The Journey of Prince Paris and Helen of Troy

The film retells the events of the Trojan War in 1100, with several substantial modifications. The
prominent topic in the film is love, and that love transcends all. Because of their forbidden love,
Paris and Helen are the major protagonists who convey the concept of the Troy battle. The movie
has its highlights and these are presented through different criticisms. Speaking of the film, it can be
reviewed in a lot of ways, and one of those is through archetypal criticism. Wherein, it indicates
narrative patterns, character types, or images that are supposed to be recognized across a wide
range of literary works, as well as myths, dreams, and even ritualized social behavior. The following
is some archetypal criticism of the film:

Character Archetypes:

The Warrior:

Represents someone who is tough and courageous.

Hector, the warrior, is a prince of Troy. He leads the Trojans to fight the Greeks. He fought Achilles
after Achilles cousin was killed by the Trojans. He help his brother, Paris, to fight Menalaus, a Greek
king.

He is the greatest warror of troy, hector loves his country, his wife and his family, he will do anything
to defend them.

The Innocent (young hero)

Represents a young hero who is optimistic, trusting, and naïve.

Paris, a prince of Troy, is dependent on his brother, Hector and naïve. When he takes Helen, he does
not think about the consequences and he relys on his brother for help.

The Ruler

Inspires others to take responsibility over their own lives, may be tempted to dominate others, and
help maintain order in a good way.

King Priam consulted others about what he sound do during battles or when to attack. He was
tempted to dominate when the Greek morale was ow and he had a chance to attack them.

Achilles and Odysseus

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 Similar: both Achilles and odysseus fought in the Trojan War and fought with the Greeks. They both
helped with the Trojan horse plan and went with it into the city.

Different: Odysseus cared about his friends and family, but Achilles wanted his name to be
remembered. Achilles was more of a warrior and Odysseus was an advisor, but he did do some
fighting.

The Unfaithful Wife

Helen This ignited the Trojan War.

The temptress

Helen, the most beautiful woman of Greece, was married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Most men
and even Gods longed for her. Helen caused the Trojan war by eloping with Paris.

 The Vision
 The Birth of Paris (a child of Priam and Hecuba)

When Paris was born, it was visualized by his older sister that his birth was a terrible omen and that
the boy would be the ruin of their homeland. Paris needs to be killed in order to save the kingdom,
as it would be the kid who would fulfill the prophecy. But instead of killing him, his father spared
Paris in the mountains, where he was being nursed by a shepherd owner.

 The Cave

Paris went to the cave in search of the lost sheep, where he encountered Hera, Athena, and
Aphrodite, who let him choose who was the most beautiful among them by undressing themselves,
but Paris couldn't because they were all equally beautiful.The goddesses ventured to suborn him by
handing out their different skills and abilities. Hera offered possession to all countries in Europe.
Athena presented her skills in battle, and Aprodite promised him that if he chose her, she would give
him the love and devotion of the most pleasing woman, Helen. As a result, beyond all of their
offerings, Paris chose Aphrodite.

 The Expedition

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 Achilles and his allies decide to go to Troy for two main reasons: to bring back Helen and to invade
Troy. But in the middle of the event, Achilles asked his servant about the weather and consulted his
God. At that moment, the servant relayed God's words and said, "in order for them to sail." and a
successful expedition outcome Achilles should sacrifice his one and only daughter. And even though
that is against him, he exchanges his daughter for the weather and their successful expedition.

 Destruction of Troy

Cassandra foresaw the destruction of Troy by the Greeks; when the Trojans found the big wooden
horse outside the gates of their city Cassandra told them that Greeks will destroy them if they bring
the horse in the city. No one in Troy believed her, and the horse was admitted in the city, with the
known results for Troy. When Troy fell to the Greeks, Cassandra tried to find a shelter in Athena’s
Temple, but she was brutally abducted by Ajax and was brought to Agamemnon as a concubine.
Cassandra died in Mycenae, murdered along with Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra and her
lover Aegisthus.

