Reference no: EM133255977

Choose one of the following options to prompt your brief written response (300+ words).

"Helen of Troy" episode in Love of Three Queens (1954)

Option 1: Power and beauty. In depictions of Helen, there is always some kind of power attached to her beauty--but is Helen in control of that power to her own ends, or merely a victim of the power that her beauty exerts on men? The "Helen of Troy" episode in Love of Three Queens explores Helen's beauty from both directions: how it has caused her suffering, and how she uses it strategically. In this response, discuss one example of how Helen suffers because of her beauty, one example of how she uses it strategically, and how this "double-edged sword" quality of her beauty impacts your take on this version of Helen.

Option 2: Star text meets tradition. Myths of Helen and the Trojan War are so ancient and well established throughout modern storytelling that much about her and her situation seem like "givens" that the tradition prescribes. Even so, for each new version of the character and story, that traditional material is subject to interpretation and re-shaping by contemporary factors; for example, who is playing the role of Helen. In this response, discuss how the star text of actress Hedy Lamarr pushes the interpretation of Helen in a certain direction.

Option 3: Menelaus' motives. In the ancient Trojan War tradition, Menelaus' motives are clear and basic: he has been wronged by the man who stole his wife (and all her possessions) and he wishes to recover his property, along with his dignity. Love of Three Queens begins a trend of opening up new explanations for the war that reshape Menelaus' motives and how the war begins. In this response, discuss how Love of Three Queens depicts Menelaus and his motives for war with Troy