Panganiban, Roman Cyril A.

English 11

2008 03955

April 24, 2012

From Different Points of Views

(Reaction Paper on Iliad and Cassandra)
Two of the greatest works, in my opinion, with regards to or about the Trojan War is the
Iliad by Homer and a somehow modern-ish work which is Cassandra by Christa Wolf. I find
both works intriguing and it surely caught my attention and curiosity for the said respective
works are telling one event, the Trojan War, from the perspective of both the Greeks and the
Trojans.
In Iliad, the narration of the story covers only a part of the final year of the Trojan War.
Since the Iliad is a recounting of the events from the eyes or experiences of the Greek side, it
mentions about Greek legends that were at the siege, gathering of warriors for the siege, and the
cause of the war. It also shares events prophesied like Achilles' looming death and fall of Troy.
On the other hand, Cassandra retells the story of the Trojan War from Cassandra's point of view,
who was a Trojan. She tells it from the time after the war, recounts want happened during the
war and her own experiences before and after the war. Unlike Iliad which narrates the heroics of
Greek characters, there are little or no mention of heroics of the Trojans in Cassandra and this
may be attributed to the fact that when Cassandra witnesses a battle, she sees it from the point of
view of the victim not as a warrior. She has also an insight of Trojan politics and other internal
issues for she is the daughter of the king. In order to compare and contrast both works further, let
us look into several points of comparison to better understand what each work brings or shares.
First, let us take a look at the cause of war. In Iliad, it is written that the true cause of war
was the said kidnapping or the stealing of Helen by Paris. As we all know, Helen is the wife of
Menelaus and Paris stole her. This made Menelaus turn to his brother, Agamemnon, who is the
ruler of Greeks and asked him to take Helen back for him. With this, and the idea of having Troy
for himself, Agamemnon agrees to go to Troy and this started the war. Another reason or cause of
the war, which is not stated in the Iliad but connected to the cause that the Iliad implies, is the

Judgment of Paris. Zeus was asked by Athena, Hera and Aphrodite to judge who is the fairest of
the three, but he refused and recommended Paris for he was a great judge of beauty. With this,
Paris was piled on with bribes from the three goddesses who are arguing. Hera offered to make
him the lord of Europe and Asia, Athena offered to lead him to victory against the Greeks and lay
Greece in ruins, Aphrodite offered him the fairest woman in the world, which is Helen in this
case. Paris then gave Aphrodite the golden apple and that was the start of it all. On the other
hand, in Cassandra, Helen is part of the reason but only appears once in the book. It is said that
Helen, was taken from him by the King of Egypt when Paris stops there on his way to Troy. In
order to save face, Paris and the men of the Trojan court, keep the second kidnapping of Helen a
secret. The Greeks arrive to do battle with Troy and win Helen back; war between the two begins
based entirely on deception. The persuasion of Eumolos, King Priams chief of palace guards,
also had a big contribution to the engagement of Troy to a war with the Greeks.
Next, let us look at the portrayals of the different characters, namely Achilles,
Agamemnon, Hector, Paris and the women, in both the Iliad and Cassandra.
In Iliad, Achilles is seen as the wild warrior and that he was born to kill. He was also
portrayed as being favoured by the gods or as a gifted soldier but in Cassandra, Achilles was
viewed as a somehow lower than what was perceived of him. He was characterized as a coward
and said that the great Achilles slept with a man which greatly affects his image.
Next is Agamemnon. In the work by Homer, Agamemnon was seen as a selfish, arrogant
and ruthless leader or king that he will do anything just to get what he wants and if he wants one
thing, he will surely get it. As a matter of fact, this led to a rift between him and Achilles in the
Iliad. On the other hand, Agamemnon was perceived as sympathetic or somehow sacrificial man
in Cassandra. As the story tells, he sacrificed one of his daughters just to have the winds push
them to their destination. He also gave a necklace, as I remember; to Cassandra for she somehow
looks as that daughter he sacrificed.
Then, there is Hector. Even though the Iliad is from the point of view of the Greeks,
hector was viewed as a strong- willed leader, prince and commander and a great warrior. This is

