Helen Prejean

Trojan War. The Greeks and Trojans were followers of the immortal gods, that loved war, and did not believe that they would be defeated. The heroes in the Iliad are fighting over Helen, the wife of the Menelaus king. After Helen had been promised to the prince of troy by Aphrodite; Paris, the Prince of Troy, had taken Helen away to Troy. Angered, her husband had begun gathering an army to bring her back to him with the help of this dear brother. Successfully, Menelaus had gathered enough…

Ever since I started understanding philosophical ideas, one of the most feared things for me was karma. When people follow their bliss, they forget that the sins they commit in order to attain their bliss will follow perpetually. Dante Alighieri’s Inferno is a prime example of karma which conveys to the audience what to avoid when “following one’s bliss,” an idea of Joseph Campbell. Campbell believes that myths “won’t tell you what makes you happy, but it will tell you what happens when you…

Human history has been shaped by the rise and fall of different leaders throughout the course of time. Both strength and cowardice, charisma and introversion, from these leaders has left an indelible mark on society, which begs the question, what constitutes a good leader? Throughout the ages, opinions on the value of different leaders have varied. While the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, emphasized positive moral change, Niccolo Machiavelli prioritized notoriety in a leader. The value of a…

This is not the first time I have read the Iliad. I took a course back in my sophomore year called Love and War in the Ancient World. After reading the Iliad for a second time, I realized something that I did not see when I read it the first time. I realized that the Greeks were not all that much different than myself. While reading the Iliad, I got a sense that there was a theme of God, Family, and Country. This reminds me of a lot of important in my own life. Let me explain the Greeks are more…

Iris’ message is framed in a manner that expects Helen to be grateful for the war going on outside the city’s walls. Iris’ claims that the war is something marvelous directly contrasts with the somber images in Helen’s weaving, which Iris interrupts to bring Helen to the Skaian gates. Iris is essentially adopting the role that best supports one of the major themes of the Iliad: personal glory. As Iris indicates, Helen should be witness to all the great deeds, heroic deaths, and the…

can be deceptive in the eyes of others as evident of Odysseus’ many encounters with beautiful women such as Helen and Calypso. Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda. She was viewed to be the most beautiful woman in the world and the wife of Menelaus. “ Helen came out her scented chamber, a moving grace like Artemis, straight as a shaft of gold” (IV, 131-133). Despite her beauty, Helen was viewed to be the ultimate cause of the Trojan war. As for Calypso, the daughter of Atlas, she was…

and raised by a pastor. Then, years later, Paris learned of his true origin and returned to the Trojan court where he was given all the honors as prince. Paris was invited to a party at the Menelaus palace, King of Mycenaean Sparta, the husband of Helen of Troy. Each goddess offered something of great value as a bribe to make Paris name her…

The first poem “Helen,” by Hilda Doolittle, depicts the hatred of Greece towards Helen, the woman who was the cause of the Trojan War. The second poem, “Siren Song,” by Margaret Atwood is from the point of view of a Siren, half women and half bird. In both poems, the speaker doesn’t follow the traditional viewpoints that Greece still adores Helen and that the Siren Song is a beautiful song. In translation, the song is actually is a deadly song that lures nearby sailors and causes deleterious…

central theme in the book “The Illiad” celebrates the glory of war. Strong characters prove themselves as worthy based on how they perform during battle. Paris is selfish and cowardly as a character because he sparks the Trojan war when he abducts Helen, yet lacks the spirit for battle. Because of this, Paris receives contempt from both his family and his lover. Paris is the child of Priam and Hecuba, the king and queen of the city of Troy. When pregnant with Paris, the queen dreams of giving…

In book III of the Iliad when Aphrodite makes Helen reunite with Paris after battle; Helen uses verbal agency. This means she does not use her actions but instead her words, to show Aphrodite that she does not want to be with Paris. She makes her own decision that she does not want to be with Paris and in that moment she has more power than Aphrodite. **Helen exclaims “Never set foot again on Mount Olympus, never!- suffer for Paris, protect Paris, for eternity… until he makes you his wedded…