Helen, a literary character first found in Homer’s Iliad, approximately dated in 8th century B.C., is a symbol of extraordinary beauty and illicit love in the western culture. Throughout time, there are several re-explorations of the myth. Euripides tragicomedy first performed in 412 Β.C. is one of the most radical adaptations, that has served as inspiration for authors and poets. Among the modern, Η. D., Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Marlowe, and Rupert Brooke are just a few of the poets οr playwrights who took advantage of the myth.
In this paper, I will compare various Helens found in different times to illustrate how literature is like a living organism; it is constantly evolving and changing. Myths are in authors’ disposition. They can be changed, continued, accepted, or rejected.
Classical representation of Helen
In the original version of her story (Homer’s epic poem “Iliad”) Helen is abducted by Paris, with several other possessions from Argos, and taken to Troy. It is evident, right from the beginning, that she is seen as property, as an object, rather than a human being. Furthermore, there is no evidence of her having a choice in the matter. Her fault does not lie in her decisions or actions, but rather in her divine beauty. “And then, my life has become a horrible monstrous curiosity, thanks […] partly to my beauty” (Euripides, 260).
In “Iliad”, Helen only appears six times. In the first passage, Helen is weaving, “creating pictures of the many battle scenes between horse-taming Trojans and bronze-clad Achaeans, wars they suffered for her sake at the hands of Ares” (Homer, 3.141-143). The phrase “for her sake” implies that she is willing to take at least some responsibility being ''the face that launched a thousand ships'' (Marlowe, 12.81–87). Similarly, in her second appearance, Helen expresses regrets for leaving her husband (again, there is no information on whether she had any choice in the matter) and for causing death and suffering. “I'm such a whore” (Homer, 3.196) she concludes her speech to her father-in-law, clearly demonstrating that social norms have enhanced her sense of liability. The self-blame continues in her fifth appearance: “I'm a horrible, conniving bitch. I wish that on that day my mother bore me some evil wind had come, carried me away, and swept me off, up into the mountains, or into waves of the tumbling, crashing sea, then I would have died before this happened” (Homer, 6.426-431). Helen feels compelled to adopt for herself the image that men around her have; she accepts that she is the cause of a ten-year war because she was abducted by Paris, possibly against her will. She is a prime symbol of female repression, which is exactly what drew H.D. in her story.
Euripides version of the story acts as an absolution for Helen. According to him, Helen was never in Troy and her troubles are a result of Gods’ actions. Paris was asked by the three Goddesses Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera to judge their beauty. Aphrodite promised him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, as a bride, if he would judge her the fairest. The other two Goddesses replaced Helen with a phantom as revenge. This simulacrum (eidolon) was taken to Troy, while the real Helen was taken to Egypt. The false Helen suddenly disappears into thin air, shortly after the reuniting of the spouses. Euripides redeems Helen by giving her a voice: “I have done nothing wrong, and there’s nothing worse than to be burdened by the shame which one has not earned” (270).
However, Euripides play would be deemed somewhat unsuccessful with a contemporary, feminist reading. Helen is still seen as a toy; Gods use humans for their bickering. A war began on her name, people hate her and blame her for death and suffering, while the real reason was the Goddesses’ vanity. Helen is a helpless woman, and the Goddesses are obsessed with their beauty, re-affirming stereotypes about females.
Modern Representation of the Myth
Helen, a short poem, written by H.D. is a prime example of creative (re)exploration of the myth. Using only a strong image and three short stanzas, H.D. offers a feminist reinterpretation of this Greek emblematic figure. To begin with, Helen is described in the first stanza of the poem as having “still eyes”, “white face” and “lustre as of olives”. On a surface level, they are all typical characteristics of beauty, as it was perceived by Ancient and perhaps even modern Greek people. On a deeper level, they reveal a more disturbing truth. Helen stands still, almost like a statue. This image is further enhanced by the repetition of the colour white. The image of the statue is not new; Poe also described Helen as a statue, in his poem “To Helen” (1831): “How statue-like I see thee stand”. Poe’s 1831 poem “To Helen” is not an in-depth analysis of the character; it is superficial and shallow, but it does touch upon some interesting and more contemporary aspects of the character of Helen. H.D. addition lies in the reasoning. Helen is a figure who cannot move, speak, or do; this stillness is a product of the hatred. Someone else always acts on her or talks for and about her. She is merely an object; she has no voice. We have never seen her perspective; male characters are the ones determining her fate or her actions.
