The great city of Troy was a pinnacle of power during the reign of the Greek civilisation. Its fortified walls were said to be virtually impenetrable and its citizens proud and good.

The Trojan War in reference to the text began after the abduction (or elopement) of Helen of Sparta and the young Trojan Prince, Paris. Helen’s husband Menelaus, King of Sparta, convinced his brother Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve her. Seeing this as an opportunity to finally seize the coveted lands of Troy, Agamemnon amassed the armies of Greece and descended upon the Trojan shores, igniting a battle that would last the next ten years. Greek heroes such as Achilles, Ajax and Nestor would find their glory on the shores and a fleet of more than a thousand ships joined the fight.

During the battle, Troy’s first born prince Hector slayed Patroclus, Achilles’ cousin and best friend. In revenge, Achilles challenged Hector to combat and easily prevailed, murdering the noble son of Priam and Hecabe as they watched on.

In an effort to bring the war to a close after almost a decade of slaughter, the Greeks abandoned camp and left a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. After much debate (and unheeded warnings by Priam’s daughter, Cassandra) the Trojans believed the gift was a blessing from the gods for their victory and pulled the horse into the city. As they spent the evening carousing and drunkenly made their way into their houses, the horse opened up and a group of Greek soldiers, led by Odysseus climbed out and sacked the city from within.

The play is set on the shores of the Trojan beaches, immediately following the destruction of the magnificent city. A group of women, the only survivors, who have watched as their beloved city was ransacked and raised to the ground, now sit shackled waiting for their future to be decided at the hands of the victorious Greeks. As the Greeks ready their ships, eager to sail home after ten long years at war, the leaders divvy up where the royals of Troy will be allotted and a lone herald Talthybius is summoned to give the women the news.