Chapter 9: It's Greek to Me

The Face That Launch'd A Thousand Ships by Christopher Marlowe
Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships
, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
 Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see where it flies!
 Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberg be sack'd;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
 And wear thy colours on my plumed crest;
Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
And then return to Helen for a kiss.
O, thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appear'd to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky In wanton Arethusa's azur'd arms;
 And none but thou shalt be my paramour!


Helen is represented as a temptress throughout this entire poem.  The effect of the myth is prominent in painting the figure of an alluring temptress.  There is an edge of darkness to the allure all throughout the poem.  Seeing as men were willing to shed blood over Helen, which makes her seem even more tempting.  An unreachable woman is the most tempting of all women.  There is an air of lust throughout the poem, as it discusses about Helen's unrealistic yet imaginiative characteristics.  To make Helen sound as if she was woven from stars rather than skin and bones.  The poem is meant to let the reader know just how beautiful and special Helen had been to her husband and Paris.