Beverly Questad

Mythology

September 29, 2003

Greek Myth Project

The story of Helen and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts, both involved love and the intervention of the gods. In Helen’s case, Aphrodite influenced Helen to fall in love with a man other than her husband, Paris. In Jason’s case Hera had Eros shoot his arrow at Medea as she gazed at Jason so she would help him capture the golden fleece. In both stories, the intervention of the gods caused destruction. For Paris, Helen’s object of desire, he ended up losing his life as well as his kingdom. For Medea, Jason’s love interest, she ended up losing her father, brother and her kingdom.

If what Rosenberg and Baker write is true, that myths are valuable because they reveal eternal truths about the nature of humanity, then one of the truths about the story of Helen may be that adultery is self-destructive. Even though she pursues what her heart desires, because she has pursued it at the unfair expense of another, her husband’s, she never experiences true happiness. As a matter of fact, her act of persistent adultery causes her continued pain and all she associates with end up destroyed. In that her desire for Paris was manifested as sexual hunger, lust, the myth also shows how selfish and unfulfilling sexual gratification can be.

Reason for The Trojan War:  Dramatic Reading

Roles:  Narrator, Eris, Paris, Aphrodite, Hera, Athena

Narrator:  We are at the marriage celebration of Thetis (thee-tis) (a Naried [nare-ee-id] who could change shapes) and Peleus (pell-ee-us)

Eris:   I am Eris. All were invited except me, The Goddess of Spite.  So, I got my revenge by bringing an apple inscribed “For the fairest.” 

[Place the apple amongst the guests saying,]  “This apple must be awarded to the most beautiful of the 3 goddesses:  Hera, Athena or Aphrodite.” 

Narrator:  All the gods feared disobeying Eris, the Goddess of Spite.  Who knew what consequence they would each receive if her command was not obeyed?

However, at this time let the three contestants in this beauty contest introduce themselves.

Aphrodite:  I am Aphrodite and I represent Lust.  I am irresistibly charming and can make sane men go mad.  I celebrate the mating of men and women.

Hera:  I am Hera, the sister and wife of Zeus. I get jealous easily and when I get jealous I get mean.  I have the ability to make anyone lose their mind.

Athena:  I am Athena.  Though I am a woman, I was born from Zeus’s head and have tremendous wisdom and might.  I am unbeatable in combat. 

Narrator:  No god was willing to take the responsibility of judging between these women.  Why do you think they were afraid?  It was because they feared the wrath of the two goddesses who wouldn’t be chosen. So Zeus, the head of all of the gods,  thought he had the solution to the fear of the gods.  He appointed Paris, a mortal, to make the decision!

Paris:  I am Paris, a mortal man who has been minding my flocks on Mt. Ida.  My father is the very wealthy king of Troy.  Zeus appeared before me with a request.  I understand that I cannot deny a request from the mightiest of all gods.  I will do all I can to obey Zeus.  Now, whom should I chose as the most beautiful.  Aphrodite the sex goddess, Hera the powerful or Athena the wise warrior?

Narrator:  Each goddess snuck up to Paris to try to influence him.

Hera:  If you chose me, the powerful Hera, dear Paris, I would make you ruler of all Asia.  You would have great power to rule with as you please.

Athena:  If you chose me, Athena the wise warrior goddess, wisdom and victory would belong to you in all battles.  You would be undefeatable!

Aphrodite:  My handsome Paris, if you see me, the lovely Aphrodite, as the most beautiful, I promise to you the love of the most beautiful woman in the world.  You will be satisfied with sexual pleasures from her beyond your wildest dreams.

Narrator:  Paris did not spend much time thinking his choices over.  He was overcome at once with his desire.

Paris:  I treasure love above all else.  Aphrodite, you are the most beautiful.

Aphrodite:  Yes, I am the most beautiful and most irresistible creature in the universe.  You have chosen well.  And for the honor you have bestowed upon me, I award you the love of the most beautiful mortal in the world, Helen.

Hera: Paris, how dare you fall under the spell of Aphrodite and not see true beauty!  You have been dazzled by lust, not your logic!  You are a weak mortal and shall never rule the Trojan Empire of your father.  You have turned your back on power.

Athena:  Paris, you have chosen foolishly and you will suffer.  Helen is already married and without me, the goddess of war, you will never be able to defend yourself against the wrath of her husband!!

The Story of Helen:  A Dramatic Reading

Roles:  Narrator, Leda,  King Tyndareus, Menelaus, Paris, Helen, Odysseus *

Narrator:   Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda

Leda:  I am Leda (lee-duh) and I married King Tyndareus of Sparta.  I am beautiful, straightforward and good.  However, Zeus had a crush on me.  No way was I going to fall for him.  I was completely faithful to my wonderful husband.

One day I saw a beautiful swan.  I became enchanted by it.  I didn’t realize, until too late, that the swan was really a morphed Zeus.  Bewitched by his magic spell, I couldn’t help but became his lover.

From this union with Zeus I had a daughter.  I named her Helen.  She grew up to become the most beautiful woman in the world. 

Because I am a mortal but her father, Zeus, was a god, Helen was born a demi-goddess.  Therefore she had special powers. 

Helen had the power to enchant men and was irresistible- a human Aphrodite. 

