Helen of Troy: Difference between revisions

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{{Femchar
| Names        = Helen of Troy
| Occupation =  Most Beautiful Woman in the World
| Works        = Greek Myth
| Image        =
| Caption      =
}}
==Basic elements of story of Helen==
==Basic elements of story of Helen==


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* [[Euripedes]], ''[[Helen]]''
* [[Euripedes]], ''[[Helen]]''
* ''[[The Cypria]]'' (ancient epic)
* ''[[The Cypria]]'' (ancient epic)
* ''[[The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927 film)|The Private Life of Helen of Troy]] (1927 film)
* ''[[The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927 film)|The Private Life of Helen of Troy]]'' (1927 film)
* ''[[Helen of Troy (2003 TV miniseries)|Helen of Troy]]" (2003 TV miniseries)
* ''[[Helen of Troy (2003 TV miniseries)|Helen of Troy]]'' (2003 TV miniseries)
* ''[[Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974 TV series)|Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]" episode "[[The Youth Killer]]" (a villainous Helen sacrificed young people throughout history to retain her own youth and beauty)
* ''[[Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974 TV series)|Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]'' episode "[[The Youth Killer]]" (a villainous Helen sacrificed young people throughout history to retain her own youth and beauty)
* ''[[Troy (2004 film)|Troy]]'' (2004 film)
* ''[[Troy (2004 film)|Troy]]'' (2004 film)
* "[[Arms and the Woman]]" by [[James Morrow]] (1991)
* [[Sheri Tepper]], ''[[The Gate to Women's Country]]''
* [[Sheri Tepper]], ''[[The Gate to Women's Country]]''
* "[[Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts]]" episode of [[Xena: Warrior Princess]]
* ''[[Nobody's Princess]]'' by [[Esther M. Friesner]] (2007)
* "Behind the Mask" by [[Cherry Potts]]


==''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' episode "Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts"==
[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Mythological characters]]
Helen was portrayed by Galan Görg, aka Gaylyn Görg, Galyn Görg, a woman of color--a relative rarity.
 
This is a rather feminist take on the Helen story:
It starts with the common characterization of Helen, trapped and feeling to blame; but it's made clear that the fall of Troy is not Helen's fault, but the fault of "two kings ... bent on destruction" (Xena). Helen repeatedly offers to end the needless bloodshed, to be told by Xena that it is pointless. (And it's clear that Helen's first marriage to Menelaus was not her choice.)
 
Xena helps Helen see her way out of the situation:
: Xena: What do you want to do?
: Helen: No one has ever asked me before.
Later, at the end of the episode, Helen tells Paris that she will leave him because he wanted to own her, not love her. At the very end she thanks Xena for helping her be able to choose:
 
: Helen: You've done a lot for me, Xena. You've shown me the only person that can make me happy, is me.
: Xena: What's next for you?
: Helen: I don't know, but ... for the first time, it's my decision.
 
Rather than being portrayed as flighty, willing to sacrifice others' lives for her own pleasure, Helen is shown as willing to sacrifice herself to end the war. She is not addicted to vanity and service by others. At the end, Helen rejects the pomp and glory of her fame, choosing to be "treated like a normal person for a change."
 
As she leaves, Xena mockingly places Helen's tiara on Deiphobus' dead body.
 
 
[[Category:Mythological female characters]]

Latest revision as of 05:36, 27 April 2007

Helen of Troy

Most Beautiful Woman in the World

from
Greek Myth

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Basic elements of story of Helen

Fictional representations

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