“All Greece hates” and “reviles” her. Not just Greeks, but everything and everyone hate her. The generalization creates an image of absolute hatred that cannot be questioned. The emphasis on hatred can be found on a few different poems, Rupert Brooke’s “Menelaus and Helen” being a case in point. Menelaus is storming in Helen’s chambers in Troy, after his victory, seeking revenge “on that adulterous whore a ten years’ hate”. A similar image is found in Euripides text as well: “Lady, I am one of the poor, unfortunate Greeks…” “Oh, well then, it’s no wonder that you hate Helen” (82-83). According to H.D., Helen reminds Greece of her past troubles, which is the source of hatred. She is however merely the excuse; afterall, when was she ever given the chance to decide for herself?
In the last stanza, other aspects of Helen are brought to light. She is the daughter of Jeus and Lida, of an all-powerful God and a common mortal. Helen transcends the world she occupies (because of her connection with divinity). She unites in her mortality and immortality, representing in a way a new concept of justice. H.D. here invites the reader to consider the endless ways one can approach Helen as a symbol.
The poem ends with the image of dead Helen. Greeks would welcome her then, as she would forever be silenced. Helen “dies” without speaking. However, the reader is invited to shake up symbols and values through poetry. Helen, the woman who supposedly started a war, is seen in the poem as a still figure, silenced by men, blamed for actions that were imposed on her, and finally killed by a patriarchal society.
“Helen of Troy”, a poem by Sara Teasdale, shows a completely different version of Helen. The readers are invited change their feelings towards her; there is no hatred, or pity, but rather admiration. Helen is not silent in the poem. She is the one speaking her mind; it is her point of view that the reader follows.
“It was the Gods who led me to this lair” she says, complaining about the Gods’ decision to keep her alive and wreak havoc using her name. “It is to you I owe the cruel gift, Leda, my mother”. Yet since the Greeks and Trojans would not see aught but my body's fairness, till the end […]”. Helen criticizes men who failed to see beyond physical beauty. Beauty is a burden, not a gift, because it diminished her to an object of desire (“the sum of their desire”), stripping her of the right to be treated as a human. There is no superficiality or shallowness in Helen’s complaint.
“Give death to me” she pleads, but quickly changes her mind. […] “Lo, I shall live to conquer Greece again. To make the people love, who hate me now”. Helen is seen in a positive light; she has claimed the power to take charge of her life and make changes. She will not accept death as an easy way out. Rather, she will live, “cease to cry” and rebuild her damaged reputation. She is strong and intelligent; she is aware of the world’s perception of her, but she has the courage and the self-confidence to fight for herself and turn her life around. She refuses to be broken or go out without a fight.
The end of the poem is a refreshing touch in the story of Helen. She awaits Menelaus' sword, but says that the king “shall not have the power to stain with blood that whiteness”. She knows he will not be able to do it, she will not give him that power. She is in a higher position compared to the man, confident that she will make him carry her back to Sparta, so she can “live to conquer Greece again!”.
Conclusion
The story of Helen served as inspiration -and will hopefully continue to do so- for various artists. Plays, poems, songs and paintings highlight different aspects of her, manipulate the story and produce different readings. Helen can be a helpless woman, accepting of her fate, she can be a toy for the Gods, an object of desire, a silenced and abused statue and a powerful woman. In art, there is no limit.
Bibliography
D., H. “Helen by H. D.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46541/helen-56d22674d6e41.
Euripides, and William Allan. Euripides' Helen. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Homer, et al. Iliad. Harvard University Press, 2001.
Marlowe, Christopher. The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus. Wilder Publications, 2012.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44888/to-helen.
Teasdale, Sara. “Helen Of Troy.” PoemHunter.com, 3 Jan. 2003, www.poemhunter.com/poem/helen-of-troy/.
“Welcome to Poetry.com.” Menelaus and Helen by Rupert Brooke, www.poetry.com/poem/33702/menelaus-and-helen.
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