The Trojan Women

The Trojan Women has been a reliable element of the Edexcel A2 course for some years. Initially, it appeared a strange choice since it is by no means the most complex Greek tragedy. Oedipus’s transformation from arrogant king to blind beggar in Oedipus the King is a journey filled with complex revelations. By contrast, The Trojan Women is a play which focuses principally on reaction rather than action. It is a lamentation to war and a personal account of suffering. However, arguably it is this very simplicity which allows students to develop complex ideas and produce strong work. Candidates are presented with two tasks related to the play in the exam. The first entails a series of short responses to a selected section of text.

The second requires an overview of the entire text and expects candidates to choose moments from their production to illustrate their directorial intent. Obviously, the play contains too much detail to focus on in this article and I feel it is inappropriate to try to arrange the following ideas as a series of lesson plans. Instead, I have organised the article into three sections which will provide a context for the play, suggested practical approaches to the text and a focus on specific scenes which have not been explored in the examinations to date.

Scheme sections:

• Contextualising The Trojan Women
• Practical approaches to the text
• Focusing on specific scenes
• Final Thought

Number of schemes: n/a