Hecuba

How does Hecuba’s character change over the course of the play? Is it a change for the worse or a change for the better?

How are aristocratic ideals exemplified by the characters of the play, especially Hecuba and Polyxena? How, if at all, do the Greeks exemplify democratic ideals?

How does the play juxtapose Greek and those the Greeks viewed as “barbarian” cultures? In what ways do the events of the play support the existence of such a distinction? In what ways do they undermine it?

Consider the play’s approach to military and political leadership. The audience or reader see several examples of leaders, such as Polymestor, Odysseus, and Agamemnon. How do the actions of each show his views on the role of a leader?

Research the concept of a good death in ancient Greece. What values does Polyxena exemplify by the way she dies? Who finds her death admirable and why?

How is slavery viewed by the captive Trojan women of the play (Chorus, Hecuba, and Polyxena)?

Is the revenge Hecuba carries out against Polymestor just? Why or why not? How does it relate to her position as a Trojan “barbarian” as opposed to a Greek “civilized” person?

Discuss the significance of Hecuba’s transformation into a dog, predicted by Polymestor at the end of the play. How does this prophesy play into the play’s animal imagery?