greatly different on how Cassandra characterized her brother who she says is a man with soft
disposition. As we can see, Hector from Iliad is the opposite of Hector from Cassandra but both
view his as a great son of Priam and of Troy.
Next is Paris. Maybe because he was perceived as the cause of war, the Iliad viewed him
as a soft, cowardly and selfish man who has only good looks but was very different in Cassandra.
Like Hector, Paris in Cassandra is an opposite of Paris in Iliad. In Paris in Cassandra, he is
viewed as a man with a vengeance and he is out there to prove himself considering that every
Trojan wants him killed because of the prophecy that he will be the cause of Troys demise.
Last point of comparison is the state of the women. In Iliad, women are viewed as mere
trophies. They are considered as things by the men. They are even divided as spoils of war as if
they are material objects. In Cassandra, as being told by a woman, it not only says that women
are these, women are that, it shares the struggle on woman faces and goes through. It does not
only share the ending of where a woman gets but also the story of how she got there.
One can think he knows the story of the Trojan War when one reads the Iliad, but
Cassandra's insider view and the reinterpretation of the war's underlying causes gives the tale a
whole new look. It is good that the tale of the Trojan War now has a story to tell from the sides of
both the arguing groups. As discussed in class, tales of war usually or often comes only from the
eyes of the victor which I think is bias and unfair for you only visualize the story through their
eyes. It helps that there is the Iliad and then there is the Cassandra to promote critical thinking on
the readers and let them decide on what to believe and what really did happen. It helps that there
is a choice between what side to take or to believe on. Upon reading both, one will realize that
yes, he/ she still do not know the whole story behind the Trojan War.

Warrior is a Child (revised)

Part them and feel my finger tips

Trace the moment, fall forever

Lately, I have been winning battles left and right

But even winners can get wounded in the fight

Defense is paper thin

They say that I'm amazing, strong beyond my years

Just one touch and I'll be in

But they don't see inside, I'm hiding all the tears

Too deep now to ever swim against the current

They don't know, I come running home when I fall down

So let me slip away, so let me slip away

They don't know who picks me when no one is around

So let me slip away, so let me slip against the current

I drop my sword and then I cry for just a while

So let me slip away, so let me slip away

'Coz deep inside this armor, warrior is a child

So let me slip away, so let me slip away

Im unafraid because His arrow is the best

Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right

But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest

I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along

They say I'm amazing, I never face retreat

And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well

They don't see enemies that lay me at His feet

I am seeing in me now the things you swore, you saw yourself

They don't know, I come running home when I fall down

Slight hope dangles on a string

They don't know who picks me when no one is around

Like slow spinning redemption

I drop my sword and then I cry for just a while

'Coz deep inside this armor, warrior is a child

Say (John Mayer)

Vindicated (Dashboard Confessionals)

Take all of your wasted honor

Every little past frustration

Hope dangles on a string like slow spinning redemption

Take all of your so-called problems,

Winding in and winding out, the shine of it has caught my eye

Better put 'em in quotations

And roped me in, so mesmerizing and so hypnotizing

I am captivated, I am

Say what you need to say [x4]

Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right

Walking like a one man army

I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along

Fighting with the shadows in your head

And I am flawed but I am cleaning up so well

Living out the same old moment

I am seeing in me now the things you swore, you saw yourself

Knowing you'd be better off instead,

If you could only

So clear like the diamond in your ring, cut to mirror your intention
Oversized and overwhelmed, the shine of which has caught my eye

Say what you need to say [x4]

And rendered me so isolated and so motivated

I am certain now that I am

Have no fear for giving in

Have no fear for giving over

Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right

You'd better know that in the end

I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along

Its better to say too much

And I am flawed but I am cleaning up so well

Then never say what you need to say again

[From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/d/dashboard-confessionallyrics/vindicated-lyrics.html]

Even if your hands are shaking

I am seeing in me now the things you swore, you saw yourself

And your faith is broken

Even as the eyes are closing

So turn up the corners of your lips

Do it with a heart wide open