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Helen of Troy: Innocent or Guilty
Chrissy Rabuse
English 104
Professor Caldwell
29 September 2014

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Chrissy Rabuse
English 104
Professor Caldwell
29 September 2014
Helen of Troy: Innocent or Guilty
Most often in the discussion of Homers Iliad, Helen of Troy is depicted as an unfortunate woman, wallowing in the sorrow of men risking their lives for her. She is portrayed as a
beautiful maiden who is helpless, stuck amongst the conflict she has no chance of escaping. She
cannot change her fate that is given to her by the Gods. There are many instances in the Iliad
where the audience will pity Helen. Throughout the novel, Helen is unsure of who to be loyal to:
her rightful husband King Menelaus, or Paris, whom Aphrodite forced upon her. She is so upset
with Aphrodite that they have a confrontation in Book Three. Readers are led to believe that Helen is an innocent woman who, because of her beauty, is forced into this situation with the Gods.
Any reader could easily have sympathy for Helen; she never asked for any of this to happen.
However, there are major characteristics about Helen that we, as readers, cannot ignore. Helen,
speaking generously, takes bold actions with both the Gods and mortal warriors. In Book Three,
Helen expresses her anger to Aphrodite herself. Most mortals would not recognize a God, let
alone address them in such a way that would lead that God to threaten them. Helen also tests her
waters by trying to convince Paris to continue to fight. She uses mildly offensive words towards
Paris, and even goes as far to compare him to his own brother Hector. Helen has a substantive
control over both Greek and Trojan parties, which many readers tend to overlook. Although it

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seems that Helen plays a passive role in the Trojan War, she is really actively involved in the
conflict between both parties, mortal and immortal.
Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda, was destined to be the most beautiful maiden in all of
Greece and Troy. Little did she know, however, she would be the cause of Trojan War. To many
readers, it may seem that Helen is of little influence to due her lack of appearance in the Iliad.
Out of the twenty-four books of the novel, she appears in only three of them: three, six, and
twenty-four. In Book Three, Helen makes several entrances which could lead the audience to believe that she is an innocent woman, resenting the grief she has unintentionally caused.
There are four instances where Helen is present in Book Three. The first is when Iris
comes to Helen when she is weaving a red robe. Homer portrays Helens grief in this scene as
she weaves the red robe, symbolizing the bloodlust and rage of the Trojan War. In many eyes,
this is seen as Helen taking responsibility for initiating the ten year monstrosity of a war. Not
only does she mourn for the Trojans, but also the Greeks. She expresses her pity for Menelaus
especially after Iris visit. Homer explains, Speaking so the goddess left in her heart sweet longing after her husband of the time before. . . she went forth from the chamber, letting fall a light
tear (Homer 121). This shows Helens resentment for the war and suffering both parties must go
through. The next incident where Helen appears happens almost immediately after the first; Helen addresses Priam at the Scaean Gate. Here she admits to Priam, . . . I wish bitter death had
been what I wanted, when I came hither following your son. . . now I am worn with
weeping (Homer 121-122). The harsh words she uses when describing her arrival to Troy with
Paris to his own father, King of Troy, shows true regret. Helens next appearance in Book Three
is her confrontation with Aphrodite. Bitter with resentment over Aphrodites promise to Paris,

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she exclaims, Strange divinity! Why are you still so stubborn to beguile me? . . . Go yourself
and sit beside him, abandon the gods way. . . I am not going to him. It would be too
shameful (Homer 128). This retort from Helen shows readers that Helen is frustrated to be a
game piece of the Gods and is ashamed to have ever caused so much strife between Greece and
Troy. Shortly after encountering Aphrodite, Helen addresses Paris, So you came back from the
fighting. Oh, how I wish you had died there beaten down by the stronger man who was once my
husband. There was a time before now you boasted that you were better than warlike
Menelaos (Homer 128). Again, Helen uses harsh words to a man she once loved. This shows
Helens resentment over the bloodshed overpowers passion she once might have had for her husband.
The other two books Helen appears in are Books Six and Twenty-Four. In Book Six, Helen and Hector discuss the war and what it means to be a true warrior. The beautiful maiden tells
her brother-in-law, . . . how I wish on that day when my mother bore me the foul whirlwind of
the storm had caught me away and swept me to the mountain, or into the wash of the sea deepthundering where the waves would have swept me away before all these things had
happened (Homer 180). At this point, Helen wishes death upon herself due to the tragedy the
war has caused. Any reader could easily pity Helen after reading this passage. The appearance
Helen makes in Book Twenty-Four is similar to that of Book Six because it involves Hector and
Helens admiration of her brother-in-law and her indignation toward the war. She speaks these
words at Hectors funeral, Hektor, of all my lords brothers dearest by far to my spirit. . . I
should have died when I came. . . I never heard a harsh saying from you, nor an insult (Homer
517). In honoring Hector, Helen also apologizes to the women of Troy, taking responsibility for

