Between the Leading Ladies: the protagonist and the antagonist

            Iliad and Odyssey are the two epic poems written by Homer which greatly influenced literature. These two epics had different story and theme. But like most of the stories there is lady who will make the protagonist to strive harder and do better. In Iliad, Paris had Helen, while in Odyssey, Odysseus got Penelope. But being a lover of the hero doesn't mean that she needs to be perfect – beautiful, wise, kind, etc. Like real people, fiction characters also have their own characteristics and traits. Let’s know more about the women in the life of the heroes of Homer’s epics.

(source: http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2003_Helen_of_Troy/2003_Helen_of_Troy_028.jpg)

            A lady whose face launched a thousand ships captured many hearts of men. Many king, heroes and normal people want her - was the most beautiful woman of her time. This lady was Helen, the wife of Menelaus and queen of Sparta.  She was still a child and immature especially for a queen. She followed what she wanted and felt swiftly without thinking what her actions would cost other people.  Despite of being married, the lady’s heart was captured by the prince of Troy, Paris. She loved him purely even before meeting him. On the other hand, Helen was defenceless. She was easily abducted, dominated and abused. She was the typical kind of leading lady who needs a man to protect her. But unfortunately, Paris couldn’t protect her until the end. Her selfish acts cause Paris’ death. And their love for each other brought destruction to Paris’ hometown.

(source:  http://www.foothilltech.org/rgeib/english/odyssey/letter-assignment/penelope/penelope.jpg)

            After the tragic love story of Helen and Paris, Homer introduce Odysseus. He was a king and hero who couldn’t go back home because of a god’s curse. But he struggled to return for her beloved wife, Penelope. Penelope was a faithful wife who waited for him in more or less twenty years. She ignored all her suitors for she believed in Odysseus. She also raised their son properly. There came the time when she finally believed that her country needed a king. The same as her husband, Penelope was wise. She gave a test for the aspiring husbands and kings. By that time Odysseus already arrived home. But she was careful. She didn’t believe that Odysseus was really her husband until he told her about the bed which he made by himself. Penelope showed the characteristics of a real queen. She was wise, mature, and careful. She could also stand as a queen even without her husband.

            Between the women, I could say that Penelope was the protagonist while Helen was the antagonist. Penelope did nothing that could hurt her husband. She fought her love for her husband in a right way. On the other hand, Helen fought her love for Paris by coming with him in Troy which results to her lover’s death and his hometown’s destruction.

            Where is the thrill of reading or watching if you know what’s going to happen? Homer’s epics show that not all love stories have happy endings. Not all leading characters are perfect. Differences and imperfection of the characters, situations and other things are needed to be able to show reality, creativity and excitement.   

Love is a choice.

“Love is a conscious choice to commit (unto death) to honor and cherish the other person and to do what is best for their good (even if what is best is not you in his or her life). This love is not based on what the other person can do for you, but your choice of loving the other person unconditionally.”

                                      (http://prayr.tumblr.com/post/3679961021) 

As a part of life, making a choice is a tough responsibility. It will not only affect you but also the people around you. And it is harder if you are living in an era where a war can easily be declared and people can be killed anytime. That’s what Helen experienced when she met Paris; a man whom she believed was destined for her.

Suppose that I’m Helen whose face can launch a thousand of ships.  Will I go with Paris to Troy to pursue our love? Or will I be an obedient wife to man whom I don’t have affection for?

Let’s say that a goddess promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world (which happened to be me). But I will not go with Paris to Troy because I’m a married woman. I must not look to anyone anymore and become a good wife. It also happens that I am the queen of the country. As a queen, I need to think of the welfare of my country. Our unethical love will only put my country and many others in a conflict. I will choose that kind of decision despite the fact we love each other. For I believe that love is not only measured by how long two persons were together, but sometimes it is by how long one can sacrifice to be away from her loved one because it is for his own good. The outcome may not be the best for me, but at least my mind will be at peace because I know that he is safe. I cannot bear to see him and other thousands of people suffer and die just because of me and of the sin we will commit. If I will go with him and see him die because of making a decision that I know wrong, I will just live a regretful life with a guilty conscience afterwards.

And maybe it’s Helen’s destiny to be with Menelaus after all. A quote says, “If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were.” At the end, Helen comes back and follows Menelaus obediently. 

(source: tumblr.com)

And as the story in the picture above illustrates, Menelaus' love for Helen made him accept Helen despite of all that happened.

Love is a choice (whether consciously or unconsciously). We can choose whom to love, when to love, and what will you do for love. But we must be sure that whatever we will choose is for the best and is not bound to become a regret.

Foundation week: a season to promote sportsmanship and friendship

February is the most awaited month of many TUMCSians. Why? Well, Valentine’s Day may be a part of it. But compared to a single day, it is a lot better because it is a week. February is when we celebrate Foundation Week of our beloved school. Taytay United Methodist Christian School is now 26 years old!

Field demonstration is a traditional competition that opens the Foundation Week. It is divided into three categories: cheer dance, modern dance and (this year,) ballroom dance. The juniors won the cheer dance and ballroom dance categories, while the seniors got the first place for the modern category. I could say that the winners for each division really deserved it. They were also the winners that I expected before the results were announced.

The rest of the days of the foundation week were dedicated to the sports fest. During those days, I observed that the students, especially the seniors, really gave their all in playing and in cheering. As an audience, I gave my whole support to my classmates and batch mates which didn’t go waste. Even though we didn’t get the title “champion” for basketball and volleyball, I’m really proud of them for playing a fair game and for doing their best for God’s glory in our last year in TUMCS. This was the best foundation week I had and will ever have.

Issues such as playing dirty and being unfair arose during the intrams. If you ask me if there were such things, I will say that I observed some of those. I think that those were only products of carelessness. Whether being careless was intentional or unintentional, I don’t know. But I believe that sports fest is made to promote sportsmanship and friendship, hence let’s forget those issues and realize the objectives of the sports fest.