Helen In The Odyssey

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actual appearance we have been given a sympathetic portrayal of a woman in grief, patiently waiting for the day of her return. Our first glimpse of Helen comes when Menelaus and Paris are prepar- ing to settle the issue which divides them by fighting a duel. Iris is sent to summon Helen to the walls and finds her portraying in a large tapestry the sufferings which the Greeks and Trojans have experienced for her sake in mortal combat (iii. 121-8). Grief-stricken with longing for her family and without replying, she sheds a tear and departs (iii. 139-42). These emotions so deeply felt correspond to the Greek impression of Helen's feelings and fulfil the expectations created by Nestor's remarks. She is clearly distressed by all the misery for …show more content…
Our partiality is further heightened by the sentiment of the Trojan elders as they see her approach along the wall (iii. 156-60). Even they who have attained the indifference of old age can understand why men suffer hardships for a woman with Helen's godlike beauty. Although they express no rancour, yet they are constrained by the thought of more war and grief to counsel moderation and advise her release. Even more gracious and courteous is Priam, who summons Helen to sit beside him. As father of Paris and leader of the Trojans he might be expected to express a harsher judgement of Helen. Yet he too is free from criticism since he believes that the gods are responsible for the sufferings of his people (iii. 164-5). Priam is implying that Helen, when she lost her judgement and followed Paris, was acting under the influence of some god who had put perverse ideas in her head. This sentiment is typical of the Homeric psychology that assigns to divine interposition any action which is difficult to explain or which departs in any way from the normal or the expected.' The same explanation of her actions is offered by Helen herself in the Odyssey as she and Menelaus are trying to encourage Telemachus with recollections of his gallant father (iv.
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