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Shakespeare

The First Player's speech from "Hecuba" reinforces several themes in Hamlet. It shows Hamlet's refined taste, reflects his situation through the story of Pyrrhus' revenge, and criticizes Gertrude for not grieving her husband's death like Hecuba grieved Priam's death. The speech both urges Hamlet to action as well as warns him of the emotions that may be triggered if he kills Claudius, highlighting the difference between Hamlet and a mythological king seeking revenge. The First Player's emotional delivery of the speech torments Hamlet by reminding him of his own conflicting impulses and inability to feel sufficient desire for revenge or grief over his father's death.

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18 views1 page

Shakespeare

The First Player's speech from "Hecuba" reinforces several themes in Hamlet. It shows Hamlet's refined taste, reflects his situation through the story of Pyrrhus' revenge, and criticizes Gertrude for not grieving her husband's death like Hecuba grieved Priam's death. The speech both urges Hamlet to action as well as warns him of the emotions that may be triggered if he kills Claudius, highlighting the difference between Hamlet and a mythological king seeking revenge. The First Player's emotional delivery of the speech torments Hamlet by reminding him of his own conflicting impulses and inability to feel sufficient desire for revenge or grief over his father's death.

Uploaded by

Livia Moreanu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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9. How does the First Players Hecuba speech reinforce the themes of the play?

Answer: First, the speech is significant as an example of Hamlets refined taste, since it comes
from a play too learned and intelligently written to be popular. Next, the story it contains reflects
on Hamlets situation. Pyrrhus, who kills King Priam in revenge for the murder of his father,
Achilles, is a model of the man of action, which Hamlet craves to be. The second section of the
speech describes the grief of Priams wife, Hecuba, after his death, and thus is both a criticism of
Gertrude (who has not shown a similar degree of grief over her husband King Hamlet) and a
warning to Hamlet of the emotions he may trigger if he kills her new husband. The speech both
urges Hamlet on to action and puts him off by showing him the difference between his own
behavior and that of a mythological king. The First Players real tears and his sincerity in
delivering the speech torment Hamlet, because they remind him of his own conflicting impulses
and of his inability to feel sufficient desire for revenge or sufficient grief over his fathers death.

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