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| Character | Helen | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female | |
| Age Range(s) | Young Adult (20-35) | |
| Type of monologue / Character is | Persuasive, Lamenting, Afraid, Reminiscing life story/Telling a story | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Period | Ancient Greek | |
| Genre | Tragedy, Drama | |
| Description | Helen pleads to Theonoe to help her escape from Egypt with her husband | |
| Location | End of play | |
Summary
The legend says that the episode that caused the Trojan war, the epic war between Troy and the Greek army, was the kidnapping of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, by Paris, Prince of Troy. Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, held a beauty contest with other goddesses, Athena and Hera and promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world if he judged her as the fairest. Paris chose Helen as his prize and took her to Troy. Another legend says that in reality Helen never reached Troy but was brought to Egypt by the gods. The woman that Paris brought to Troy was only a phantom look-alike.
This play takes as a premise this possibility and takes place in Egypt, where the real Helen has lived for the entire time of the Trojan war. There she has been protected by King Proteus who is now dead. His son, Theoclymenus, wants to marry Helen.
At the beginning of the play Helen learns from a messenger that her husband Menelaus has died in a sea storm. However Menelaus soon arrives in Egypt in disguise. They are soon reunited and intend to flee Egypt. Helen takes advantage of the fact that everybody thinks Menelaus is actually dead. She asks the king for permission to go to Sparta and perform a ritual burial for her husband. After her husband's burial she promises to marry him. The king's sister, Theonoe, knows the truth, that is Menelaus is alive.
In this monologue Helen pleads to Theonoe not to tell her brother that Menelaus is not dead and begs her to help her escape and return to her homeland.
This play takes as a premise this possibility and takes place in Egypt, where the real Helen has lived for the entire time of the Trojan war. There she has been protected by King Proteus who is now dead. His son, Theoclymenus, wants to marry Helen.
At the beginning of the play Helen learns from a messenger that her husband Menelaus has died in a sea storm. However Menelaus soon arrives in Egypt in disguise. They are soon reunited and intend to flee Egypt. Helen takes advantage of the fact that everybody thinks Menelaus is actually dead. She asks the king for permission to go to Sparta and perform a ritual burial for her husband. After her husband's burial she promises to marry him. The king's sister, Theonoe, knows the truth, that is Menelaus is alive.
In this monologue Helen pleads to Theonoe not to tell her brother that Menelaus is not dead and begs her to help her escape and return to her homeland.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
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| HELEN Maiden, at thy knees I fall a suppliant, and seat myself in this sad posture on behalf of myself and him, whom I am in danger of seeing slain, after I have so hardly found him. Oh! tell not thy brother that my husband is returned to these loving arms; save us, I beseech thee; never for thy brother's sake sacrifice thy character for uprightness, by evil and unjust means bidding for his favour. For the deity hates violence, and biddeth all men get lawful gains without plundering others. Wealth unjustly gotten, though it bring some power, is to be eschewed. The breath of heaven and the earth are man's common heritage, wherein to store his home, without taking the goods of others, or wresting them away by force. Me did Hermes at a critical time, to my sorrow, intrust to thy father's safe keeping for this my lord, who now is here and wishes to reclaim me. But how can he recover me if he be slain? How could thy sire restore the living to the dead? Oh! consider ere that the will of heaven and thy father's too; would the deity or would thy dead sire restore their neighbour's goods, or would they forbear? restore them, I feel sure. It is not, therefore, right that thou shouldst more esteem thy wanton brother than thy righteous father. Yet if thou, prophetess as thou art and believer in divine providence, shalt pervert the just intention of thy father and gratify thy unrighteous brother, 'tis shameful thou shouldst have full knowledge of the heavenly will, both what is and what is not, and yet be ignorant of justice. Oh! save my wretched life from the troubles which beset it, granting this as an accession to our good fortune; for every living soul loathes Helen, seeing that there is gone a rumour throughout Hellas that I was false unto my lord, and took up my abode in Phrygia's sumptuous halls. Now, if I come to Hellas, and set foot once more in Sparta, they will hear and see how they were ruined by the wiles of goddesses, while was no traitress to my friends after all; and so will they restore to me my virtuous name again, and I shall give my daughter in marriage, whom no man now will wed; and, leaving this vagrant life in Egypt, shall enjoy the treasures in my home. Had Menelaus met his doom at some funeral pyre, with tears should I be cherishing his memory in a far-off land, but must lose him now when he is alive and safe? Ah! maiden, I beseech thee, say not so; grant me this boon, I pray, and reflect thy father's justice; for this is the fairest ornament of children, when the child of a virtuous sire resembles its parents in character. |
