Varying Interpretations of Helen

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Within the poem The Iliad, written by Homer, there are several tales of the epic battles waged between the men of Greece and Troy. These men fought constantly for ten years. A person might think that a battle that could continue for that amount of time may be about a difference of religion, or perhaps because a king wanted to acquire more land. No, this war was fought for one thing, a woman. No one contests the beauty of the woman named Helen. However, some may question the character of this immortal beauty within the text of Homer’s epic poem. Was Helen a deceitful, scheming woman, a victim of circumstance, or was she simply at the mercy of the Gods? Who was the woman who, as Christopher Marlowe stated, was “the face that launched a thousand ships”?
The motivations behind Helen’s words and actions have been analyzed throughout the years. In one example F. J. Groten, Jr., author of the article Homer’s Helen, clearly viewed Helen as a victim. This view is validated within the poem The Iliad beginning with the speech of Nestor. At this moment, the Greeks are feeling defeated...

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