having on
Xanthe. She speaks/thinks in gibberish fragments
Is Helen just allowed to be Queen again? What do you
think?
Happily Ever After?
Polyxena and Iason still in Troy – together!
Athena tells Marpessa Xanthe will be fine someday and they
only helped the Greeks because it was fate
Xanthe sees an OWL – symbolism:
Owl is Athena’s animal
An owl flying over after a war symbolizes VICTORY in Greek
mythology
Battle ended as it should have
WHAT DID YOU LIKE/DISLIKE?