gabriele’s Reviews > The Women of Troy > Status Update

cassandra; psychologically complex and dangerously driven

i remembered her, the wide-apart eyes, the straight shoulders, the absolute refusal to bend.

hecuba, who’d been huddled in a corner out of the way, was transformed into a mad dog with slavering jaws and red-rimmed eyes.

i was reminded of Achilles, who’d sacrifies twelve trojan youths, the pride and hope of their families, on Patroclus’ funeral pyre. they were alike in their insatiable desire for revenge.

it wasn’t enough for Cassandra that her father’s body had been cremated with all the honour due to a great king. she’d have thrown pyrrhus on to the fire if she could, used his body to feed the flames.

greek fighters were – are– immensely proud of their long, flowing hair. it’s almost as if they think their strenght resides in it. a man will throw a lot of hair on to his father’s or his brother’s funeral pyre, but it’s rare to cut off the entire lenght. Achilles did it for Patroclus– I can’t, for the moment, think of anybody else.

then rising high above the clash of swords on shields, the pipes began to play Achilles’ lament, the music that had haunted me – driven me to the verge of insanity, almost – in the weeks after his death.

cassandra sat down, tucking her legs underneath her as neatly as a cat.

not nasty, not threatening –or not yet.

when great Achilles was alive, he defied even the gods.