Book review: Hecuba

O Zeus, what can I say?
That you look on mankind and care?
Or do we, holding that the gods exist,
deceive ourselves with unsubstantial lies
while chance controls the world?

Though they share the same main character, Hecuba has a pretty different tone than Euripides’ later Trojan Women. While Trojan Women portrays the grim disempowerment of Troy’s surviving women and children, in Hecuba, the title character is able to get a bit of revenge.

The murder of Polyxena is a well known episode in the Trojan War, but the Polydorus^[1] plot appears to be Euripides’ invention (according to my book’s introduction). And honestly, it’s during the Polydorus plot that the play starts to feel pretty hackneyed. I mean, come on, this is a play where Agamemnon, of all characters, is the arbiter of justice.

Hilarity ensures during the play’s memorable and bloody climax. It is worth reading for that, and for the appearance of an unexpected god –

There’s some great lines in there, an appearance from Odysseus, some more weird Helen stuff, though Paris gets his own little diss track too this time.