After watching the movie of Helen of Troy, I did several researches and also spent time watching another similar movie named Troy, which is also fairly famous and was screened one year later. Despite comparing the differences in plots or shooting skills, here, I am going to share with you some understandings or personal points of view towards this famous legend story, and also I am trying to analyzing some hiding social phenomenon in ancient Greece.
Firstly, Helen is a main character in this legend, who is also a kind of controversial person during the Trojan War. A great many people then consider Helen is to blame for the 10-year Trojan War due to her elopement with Trojan prince Paris. However, as is shown in the film, the war between Sparta and Troy was more than a cause trouble of a woman. The conflicts and accumulated rancor have already developed, so Helen was only the blasting fuse of this warfare. Therefore, from this, we can see that Helen was just an excuse of the war and then unfortunately became the scourge in most people’s eyes.
It also reminds me of women’s social status in Greek Mythology and in ancient Greece. In ancient Greece, the term of “citizen” only referred to the adult Greek males, and therefore, females were not allowed to participate in the administration and discussion of polis affairs. From this definition of citizen, the discrimination of women seemed to be common and doubtless in ancient Greece. Moreover, even in the marriage, the relationship between husband and wife was also unequal. Women were always put into the passive positions in their marriages. To be more specific, Greek women were always fastened to housework and rarely had time or right for their own businesses. It was also widely accepted that virtue of docility was a criteria of a good or standard wife. Therefore, based on this fact, Helen’s elopement, in my point of view, is a brave breakthrough of the unequal social barrier---- a bravery to pursue true love and lead a wishful life.
Secondly, there is another explanation of Helen’s elopement and the hiding meanings. In classical mythology, Helen’s behavior was controlled by the gods and goddesses, which was, however, not very clearly shown in the film of Troy. The myth started with a golden apple and a competition between goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris was promised by Aphrodite that he would have Helen, and meanwhile, Helen was shot by Eros, the god of love, and fell in love with Paris on the first sight of Paris. Therefore, on this point of view, the Trojan War has already been arranged by the gods and goddesses, humans were just played and fooled at the will of these gods.
And here, I want to add that in classical mythology, the relationship between gods and humans are rather different from the traditional thoughts we owned. In classical mythology, gods merely show mercy for humans. They help humans mostly because humans are useful or they enjoy the sacrifice humans make for them. As for humans, they worship the gods mainly because they fear them. However, our modern western assumptions about gods are really different. Gods are regarded as merciful and just, and they create the universe and human beings. What’s the most important is that gods have their affection and are concerned about the human beings. And as for we human beings, we worship our gods because we respect them and think they are the savers for us. I think this difference can help us establish a better understanding of Greek history.
In conclusion, both of these movies show us the cultures of Greece and benefit for our further learning of European culture.
BD
