Helen of troy willing resident
Helen of troy willing residentThe question of whether Helen is a willing resident or a captive resident of Troy is explained in The Iliad, Book III. I believe that Helen is a captive resident of Troy. With the help of Aphrodit�, Alexandros seduces Helen, and she temporarily falls in love with him. He then carries her away from her home in Lacedaimon. When the fighting starts, it has little affect on Helen, but then Iris informs her that Alexandros and Menelaos are going to fight for her. This makes Helen come out of the trance of love and she feels miserable and extremely homesick. She misses her husband Menelaos, whom she truly loves, as well as her family and friends back home in Lacedaimon. It is because of Aphrodit�, Helen has stayed with Alexandros so long and laid with him in bed.
When Iris, messenger of the gods, tells Helen that Alexandros and Melelaos are going to fight for her, she reacts with sorrow and regret.
"These words pierced Helen to the heart. She longed for her husband of the old days, for home and family. At once she threw a white veil over her, and left the house quickly with tears running down her cheeks."
Once she gets to the battlements, Priam calls her over to sit by him. He feels sorry for her and tries to take her mind off of her situation by asking her to point out members of the Achaian army. She responds by first telling him that she wished she had never come to Troy.
"Helen answered: 'You do me honour, my dear goodfather! How I wish I had died before I followed your son here, and left my bridal chamber and my family, my beloved daughter and all my young friends! But that was not to be; and so I pine away in sorrow.'"
In the battle between Alexandros and Menelaos, Alexandros is almost killed but Aphrodit� saves him and carries him off to Helen's room. Aphrodit� then disguises herself and goes to look for Helen on the battlements. She tells Helen to go to her room because that is where Alexandros is and he wants her with him. Helen recognizes the goddess Aphrodit� under the disguise and she becomes very angry.
"These words stirred Helen's temper. Now she knew the goddess by her beautiful throat and lovely breast and shining eyes!...
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