King Tyndareus:  I am King Tyndareus.  Even though my wife cheated on me with Zeus and I had the right to have her killed, I ended up forgiving her.   I also became  step-parent of  Helen, Leda’s child with Zeus. 

When Helen grew up all the Greek princes wanted to marry her.  I’m known as a wise man so I thought out a plan that could avert a war in my own kingdom over my step-daughter.  I made every suitor swear to support the man I picked, so that there would be no conflict after my choice was made.

Some people have said that she really made the choice of Menelaus, and others say I made the choice.  Whatever, she ended up with the richest of all the suitors, as Menelaus was the King of Sparta

Narrator:  Helen and King Menelaus were happily married.  However, a great band of Menelaus’s soldiers traveled over to Troy and foolhardily kidnapped Hesione (Hess-ee-own-ee), the sister of King Priam, the King of Troy.

King Priam and all the Trojans were furious. 

Paris:  I am Paris, the son of King Priam, King of Troy.  Troy is known as the richest kingdom in the world.

I am known as Paris, the owner of many flocks of sheep from this great and rich kingdom.  I was sent to Sparta by my father to arrange the release of my aunt, Hesione. I was ordered me to seize a Greek princess if Hesione was not turned over to me.

I arrived in Sparta and went directly to King Menelaus’ palace to begin my negotiations for Aunt Hesione.  At Menelaus’s palace I met Helen, and quickly recollected the promised love of Aphrodite (aff-roh-die-tee).

I must admit, despite my immediate and overwhelming adoration and spell-binding love for Helen, she appeared to fall in as much love, if not more, if this could be possible, with me.  I kind of forgot all about Aunt Hesione.

As soon as she could, Helen got me alone and began making love to me.  I asked her to run off to Troy with me that night and she immediately agreed.

Menelaus:  I am Menelaus (men-ee-lay-us) and I was furious!  Even though I knew Helen had left willingly and that my own men had started the trouble by kidnapping Hesione, I could not accept the insult.  I asked my brother, Agamemnon, and Helen’s former suitors, sworn to support me, to help get her back.

Narrator:   Many of the suitors did not want to go to war, and regretted their promise to support Menelaus (men-eh-lay-us).  But, one thousand ships were amassed with about 40 men in each ship.  It is said that these men were only willing to go to war for Helen because she had once charmed each of them and they still loved her.

Helen:  I am the troublesome Helen. I willfully left with Paris and sailed for Troy.  We lived happily in the King’s castle until my husband and all the princes of Greece, called Achaians (ah-kee-anns), came to get me back. 

Paris refused to release me to my husband so a violently bloody ten year war was waged.

I was well aware of the consequences of my actions and my responsibility for the Trojan War and all the deaths it caused. 

I stated many times that I should have died or never been born.  I felt great sorrow and regret.  However, it seemed like a great spell was over me. 

When Paris would leave my presence I would decide to escape Troy, but when he would return I found myself only wanting to make love to him, over and over.  Then, when he would leave for another area of our castle, I would be overcome with guilt and grief.  Guilt because I was not true to my dear husband, Menelaus, and grief because so many people were dying over my presence in Troy. 

It was not until the Giant Trojan Horse entered the Trojan castle that I was able to regain my senses.  It was late at night and Paris, along with the other Trojans, was celebrating the defeat of the Achaeans (the name we gave to the great Greek army).  They were dancing and drinking up a storm.  I don’t know where Paris had passed out.  After everyone had fallen asleep I was wistfully examining the great horse, a gift the Trojans had received from the Achaeans.  I quickly realized something was up when I heard a noise from inside the horse.  I believe it was Odysseus who asked me, from inside the horse, if everyone was asleep inside the Trojan castle.  I looked around and told him they were. 

Odysseus:  Because Helen gave this signal to us, she endeared herself to us once again.  In a rage over the kidnapping of Helen and all the blood our men had shed over 10 years battling the Trojans, we killed everyone in the great Trojan castle of Troy, including Paris.  We let some of the women live and many of our men, though not me, chose them as personal slaves.

We took Helen down to the returning Greek ships and reunited her with Menelaus.

Helen:  I was overjoyed at my liberation yet deeply ashamed when I was reunited with my dear husband, Menelaus.  The spell upon me was broken and my loving husband accepted me back.  I humbly served him as his loving wife the rest of his days and ended up becoming the goddess of sailors. I was worshipped by them from my place on top of Mt. Olympus.

If I would have had the moral strength to remain true to my husband, much tragedy would have been averted.  My adultery resulted in the destruction of a great Trojan civilization and the deaths of many honorable Greeks.  Adultery became known as a destructive act and I remained ashamed and humbled by my lack of loyalty for the rest of my life.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Evans, Cheryl and Millard, Anne. Greek Myths and Legends. Tulsa, Oklahoma: EDC Publishing, 1985.

Jason and the Argonauts. Hallmark Entertainment. 2000. Sept. 2003

Parada, Carolos. “Helen.” The Greek Mythology Link. 1993-2003. 22 Sept. 2003 < http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Helen.html>.

Pontikis, Nick. “Odysseus.” Mythman's Award-Winning Homework Help Center. 1995 - 2002. Thanasi's Olympus Greek Restaurant. 1999. 22 Sept. 2003 < http://thanasis.com/ody01.html>.