“She doesn’t come in until about page six….”
“Then while I’m reading the first six pages, you’ll have time to drink another cup of tea and have some breakfast.” He took the text from her, leaned his chair back on two legs, and began to read in his furry, deep voice, beginning with the “notes.”
Stavia, too tired to complain at hearing all the unnecessary detail, merely listened, letting his voice wash over her.
“Iphigenia at Ilium,” read Corrig. “Note to students: The play is based upon a millennia-old preconvulsion story concerning a conflict between two garrisons, the Greeks and the Trojans, brought about when a Trojan warrior abducted a Greek woman named Helen. The Greek garrison pursued the couple to the city of Troy (also called Ilium) and laid siege to the city. This siege lasted for ten years, largely because of mismanagement among the Greek forces, but in the end the Greeks succeeded in conquering the Trojans and in destroying the city. The action of the play takes place after this destruction, outside the broken walls of Troy. Appendix A at the end of your drama book lists the names and attributes of some of the Greek and Trojan warriors such as Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, Hector, etc., who are referred to in the drama. Appendix B contains an outline of the original book upon which this play is based. Appendix C gives the history of the play together with comments on its significance to Women’s Country.”
“Did you ever read the Appendices?” Corrig asked, flipping rapidly to the back of the book.
“I think I had to read them once for school. I really don’t remember.”
“Persons of the Drama,” read Corrig.
Trojans
HECUBA: Widow of King Priam of Troy and mother of Hector.
ANDROMACHE: Widow of Hector.
The infant, ASTYANAX: Hector’s son.
The Ghost of POLYXENA: Hecuba’s daughter.
CASSANDRA: Hecuba’s daughter.
Greeks
TALTHYBIUS: A messenger.
The Ghost of IPHIGENIA: Agamemnon’s daughter.
The Ghost of ACHILLES: A Greek warrior.
HELEN, seen upon the battlements.
Several soldiers and serving women.
Scene: At the foot of the broken walls of Troy. To the right the stones of the wall have tumbled into a rough stairway which permits ascent to the top of the battlements. On the left a few warriors, who were detailed to stand guard on the women, are playing dice. Huddled together are Hecuba and Andromache, with their serving women asleep around them. In Andromache’s lap is her infant son, Astyanax, whom she is comforting.
ANDROMACHE There, baby, there. Take the nipple. Suck. Oh see, Mother Hecuba, he’s too tired to suck. Poor baby. All the smoke and noise….
HECUBA And howling. We’ve all been doing that. It’s the crying’s kept him awake, daughter. Well, I’m through crying. I cried for Hector, my son, and I cried for King Priam, my husband, and I cried for the city of Troy, and then I cried for me, and that’s enough of it.
ANDROMACHE I’m dry of weeping, too. (She looks up at the walls above her where a group of people have paused to gawk) Bitch!
HECUBA (Looking up) You mean Helen.
ANDROMACHE Well, she’s not down here in the dirt with us, is she? She’s not trying to find food for a baby or worrying whose slave she’s going to be.
HECUBA That one is no man’s slave. Still, Menelaus vows he’ll kill her.
ANDROMACHE He’ll not kill her. Kill the source of so much glory? Kill the topic often thousand poets’ songs? She’ll go back to being wife and honored queen, shown off like a prize cow. She’ll sit in a carved chair with a silver sewing box and spin purple wool when all of us are dead. (Looks up at Helen laughing on the battlement) May her womb be closed forever. May she never bear another child. May she have boils in her….
HECUBA Shhh, shhh. Your curses may bear fruit, and if they do you’ll bring Erinyes down upon yourself. All those who curse their kin bring down the three avengers on themselves….
“Stop for footnote,” said Corrig, flipping to the back of the book. “What are Erinyes? I can never remember.”
“Furies,” Stavia replied, taking another sip of tea.
“Ah yes. ‘Anger, Vengeance, and Jealousy, who return from the underworld to earth to punish certain acts, particularly the murder of relatives, et cetera.’ Was Helen a relative? Were the Greeks?”
“She was sort of married to one of their countrymen. I don’t know, Corrig. I think in school they said it means all women are kin, sort of.”
“Hmm,” he mused. “Well. Back to text….”
ANDROMACHE I wasn’t cursing kin. I cursed at her and at those Greeks who brought my Hector down. They are no kin of mine.
HECUBA She’s a woman, Andromache. A sister of ours. Perhaps she even thinks herself a Trojan. Long years she’s walked the torchlit halls of Troy.
ANDROMACHE One day was too long.
HECUBA Even one hour’s too long, Andromache, but do not risk what little we have left on her behalf.
ANDROMACHE What little’s that?
HECUBA YOU are my son’s loved wife, and you’re alive. Your baby Astyanax is alive. And even I’m alive, though that may be sparse comfort for us both.
ANDROMACHE Your daughters, Polyxema and Cassandra, are alive. Such as they are.
HECUBA That’s true, so let’s not tempt the Furies down for the sake of mere cursing. (She takes the baby from Andromache) Oh, baby, baby. Little Astyanax. He’s trying so hard to fall asleep.
ANDROMACHE Speak of reasons for cursing. Here comes Talthybius.
(Talthybius enters left)
HECUBA (Fumbling in her skirt) Do you come like the raven, messenger, to croak dishonor in my aged ears?
TALTHYBIUS I bring such messages as I am sent with.
HECUBA They do not ever send you with good tidings, do they, Talthybius?
TALTHYBIUS Priam’s wife, if they had good to say, they’d come themselves with joy salving their lips.
ANDROMACHE But you they send with vomit in your mouth and Hector’s blood still warm upon
