Read The Gate to Women's Country for Free Online Page A

while I’m reading the first six pages, you’ll have time to drink another cup of tea and have some breakfast.” He took the text from her, leaned his chair back on two legs, and began to read in his furry, deep voice, beginning with the “notes.”
    Stavia, too tired to complain at hearing all the unnecessary detail, merely listened, letting his voice wash over her.
    â€œIphigenia at Ilium,”
read Corrig. “Note to students: The play is based upon a millennia-old preconvulsion story concerning a conflict between two garrisons, the
Greeks
and the
Trojans
, brought about when a Trojan warrior abducted a Greek woman named
Helen.
The
Greek
garrison pursued the couple to the city of
Troy
(also called Il
ium)
and laid siege to the city. This siege lasted for ten years, largely because of mismanagement among the Greek forces, but in the end the Greeks succeeded in conquering the Trojans and in destroying the city. The action of the play takes place after this destruction, outside the broken walls of Troy. Appendix A at the end of your drama book lists the names and attributes of some of the Greek and Trojan warriors such as Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, Hector, etc., who are referred to in the drama. Appendix B contains an outline of the original book upon which this play is based. Appendix C gives the history of the play together with comments on its significance to Women’s Country.”
    â€œDid you ever read the Appendices?” Corrig asked, flipping rapidly to the back of the book.
    â€œI think I had to read them once for school. I really don’t remember.”
    â€œPersons of the Drama,”
read Corrig.

    Trojans
    H ECUBA : Widow of King Priam of Troy and mother of Hector.
    A NDROMACHE: Widow of Hector.
    The infant, A STYANAX: Hector’s son.
    The Ghost of P OLYXENA: Hecuba’s daughter.
    C ASSANDRA: Hecuba’s daughter.
    Greeks
    T ALTHYBIUS: A messenger.
    The Ghost of I PHIGENIA : Agamemnon’s daughter.
    The Ghost of A CHILLES : A Greek warrior.
    H ELEN , seen upon the battlements.
    Several soldiers and serving women.
    Scene: At the foot of the broken walls of Troy. To the right the stones of the wall have tumbled into a rough stairway which permits ascent to the top of the battlements. On the left a few warriors, who were detailed to stand guard on the women, are playing dice. Huddled together are Hecuba and Andromache, with their serving women asleep around them. In Andromache’s lap is her infant son, Astyanax, whom she is comforting.
    A NDROMACHE There, baby, there. Take the nipple. Suck. Oh see, Mother Hecuba, he’s too tired to suck. Poor baby. All the smoke and noise….
    H ECUBA And howling. We’ve all been doing that. It’s the crying’s kept him awake, daughter. Well, I’m through crying. I cried for Hector, my son, and I cried for King Priam, my husband, and I cried for the city of Troy, and then I cried for me, and that’s enough of it.
    A NDROMACHE I’m dry of weeping, too.
(She looks up at the walls above her where a group of people have paused to gawk)
Bitch!
    H ECUBA
(Looking up)
You mean Helen.
    A NDROMACHE Well, she’s not down here in the dirt with us, is she? She’s not trying to find food for a baby or worrying whose slave she’s going to be.
    H ECUBA That one is no man’s slave. Still, Menelaus vows he’ll kill her.
    A NDROMACHE He’ll not kill her. Kill the source of so much glory? Kill the topic often thousand poets’ songs? She’ll go back to being wife and honored queen, shown off like a prize cow. She’ll sit in a carved chair with a silver sewing box and spin purple wool when all of us are dead.
(Looks up at Helen laughing on the battlement)
May her womb be closed forever. May she never bear another child. May she have boils in her….
    H ECUBA Shhh, shhh. Your curses may bear fruit, and if they do you’ll bring Erinyes down upon yourself. All those who curse