From time immemorial, a person who foresees future cataclysms but is unable to counter them has been called Cassandra. A dramatic poem “Cassandra” by Lesya Ukrainka (1903-1907) is based on the story of the heroine of ancient mythology. The plot of the poem is rapid and dynamic: the war has been going on for almost 10 years, Troy is under siege. The best of the best die. Only Cassandra, the daughter of King, thanks to...
From time immemorial, a person who foresees future cataclysms but is unable to counter them has been called Cassandra. A dramatic poem “Cassandra” by Lesya Ukrainka (1903-1907) is based on the story of the heroine of ancient mythology. The plot of the poem is rapid and dynamic: the war has been going on for almost 10 years, Troy is under siege. The best of the best die. Only Cassandra, the daughter of King, thanks to her gift of a seer, which she received from the god Apollo, who was in love with her, would be able to stop the bloodshed. However, she rejected him. And Apollo took revenge mercilessly: he made no one believe her prophecies, she is blamed for all troubles and losses, and some people even think she is mad. People are more likely to trust the false prophet, her brother Helenus, who lulls their vigilance with illusory hopes, seduces them with such familiar, understandable things. He is a judge of character and can influence the crowd. Lesya Ukrainka wrote: “Cassandra foresees everything, she knows everything,… but she can't explain it all with arguments… And the prophetic spirit is not a gift for her, it's a punishment…”. She can save neither her beloved Dolon nor her native Troy…
