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Helen is demonized by Penelope for her beauty and vanity, which Penelope blames for the death and destruction caused by the Trojan War. However, both women are products of a society in which women are only valued for their beauty or wealth. While Helen does act insulting and condescending in Penelope’s version of events, Penelope’s sense of reality has been proven to be warped at times, calling into question what Helen is actually like. Helen’s perspective is noticeably absent from the story. Though Helen is the villain in Penelope’s story, Penelope may be the villain in Helen’s.

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