Analysis of Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing

The story of Helen of Troy has been told throughout the centuries. For instance, in the 2004 movie Troy, starring Brad Pitt, and in Homer's legendary poem/novel Iliad. However, both of these retellings of the Trojan War focus only on the battle between the men, and only vaguely mention the women who watched these wars. Contradictorily, there are several main stream works out there that focus on the women's perspective, such as: the 2003 TV movie Helen of Troy; a novel by Clemence McLaren, Inside the Walls of Troy; as well as the poem by Margaret Atwood, "Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing". Though each new generation of storytellers find new meanings, and create new personalities for these Greeks and Trojans; the three view points that focus on Helen's life and experience in these myths, depict her as more than simply just the beautiful tramp who started the Trojan War. They give her a more innocent personality. One of a girl blessed with an extraordinary beauty, which was a part of her legendary appeal.

To begin with, for those who have never heard of the Legendary Helen of Troy, or read any Greek Mythology, Atwood's poem would be rather difficult to comprehend, and would possibly leave a negative interpretation of Helen's character. So instead, let's start off with some background information on Helen of Troy, combining ideas taken from Clemence McLaren's novel Inside the Walls of Troy and the 2003 TV movie Helen of Troywritten by Ronni Kern. Keep in mind that Helen of Troy is part of Greek Mythology, and that these myths have been told and retold for centuries, so whether Helen existed or not, or what her original story was, is not for certain. But in order to analyze Margaret Atwood's poem, a little research on Helen of Troy needs to be done, especially because her story is told from a feminine perspective.

Toward the end of the second stanza (line 42) in Atwood's poem she mentions that Helen's "mother was raped by a holy swan..." and also that she came "from the province of the gods." The myth tells that Zeus disguises himself as a white swan and makes love to Leda, Helen's beautiful mother, who dies when Helen is very young. She tries to resist him, but was unsuccessful (McLaren 14). Helen and her twin brothers were born with blonde hair into a typical Greek family of brunettes, which helped support these rumors. In fact, when they were babies, peasants lined up on sacrifice days for a chance to touch their curls for good luck (McLaren 15).

Helen's brief childhood ended at age twelve when she was kidnapped from her home in Sparta by Theseus, former King of Athens, who had had a run of bad luck with the gods in previous years, and was forced to turn to piracy. Knowing of Helen's father's, King Tyndareus' wealth, Theseus was hoping for a heavy ransom (McLaren 4-7). She was taken to his palace, in Athens, where she stayed for three months, until her brothers came to pay the ransom. During that time, Theseus presided over her education into womanhood. Teaching her things such as how to please her future husband, hired stylists who gave her advice about clothes and makeup, provided her with flute lessons, and he also supplied her with new robes and delicious pastries (McLaren 19-26).

After her rescue, once she returned home, the serious business of becoming the bride of a king began, whether she was ready for it or not. Word of her kidnapping had spread throughout Greece, and twelve of Greece's most powerful warriors had assembled in Sparta, all promising magnificent marriage gifts. Each one of them wanted to stake his claim before she was abducted by one of the others (McLaren 27). They all adored her beauty, beyond normal means, to the point of borderline worship. Hearing herself praised made her feel guilty of some unnamed sin, caused by many stories of the god's vengeance whenever any mortal mimicked their perfection (McLaren 31). It took almost a year for King Tyndareus to choose the most suitable husband for his daughter, along with the most generous offer for her hand. Each one of them pressured King Tyndareus for a decision and gave one another glowering looks that led to frequent fights. Until Odysseus, one of the suitors who had fallen in love with Helen's cousin Penelope, came up with a solution to the problem. "Whoever wanted to be considered for Helen's hand had to swear a sacred oath that whomever King Tyndareus chose as his daughter's husband, the rest of them would defend him from any man who envies his good fortune and tries to steal her away, for the rest of their lives" (McLaren 30-36). Menelaus, the younger brother of Agamemnon, high King over all of Greece and Helen's sister, Clytemnestra's brother-in-law, was chosen as Helen's husband, making them King and Queen of Sparta (McLaren 29- 40).

Helen was married at the age of fourteen. She had their first child at age fifteen, their daughter Hermione, and for the first five years of their marriage she worked at following Theseus's advice (McLaren 42-46). Though Menelaus appeared to be a good king and a good husband, things took a drastic change at a banquet thrown in Troy's honor. When Helen was nineteen, Paris Alexandros, the Trojan prince, arrived to discuss trade, tariffs, and to squelch rumors of an impending war that the oracles seemed to enjoy promoting. When Helen first saw him, she lost her heart to him immediately, but of course she was forbidden to act on it (McLaren 52). Three days after his arrival, at the banquet, Menelaus decided to take advantage of his prize by showing her off for the Kings and Princes who had lost her, by having Helen dance for them in the nude, and she obeyed her husband's request (A scene from Helen of Troy). Here's where the poem comes in: Atwood portrays Helen's attitude while describing the scene. Atwood explains that Helen finds herself beautiful, though she feels nothing for the men she dances for, who only think that they really feel something for her, though all they actually feel for her is lust. Also, from Atwood's words, "it's the smiling tires me out the most," we can assume that she didn't enjoy it.

Once she was done with her performance, Paris took her aside to speak to her alone. He told her that two years ago, he was summoned by Zeus to be the judge of a beauty contest with the three goddesses-Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite-who were fighting over a golden apple inscribed 'for the most beautiful.' Someone had to settle the dispute, and this was a task Zeus didn't relish, because Hera was his wife and he had had an affair with both Athena and Aphrodite. So Zeus chose Paris because of his reputation during his shepherd days, judging wrestling contests and squabbles over stray sheep. Each goddess/contestant sidled up, offering bribes. And Aphrodite promised the love of the most beautiful woman on earth... Helen. So he gave the apple to her (McLaren 58-59). Both Paris and Helen professed their love for each other and made immediate plans to escape to Troy, leaving Helen's daughter behind. Now that Helen was gone, the suitors' oath was enacted, thus beginning the Trojan War (McLaren 60). Atwood talks about "the killing and the survivors wander around looking for garbage to eat..." in the second stanza, which was referring to the men of the Trojan War, because the men watching her exotic performance at the banquet, were the same men who fought for her in the Trojan War. Toward the end of the Trojan War, Helen was raped by Menelaus' brother, Agamemnon, after he entered Troy's gates from inside the Trojan Horse (A scene from Helen of Troy). Atwood also mentions this in the middle of the second stanza, "when all the rape's been done already..." Finally, at the end of the third stanza she writes, "You think I'm not a goddess? Try me. This is a torch song. Touch me and you'll burn." This is Atwood stating that because of Helen's beauty, everyone desires her; which is why the men competing for her hand had to take an oath. And because of this oath, when Helen ran off with Paris, the war started, burning the man she loved, along with his city.

To conclude, though the story of Helen of Troy has been told and retold for generations, and everyone has added input on their idea of her character, and impact on the Trojan War, Margaret Atwood, along with at least two other sources, believe that maybe there was something more to Helen than her enchanting beauty. And though the war may have been partially her fault, could you blame her for choosing a man who loved her for her interior, over one who loved her for her exterior, and displayed her as a naked trophy, simply because she was his.
Works Cited

Atwood, Margaret. "Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing." The Academy of American Poets, 2006. 15 February 2006 http://www.poets.org/printmedia.php/prmMediaID/16369.

Harrison, Director John Kent and Kern, Writer Ronni. Helen of Troy. USA Network. TV Movie. 2003.

McLaren, Clemence. Inside the Walls of Troy: A Novel of the Women Who Lived the Trojan War. New York: New York, 1996.