Hecuba: The Will of the Many
“Hecuba, I feel compassion for thee and thy son and thy ill-fortune, as well as for thy suppliant gesture, and I would gladly see yon impious host pay thee this forfeit for the sake of heaven and justice, could I but find some way to help thee without appearing to the army to have plotted the death of the Thracian king for Cassandra's sake. For on one point I am assailed by perplexity; the army count this man their friend, the dead their foe; that he is dear to thee is a matter apart, wherein the army has no share. Reflect on this; for though thou find'st me ready to share thy toil and quick to lend my aid, yet the risk of being reproached by the Achaeans makes me hesitate.”
In Euripides’ Hecuba, the author recounts the anguished tale of Hecuba in which she lost everything – her home, her daughter, and her son. In his writing, Euripides examines the choices one makes in relation to their will and the people that surround them. Through his text, Euripides makes the compelling argument that the actions people choose to make are dictated not by what they want, but rather by the influences of others.
To show how what he, Agamemnon, wants is at odds with the will of the others, this passage dictates both his desire to help Hecuba and his hesitance to go against the army. Agamemnon speaks, “I feel compassion for thee and thy son and thy ill-fortune…”, here Euripides lists out the sympathies Agamemnon feels for Hecuba, showing the reader how deeply he connects with her, as he commiserates with one grievance after another. Agamemnon then goes on to state “…I would gladly see yon impious host pay thee this forfeit for the sake of heaven and justice…” The Greeks’ faith was heavily based in the Gods, and to be described as ‘impious’, or irreverent to the Gods truly depicts how much Agamemnon agrees with Hecuba’s desire for justice. Yet, in the next breath he juxtaposes his desire for justice with to avoid “…appearing to the army to have plotted the death of the Thracian king for Cassandra’s sake.” This statement reveals the deeper intricacies of the plot, as beyond what he is discussing with Hecuba, an attempt on the Thracian king might appear as if he is following the will of the enemy – Cassandra. The way Euripides describes it as ‘plotting’ creates a sinister connotation to this possibility to help reinforce to the reader the duress he is under. Furthermore, his usage of “sake” calls back to the previous line, drawing parallels between killing Polymester for “the sake of heaven and justice” and “Cassandra’s sake”, illustrating the different perspectives that will be judging Agamemnon. Agamemnon himself admits, “For on one point I am assailed by perplexity”, Euripides’ choice of using assailed shows the situation Agamemnon, one of being under siege from all sides, and if he were to support one side the other side would fall, leaving him in a state of perplexity, unable to commit to following what he wants to do. Agamemnon concludes that he wishes to lend his aid, yet is afraid of reproach from the Achaeans. The language Agamemnon uses shows how conflicted he is, torn between what he wants to do and the will of others. From this short writing, Euripides solidly builds the argument that people are unable to do what they wish, but instead their choices must follow the desire of those around them.
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