Hecuba

Hecuba, the venerable queen of Troy and wife of King Priam, is a woman deeply scarred by the protracted war and the fall of her once-great city. Her physical frailty mirrors the fragmentation of her life, leaving her to exist in a state of perpetual mourning. Throughout Euripides's The Trojan Women, Hecuba embodies the immense grief and misfortune that have befallen the Trojans. Initially seen prostrate before the tents of other captive Trojan women, she sings of her plight, evoking a profound sense of hopelessness and the inescapable doom that accompanies warfare. Her despair turns to anger when she learns she is to become the property of Odysseus. Despite her own tragic fate, Hecuba offers consolation to the younger women, particularly when she argues against Andromache’s acceptance of death as fortune. Her vengeance against Helen, whom she holds responsible for Troy's destruction, is fervent as she pleads with Menelaus to punish Helen by death. In one of her most moving acts, she prepares the body of her grandson, Astyanax, for burial, lamenting deeply over the child's undeserved fate. Hecuba's final moments are marked by her thwarted attempt to join the ruins of Troy in its flames, symbolizing her unyielding connection to her homeland.

Cassandra

Cassandra, the tormented daughter of Hecuba, possesses the unique but burdensome gift of prophecy—condemned to speak truths that no one believes. Initially appearing in a frenzied state, she sings a parody of a marriage song, claiming a twisted sort of triumph in her imminent union with Agamemnon, whom she views not as a captor but as a future victim of divine retribution. Cassandra foresees the tragic downfall of Agamemnon and the doom awaiting the Greeks, framing war as a source of torment for the aggressor. Her prophetic visions are not just ignored but also seen as madness, underscoring her tragic isolation. In defiance, she casts down her sacred symbols, anticipating a grim yet victorious future as she is led away.

Andromache

Andromache, the devoted wife of Hector and daughter-in-law of Hecuba, finds herself ensnared in a cruel destiny following the war. Allotted to Neoptolemus, the son of her husband's killer Achilles, she grapples with a fate she cannot escape. She brings the devastating news of her sister-in-law Polyxena's sacrifice to Hecuba, contrasting Polyxena's liberation in death with her own life of servitude. The death sentence pronounced on her son Astyanax shatters her heart, highlighting her tortured existence as a mother. Despite her devastation, she refrains from condemning the Greeks outright, fearing that they would deny her son a proper burial. Her bitterness and curse are reserved for Helen, whom she holds culpable for Troy's suffering.

Helen

Helen of Troy, whose legendary beauty precipitated the war, approaches Menelaus with a cunning blend of charm and deflection. Once the queen of Sparta, she is embroiled in controversy for having eloped with Paris, thus igniting the catastrophic conflict. Before Menelaus, Helen attempts to exonerate herself by shifting blame to Priam and Hecuba for sparing Paris’ life, to Aphrodite for her manipulative promises, and to the Trojan guards who thwarted her escape. Her defense is an intricate dance of evasion and pride, as she remains assured despite the hostilities and allegations from those around her.

Menelaus

Menelaus, the Spartan king and aggrieved husband of Helen, faces a profound internal conflict. Despite public declarations of intent to execute Helen as retribution for her betrayal, his actions belie a complexity that veers towards indecision. His assertions of independence from Helen’s influence verge on the comical, revealing his unresolved emotional entanglement with her. The dynamic between him and Helen remains a...