Esguerra

Esguerra, Raissa Angela R. LIT 143 (Classical Drama) Edward-David E. Ruiz, Ph.D. September 30, 2013

Maybe Seneca was Sadder: A Comparative Essay on Euripides and Senecas Trojan Women

It seems that the playwrights of that time found much joy in the reenactments of such sorrow. Although there are countless of plays and literature lost to us through time, the very existence of some ancient Greek and Roman plays (that have lasted) tell us that for some reason, there was much enjoyment in reenacting the stories of unfortunate heroes. A prime example can be seen in the play entitled Trojan Women. The first version of the play is written by the Greek playwright, Euripides, and the second version by Roman playwright, Seneca. Although both are clearly tragedies, proven by its characters, their experiences and all the other specifications by Aristotle, Senecas Trojan Women is different from its Greek counter part in several ways and aspects. Senecas Trojan Women begins with Hecuba, the widow of King Priam of Troy, retelling the event of the fall of Troy and how she, her

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daughters and daughters-in-law will be separated and be made slaves and concubines to Greek kings and heroes. Achilles ghost appears to the Greeks, demanding that Polyxena, a Trojan princess, be sacrificed to be his bride in the afterlife. Calchus, the Greek prophet, agrees to this sacrifice, along with the killing of the Trojan heir, Astyanax, for without the two, the Fates will not grant them safe passage home. Ulysses takes Astyanax away from his mother, Andromache, despite her efforts to hide him and Helen prepares Polyxena for her wedding and death. The death of Polyxena and Astyanax are reported later by a messenger, who said they both died with courage and fierceness. Unlike Euripides version, Senecas version immediately starts with a (lengthy) narration from Hecuba of what has come to pass for the Trojan survivors and what is soon to happen. Aside from her woes about her dead husband, Priam, and her son and heir to the throne, Hector, she reveals that that her daughters and her sons wives will be separated and be made slaves and concubines to different Greek kings and warriors (Seneca 106). Euripides begins his version with Poseidon and Athena, already alluding to the different tones of either play. While the exchange between the god and goddess shows the whole situation on a grander scale, what with the

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politics, changing for sides and what is to happen after the play, as the Greeks journey home (Euripides 38-41), Senecas version opens with a more personal standpoint, with Hecuba recounting in detail the death of her husband, Hector and the fall of her country (105-107). In the next act, Talithybus, the Greek herald, announces the appearance of the ghost of Achilles, who demands that Polyxena, one of the Trojan princesses, be sacrificed to be his bride in the afterlife. Achilles son, Pyrrhus, insists on that the tradition to be played out, seeing as it was Achilles who ultimately defeated Troy and as such, deserves whoever and whatever prize he wants. Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces, denies him at first, under the premise of honor. But Achilles and Pyrrhus get their way in the end when Calchas, a Greek prophet, proclaim that the Fates will not grant the Greeks safe passage home unless Polyxena is sacrificed, along with Astyanax, Hectors only son (Seneca 115). Euripides version only mentions Pyrrhus (Neoptolemus) and Agamemnon in passing. There is no scene where the Greek leaders deliberate on a course of action, but only one where Talithybus announces their decisions.

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In the next scene of Senecas version, Andromache speaks of her dream where Hector tells her to hide their child, Astyanax. Fearing for her child, she hides him in Hectors tomb. When Ulysses (Odysseus) arrives to claim her son, Andromache lies and says Astyanax had already died. Ulysses is almost fooled but Andromaches worried actions give her away. To trick the mother into revealing where her son hides, Ulysses lies and says that Hectors tomb must be burned to the ground. Andromache, with no other choice, calls out her son from his hiding place and begs Ulysses for mercy on her child. Despite his grievances, Ulysses seizes the child and leaves Andromache in her sorrow (Seneca 117-127). This flurry of events takes a very different route in Euripides play. In the Greek version, Talithybus is the one who tells Andromache of her sons fate and takes him away (Euripides 59). The most prominent difference between this scene written by Euripides and by Seneca is that that later goes into much detail of Andromaches desperation and Ulysses sympathy. Seneca writes the scene so realistically that a reader or spectator is sure identify with both the mothers sorrow but also sympathize with Ulysses and agree with his logic. Certainly I feel moved by a frightened mothers sorrow, but more moved by Greek mothers, who will suffer terribly, if that little boy grows up. Ulysses (Seneca 125)

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The next scene of the Roman play, Helen prepares Polyxena for her wedding and death. As she does so, Andromache continues to berate Helen for all her sins against Greece and Troy (Seneca 129). One outstanding difference between the Greek and Roman version of Helens scene is how she defends herself. In Senecas, she rebuts everyones hatred by claiming to be the one who has suffered the most out of all. Andromache may weep for Hector, Hecuba for Priam; but my grief is secret, I alone must weep for Paris. . . At least in your great suffering, you have each other. Both sides rage against me. Helen (Seneca 129).

Whereas in Euripides version, Helen professes to Menelaus, her first husband, how her actions were all made in the best interest of Greece and therefore, her death would be undue. Hera promised that Paris should hold sway over Asia and all Europe if he put her first. . . Cypris defeated the other goddesses, and to this extent my marriage [to Paris] was a benefit to Greece. You are not ruled by barbarians, either as a result of military conquest of the domination of a tyrant. But what brought Greece good fortune proved my ruin. Helen (Euripides 64).

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In the closing scene of Euripides, Hecuba is the only woman left in Troy to mourn over Astynaxs corpse because Andromache, Cassandra, and Helen have all left with the ships and Polyxena had died earlier (Euripides 69-72). The clear difference between the endings of Euripides and Senecas is in the latters description of Polyxenas and Astyanaxs death. Unlike in Euripides, Seneca writes Astyanax not without thought or feeling when he is taken from his mother and when he dies. And instead of being thrown off the tower, as in the Greek version (Euripides 59), Astyanax, in his pride, jumps off the tower himself (Seneca 135). And unlike Euripides, because not much is said of her except for the manner of her death, Polyxena also dies with courage and fierceness by the hand of Pyrrhus (Seneca 136). To directly compare the two plays, Senecas ending was much more dramatic that Euripides, where Hecuba just continues to mourn as she is dragged off to the ships (Euripides 73-75). Overall, the main difference between the two plays is that Seneca was able to evoke a wider array of emotions and in a much deeper level than Euripides did. Where Hecuba and her misery conquered Euripides version, Seneca introduced other characters and let them express their own anguish. Andromaches sufferings with Ulysses reasoning and sympathy

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portray the complexity of human morality, while Polyxenas and Astyanaxs fearlessness and pride in the face of death somewhat brings a sense of hope back into the story. Even seeing Helen as a vulnerable character summons a whole new wave of sympathy for such a known, controversial character. Both playwrights were able to bring the tragedy of the Trojan women to life in their way and style. But in the sense of emotion-stirring, Seneca was more successful with all the different layers he was able to enact. And even though Hecubas lines made Euripides version the more obvious and spoon-fed-kind of tragedy, Seneca was even more tragic because he made the reader or audience care for the characters, so when they faced conflict, the reader and audience felt as if they, too, were experiencing the tragedy.

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Works Cited

Euripides. The Trojan Women. The Trojan Women and Other Plays. Tr. James Morwood. New York: Oxford UP, 2008:38-75. Seneca. The Trojan Women. Six Tragedies. Tr. Emily Wilson. New York: Oxford UP, 2010: 103-137.