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the Trojan War. At first glance, it seems that Helen is a caring individual, truly sorry for the damage she has caused between the two parties. However, after analyzing Homers text, readers are
able to see another side of Helen, a side that shows how much influence she really has over key
players in the Trojan War.
Although Helen is only in three of the twenty-four books of Homers Iliad, the few times
she appears are significant parts of the epic. For example, in Helens first appearance when Iris
comes to visit her, Helens red robe stands for something more than just the bloodshed of Trojans
and Greeks for the past nine years: the robe itself mocks the stupidity of the war. Here Helen is,
weaving a red robe, when the warriors are outside her window, fighting over her. This robe does
not symbolize resentment, it resembles her indifference. Helen definitely shows an active role
between the parties when she addresses her father-in-law at the Scaean Gate. Helen cozies up to
him, calling to him, Always to me, beloved father, you are feared and respected. . . This now I
will tell you in answer to the question you asked me (Homer 122). Helen is flattering Priam to
convince him to believe her and exert her authority over conditions of the war. Helen especially
shows her true colors in her confrontation with Aphrodite. Go yourself. . . turn your feet back
never again to the path of Olympos but stay with him forever. . . until he makes you his wedded
wife (Homer 128). Helen is frustrated with the Goddess of Lust, and she uses words that not
many a mortal would ever speak to a God. She suggests that Aphrodite should take Paris herself,
insinuating she was ungrateful for her marriage with Paris. Helens actions toward the Goddess
are unacceptable, sparking suspicion in readers that Helen is not as innocent as she initially may
seem. This is especially evident in Helens confrontation with Paris, in which she claims she
wished he had died in the fighting. She claims, Go forth now and challenge warlike

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Menelaos. . . You might very well go down before his spear (Homer 129). Because Helen
speaks to Paris with such disdain and goes as far to compare him to her last husband, readers can
see that she is playing games with Paris. Helen shames Paris into resuming his place in battle,
having an influence over events in the Trojan War. There is an incident in which the beautiful
maiden speaks with Hector that also makes readers doubt Helens candor. Helens discussion
with Hector in Book Six is similar to her encounter with Priam in Book Three in that she tries to
charm Hector. Helen belittles herself to convince Hector to sympathize for her, claiming herself
to be a nasty bitch evil-intriguing, but her trickery does not work on Hector (Homer 180). The
fact that she is trying to turn Paris own brother on him means she goes to desperate measures to
manipulate individuals into changing the war the way she wants. Finally her appearance in Book
Twenty-Four proves that Helen has indeed played an active role in the Trojan War. When Helen
speaks at Hectors funeral, she honors him in a way that also convinces Trojan men and women
to forgive her as well. She mentions, In this time I have never heard a harsh saying from
you[Hector], nor an insult (Homer 517). In a way, she convinces Trojans to be like the honorable Hector, who in her eyes, was always faithful to his sister-in-law.
While invested in reading Homers Iliad, it is hard to capture Helens true nature, due to
the amount of appearances she makes within the epic. However, because of Helens apparent indifference to the bloodshed, aggressive behavior toward Aphrodite and Paris, and constant desire
for others to pity her, it is clear that Helen is not the passive, innocent figure some people believe. Throughout the epic, Helen degrades herself, craving attention from others, and often plots
to turn warriors against each other. Due to the circumstances Helen is in, she uses others pity for
her to get what she desires. This is evident when she shames Paris into getting him back in battle

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and speaks to the Trojans at Hectors funeral, proclaiming that she misses her brother-in-law,
convincing them of her good nature. Helen, unchanged from the beginning to the end of the Iliad, shows not only that she is indifferent to the bloodshed over the trouble that she has caused,
but also the fact that she uses people to obtain what is best for her. At the end of the novel, she is
the only Trojan woman to be able to go back to a husband and not live a life enslaved. Although there is an argument that Helen regrets running away to Troy with Paris, it cannot be denied that Helen uses her resources to manipulate the events of the Trojan War.

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