The Trojan Women is the second instalment in the Greek Tragedy trilogy of the Greek director Michael Cacoyannis that was originally released in 1971. The first film was called Electra, released in 1962, while it was followed by the film Iphigenia in 1977. The cast includes such names as Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave and Irene Papas. The plot is based on the original play by the ancient Greek tragedian Euripides.
According to the plot, Hecuba, queen of Troy and mother of Prince Hector, looked over the remains of her city after it had been sacked by the Greek army at the end of the Trojan War, as well as all the suffering that the war had left. Her daughter-in-law Andromache was forced to raise her son Astyanax on her own as Hector had been slain. Cassandra, Hecuba's daughter who had been driven insane after seeing the devastation the war had brought upon the city, waited for her fate as the Greek king Agamemnon decided to take her as a concubine. Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus and responsible for the war after she had eloped with the Trojan prince Paris, awaited for her fate as well. The worst news, however, was yet to be revealed; Astyanax, the only male royalty of Troy left was sentenced to death by Agamemnon and Menelaus to ensure that no other heir would follow on the throne of Troy.
See Also: Electra 1962, Electra, Iphigenia, Hecuba, Hector, Trojan War, Andromache, Astyanax, Cassandra, Agamemnon, Helen, Menelaus, Paris