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Helen of Troy Literary Analysis

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Helen of Troy Literary Analysis
Helen of Troy

I. CHARACTERS

Major Characters:
Achilles- Stanley Baker
Agamemnon- Robert Douglas
Andromache- Patricia Marmont
Hector- Harry Andrews
Helen of Troy- Rossana Podestà
MenelausNiall MacGinnis
Paris- Jacques Sernas
Patroclus- Terence Longdon
Priam- Cedric Hardwicke
Ulysses- Torin Thatcher

Minor Characters:
Aeneas- Ronald Lewis
Polydorus- Robert Brown
Alpheus- TonioSelwart
Andraste- Brigitte Bardot
Andros- Eduardo Ciannelli
Cassandra- Janette Scott
Cora- Barbara Cavan
Dancer- George Zoritch
Diomedes- Marc Lawrence
Hecuba- Nora Swinburne
High Priest- Esmond Knight
Nestor- Guido Notari
Ajax- Maxwell Reed

II. SUMMARY

"Because of her extraordinary beauty; they say a thousand ships were launched, fifty thousand men died, and the world 's greatest city fell to dust. They say great Zeus himself was her father, that the gods never sculpted a more perfect face than hers. But behind that face was a girl named Helen, who loved horses, played the flute, and bit her nails." (Clemence McLaren, 1)

Throughout time, men have waged war. Some for power, some for glory, some for honor - and some for love. In ancient Greece, the passion of two of literature 's most notorious lovers, Paris, Prince of Troy and Helen , Queen of Sparta, ignites a war that will devastate a civilization. When Paris spirits Helen away from her husband, King Menelaus , it is an insult that cannot be suffered. Familial pride dictates that an affront to Menelaus is an affront to his brother Agamemnon , powerful King of the Mycenaeans, who soon unites all the massive tribes of Greece to steal Helen back from Troy in defense of his brother 's honor. In truth, Agamemnon 's pursuit of honor is corrupted by his overwhelming greed - he needs to conquer Troy to seize control of the Aegean, thus ensuring the supremacy of his already vast empire. The walled city, under the leadership of King Priamand defended by mighty Prince Hector , is a citadel that no army has ever been able to breach. One man
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