Hecuba is the widow of King Priam, who was killed by the
Trojans. She has become a slave to the
conquerors, although she was previously a queen. At the outset of the play, she believes that
although some of her children were killed in the Trojan War, she still has 3
living children: Cassandra, who is
revered as a prophetess has become the wife of Agamemnon (the conquering Trojan
king), Polyxena, who is with her mother in slavery, and a son Polydore, who was
sent to live with the neighboring king of Thrace in order to escape the
Trojans.
Odysseus arrives with the message that the Trojans are
seeking to honor their hero Achilles by sacrificing Polyxena on his grave. Hecuba begs Odysseus to spare her daughter,
reminding him that she once spared his life.
He argues that the dead must be honored, and the sacrifice must
occur. Polyxena bravely accepts her fate
and goes off with Odysseus.
Hecuba begs
for, and is granted, the privilege of preparing her daughter’s body for burial.
However, she is delayed from this task by the arrival of a
young maiden accompanying a covered corpse.
Hecuba thinks it must be Polyxena, but learns, to her horror, that it is
her son Polydore, who she thought to be safe in Thrace. It turns out the Polydore was sent to Thrace
with a large amount of gold, and the King of Thrace, Polymestor, decides the
gold is worth more than keeping his promise to protect Polydore. He has killed Polydore and thrown his body
into the sea. It washed up on the shore
and was found by the young maiden who is bringing it to Hecuba.
Agamemnon arrives to inquire what is keeping Hecuba. She convinces him to look the other way while
she seeks revenge on Polymestor.
Agamemnon doesn’t see how a woman can do this, but of course, there is
strength in numbers, and Hecuba enlists the help of the other captive women.
Polymestor and his sons are invited to visit Hecuba. She inquires about Polydore’s well-being, and
Polymestor lies and says he is well.
Hecuba claims that she wants to inform him about the whereabouts of
additional gold, so he goes with her into a tent without his guards. There his sons are killed and he is blinded
by the captive women.
Polymestor appeals to Agamemnon, but it doesn’t get him
anywhere. Then he prophesies the death
of Agamemnon and Cassandra. Agamemnon
thinks he is a raving maniac and doesn’t believe the prediction. The play closes with Agamemnon anxious to
catch the favorable wind and sail for home, where unbeknownst to him his wife Clytemnestra
will indeed kill him for several reasons….one of which is that he has brought
the lovely Cassandra home to replace her.
While Polyxena is praised for the bravery with which she
faces death, Euripides once again displays negative attitudes toward women.
*Agamemnon inquires, “How are
women to master men?”
Hecuba responds, “Numbers are a
fearful thing and joined to craft a desperate foe.”
Agamemnon: “True; still I have a mean opinion of the
female race”
*Polymestor commenting on women: “for neither land or sea produces a race so
pestilent, as whomsoever hath had to do with them knows full well.”
Other
interesting quotes:
“’Tis never
right that those in power should use it out of season, or when prosperous suppose
they will be always so.” (Hecuba)
“Ah! There is not in the world a single man free;
for he is either a slave to money or to fortune, or else the people in their
thousands or the fear of public prosecution prevents him from following the
dictates of his heart.” (Hecuba)
“’Tis strange
how each extreme doth meet in human life!
Custom determines even our natural ties, making the most bitter foes
friends, and regarding as foes those who formerly were friends.” (the Chorus)
“For the
gods confound our fortunes, tossing them to and fro, and introduce confusion,
that our perplexity may make us worship them.”
(Polymestor)
As I’ve said
previously, I don’t have any use for the Greek gods! They are morally no different than humans…they
just live forever, supposedly.
