Work · Jean-Paul Sartre
The Trojan Women
The adaptation of Euripides gives voice to defeated Trojan women facing enslavement, murder and their city's destruction.
Understanding the text
Sartre rewrites ancient tragedy in a world marked by colonial wars; Euripides remains author of the source play.
Key points
- 01
Defeated people
War is measured through lives victory turns into possessions.
- 02
Myth
Ancient figures illuminate contemporary violence without exact historical equivalence.
- 03
Adaptation
Changes in language and emphasis belong to Sartre's intervention.
How to read it
Compare a scene with Euripides to distinguish inherited tragedy from modern rewriting.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