I was thinking about this quote I found digging through my likes from Euripides’s Helen. The quote is as follows: Ἑλένη δ᾽ ἐκλήθην. ἃ δὲ πεπόνθαμεν κακὰ λέγοιμ᾽ ἄν, and in English: “I am called Helen. Let me tell you of the evils I have suffered.”
It’s interesting that she uses that passive form of the verb, ἐκλήθην, or “I am called.” She is called “Helen,” stating that “Helen” is the name others use to address her, with all its negative connotations. “I am called Helen,” or perhaps alternatively “I am called whore” or “I am called witch” or “I am called destruction of many men.” Her use of the passive voice makes me think that Helen understands what it means to be Helen and what people perceive Helen to be. Her own perception of herself doesn’t come into play here, and thus the use of the passive also makes me wonder what name Helen uses to call herself. I hope she uses other names than the κύων (dog) she uses in the Iliad.
The quote also reminded me of Seneca’s Medea, in which he has the titular character declare “Medea nunc sum,” or “Now I am become Medea,” once she has decided to carry out the revenge for which she is famous. Here again Medea understands what it means to be Medea, what people perceive Medea to be, and only at that point in the play does she truly attain the status of Medea. It’s as though Medea knew all along what she would have to do to become the Medea expected of her, and that she had to take certain steps to fill up the role.
The line has such a spookiness to it. Like the audience, the character knows the story, or at least hints of it. Indeed, as Helen tells Hektor in Book VI of Iliad: “εἵνεκ᾽ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκ᾽ ἄτης/οἷσιν ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε κακὸν μόρον, ὡς καὶ ὀπίσσω/ἀνθρώποισι πελώμεθ᾽ ἀοίδιμοι ἐσσομένοισι,” and in English: “Because of me being a dog and because of the infatuation of Alexandros (Paris), on us Zeus has placed the bad fate that we will be sung of by men yet to be.” Imagine hearing those words as your bard sings to you the story of Troy. Helen is not only correct, but speaking to you about you. She knows that you are listening. She knows what you expect to hear.
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