Helen of Troy
Basic elements of story of Helen
Fictional representations
- Euripedes, Helen
- The Cypria (ancient epic)
- The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927 film)
- Helen of Troy" (2003 TV miniseries)
- 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)
- Sheri Tepper, The Gate to Women's Country
Xena's Helen
Xena: Warrior Princess episode "Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts"==
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).
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 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.)
- Helen: Every day another soldier dies for my happiness. I can't live with it any more!
- Xena: ... The war stopped being about your happiness a long time ago, Helen. ... The world will go on without you, Helen. Let it.
- Helen: But where will I go? What will I do?
- Xena: What do you want to do?
- Helen: I don't know. No one's ever asked me that 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.
Xena's Helen is not addicted to vanity and the benefits of being the "face that launched a thousand ships". At the very end of the episode, Helen rejects the pomp and glory of her fame, choosing to be on her own, and to be "treated like a normal person for a change."
As Helen leaves, Xena mockingly places Helen's tiara on Deiphobus' dead body.