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Ironically, Apollo who preferred Troy to Greece in the Trojan War could have saved his city. Apollo's anger resulted in his beloved city of Troy's destruction. When Cassandra warned that the Trojan horse would bring about the destruction of Troy, no one believed her, even her own father and mother.
What is truly tragic about Cassandra, however, is not simply that the Trojan War results in her eventual demise -- she is taken by Agamemnon at the war's end and killed by his angry and avenging wife Clymmenstra -- but of all the character of the Trojan saga, she alone does not chose her fate. Paris chooses to abscond with Helen, and thus brings about the war. Achilles on the Greek side chooses a short life filled with glory, rather than a long and uneventful life, and thus chooses to fight in the war. But Cassandra did not even chose her gift of prophesy -- the only choice she made was not to engage in sexual relations with Apollo, and her entire life was condemned to frustration because of this entirely understandable decision.
It is said that after Cassandra refused Apollo, "King Priam did not know what to do with her, so he tried to keep Cassandra locked up and out of the way of the warriors of Troy," because she prophesized Troy's doom. (Fitton, 1998) for the entire war, poor Cassandra remained locked away, filled with knowledge of the tragedies that would occur, such as her brother's death, and without even the comfort of being believed by her loved ones around her. Her "own people and family in Troy mistook her as a raving lunatic." (Fitton, 1998) Then, when Troy finally fell to the Greek invaders, Cassandra was attacked...
Even Shakespeare presented her as a madwoman ranting and raving along the walls of Troy in his play "Troilus and Cressida." (Fitton, 1998) in art Cassandra is often shown with her hair unbound, looking like a lunatic. Yet her words are always true. Cassandra is a sad testimony to the fact that no matter how truthful and intelligent a women may be, even if she has attained notable status as an intellectual of religious stature in the only way her community allows, if a woman does not seek the sexual protection of a man, she will be scorned and ignored.
Works Cited
Fitton, Laura. "Cassandra: Cursed Prophetess." Art history. Images of Women. 1998. http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/papers/fittoncassandra/intro.html
Parada, Carlos. "Cassandra." Greek Mythology. Accessed 12 Apr. 2005. http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/gml/cassandra.html
Sandels, V.E.K. "Cassandra." Greek Mythology: Troy. Page last modified 2004. Accessed 12 Apr 2005. http://www.in2greece.com/english/historymyth/mythology/names/cassandra.htm
Saunders, Chas & Peter Ramsey. Godchecker.com. Page last modified on 12 February 2004. Accessed 12 Apr 2005. http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/gml/cassandra.html
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