Use of the Greek Language Perfectly Conveys the Pain and Suffering Caused by War

Written by Sheaba D.

(2006)

             The Greek Cultural Center in Astoria has done an amazing job in presenting Euripides’ The Trojan Women – a tragedy whose themes still apply today. Presented under the auspices of the Consulate General of the Republic of Cyprus, the actors skillfully convey the heartbreak and pain of war through powerful dialogue and facial expressions. At the end of the play, the audience walks away grasping a message which is so relevant at the present moment: war is a costly affair.

            Written in 415 B.C., the four characters in this play are those who appear in the last chapter of The Iliad. The play opens with the Greek gods Poseidon and Athena planning ways to punish the Greek army for the rape of Cassandra in the temple. The rest of the play is about the suffering and grieving of the Trojan women. Talthybius arrives to tell Hecabe, the Queen of Troy, that Odysseus will take her, and that her daughter Cassandra will become the concubine of Agamemnon. Hecabe’s daughter-in-law Andromache arrives and Hecabe learns from her that her youngest daughter, Polyxena, has been killed as a sacrifice at the tomb of the Greek warrior Achilles. Andromache is chosen to be a concubine of Achilles’ son, but the worst news is when she is told that her son Astyanax will be killed. The play ends with the dramatic scene of the walls of Troy being set aflame, and Hecabe preparing to board the ship that will take her into slavery.

            This play astounds the audience for many reasons. The scenery never changes and very few props are used on set. The sound and lighting effects are quite realistic and haunting. For example, at the end, when the walls of Troy are set on fire, the shadows flickering and the sounds of walls crumbling bring the scene to life. The costumes as well as the movements across the stage and the facial expressions also add a powerful dimension to this play. Above all, the use of the Greek language gives the play an authentic feeling – as if Greek is the only language that can fit with the dialogue that Euripides so skillfully crafted thousands of years ago.

            This poignant production is told entirely from the women’s point of view. The strongest character is Hecabe, the noble queen who ultimately loses her husband, her children, and her country. Her degradation is most painful to watch, and Hecabe’s lamentations pierce the viewers’ hearts. Cassandra evokes feelings of injustice and sympathy in her audience as her descent into madness is portrayed in front of her mother’s eyes.
            Euripides’ The Trojan Woman is one of the greatest anti-war plays. It is a play about the causes and costs of war and the tragic instability of life. Even though it was written centuries ago, its portrayal of war as a devastating catastrophe where there are no true winners is extremely pertinent today.