 The Prince’s bull—after the king’s servant is forced to get the bull of Paris. The unknown
prince decided to enter the contest in order to bring back his bull. But in the long run, after
he had fought a lot of contenders, he won and at the time when he beat Hector, who was his
biological brother, Alexandra, recognizing her brother, the Queen and King approached
Paris. The servant who saved the life of Paris and took good care of Paris. They presented
the clothes that the baby prince wore at the moment he was supposedly thrown off the cliff.
And at that moment, they presented their child, Paris, as their child and prince.
 The Magic Weapons: The bow and arrow are some of the magical weapons used by Paris in
the film. It has its own distinct essence derived from the word "magical," as it carries the
power of God Apollo.Paris wasn’t a particularly skilled marksman at hitting Achilles, and
with the divine guidance and Apollo’s assistance, it could have helped him strike it.
 The Woman as Temptress: After Achilles finds Briseis, he decides not to fight anymore. This
temptation leads him away from the quest. Suddenly, when the Trojans came and killed his
cousin, Achilles changed his mind.
 The Warrior: Hector is the greatest warrior of Troy. He leads the Trojans to fight the Greeks
and persists in difficult times to defend his country and loved ones in danger.
 The Ruler-King Priam helped maintain order in a good way by consulting others about what
to do during battle and when to attack. He was even tempted to dominate when the Greeks'
morale was low and he had a chance to fight them.
 To complete the objective of this quest, the Ultimate Boon, the Greeks built a huge horse
known as the Trojan Horse. Achilles, Odysseus, and other Greeks get on their horses and
wait for the Trojans. The Trojans believe that the horse is a gift to Poseidon. When everyone
is asleep, the Greeks dismount from their horses and take Troy. and the lives of many have
been devastated and ended.
 Helen of Troy, known as an initial flatterer whose purpose is to bring down men and whose
sex life is seen as treachery in the name of advancement, reinforces the old belief that female
passion pollutes intellect.

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 The Wise Old Man Archetype - The wise old man is objective, emotionally distant, composed,
sensible, uninfluenced by personal prejudices or feelings. When he judges a situation or someone’s
behaviour, he thinks with a clear mind and articulates an opinion that is neutral, an opinion whose
aim is not personal gain but collective help, assistance towards other people and the community.

Character Archetypes:

The Wise Old Man Archetype

The mythical character of Priam, the ruler of Troy, husband of Hecuba, and father to Paris, Hector,
embodies the image of the wise old man in Helen of Troy's story. Priam's most distinguishing
characteristics are his compassion, kindness, and generosity, characteristics that also shape his
behavior towards Helen. The majority of the people in Troy despise Helen because they believe her
elopement with Paris was the catalyst for the Trojan War. Thousands of troops had already died in
the Greek invasion of Troy. Priam is the King of Troy, and he has sons who battle in the Trojan War.
As a king, he has many reasons to despise and resent Helen. Rather than loathing her, he sincerely
respects and cares for her. His insight allows him to recognize that Helen's elopement from Sparta
and the Trojan War are two distinct events. Helen is totally disassociated from the Trojan War by
Priam, who considers her as a valued visitor or even a daughter.

The Shadow Archetype

The Shadow archetype dominates Menelaus' persona in Helen of Troy's story. He invades Troy to
seek revenge on Paris and Helen, who had both betrayed him. Paris had returned Menelaus'
hospitality by stealing his wife, while Helen had started an adulterous affair with him, breaking
their marriage vows. He believes that the death of Paris will teach ungrateful people or those who
abuse generosity a lesson. The Shadow archetype provides energy to revenge, which is fueled by
intense negative emotions. When Menelaus is prepared to confront Paris in a single fight, the evil
killing instincts have also taken over his entire consciousness.

The Trickster Archetype

In the Helen of Troy story, Paris is a depiction of the Trickster archetype. In the Iliad, Paris
undercuts or mocks the image of strong masculinity cultivated by soldiers such as Hector, Menelaus,
Agamemnon, and a slew of other masculine characters He is also quite skilled at avoiding
arguments and taking things lightly, both of which are Trickster traits. The archetypal Trickster
elements of playfulness and deadly ignorance are embodied with remarkable success by Paris'
character. When Priam, the King of Troy, summons his sons and other significant men to discuss
whether it is smart to return Helen to the Greeks, Paris refuses to do so since it would be a symbol
of weakness, a betrayal of Helen herself, and a betrayal of their own sense of respect. This logic
demonstrates that Paris's mind is irrational or out of touch with reality. He is unaware of the gravity
of the situation and is unconcerned about the men who lose their lives in the Trojan War.

The Mother Archetype:

The Mother Archetype is prominent in the role of Queen Hecuba, Priam's wife, in Helen of Troy's
story. Hecuba demonstrates the maternal attributes of loving and giving in Helen of Troy, which are
the strongest and most vital characteristics of the Mother archetype. She is the mother of three

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 children. Hector and Paris died in the fighting, and Cassandra, her daughter, was taken to the
dungeon. The absence of her children generates a deep silence and a dry atmosphere. She is filled
with anguish after witnessing the deaths of her two sons and the devastation her family has
suffered.

The Hero or Self Archetype

There are several characters in Helen of Troy's story who represent archetypal images of the Hero
archetype. Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus are heroes because of their physical and mental strength,
their resistance to evil powers, and their ability to display emotional sides of themselves.

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