Helen

Roles

• Helen - Young Adult (20-35), Female

About this piece

Helen pleads to Theonoe to help her escape from Egypt with her husband

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.

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