a word from our sponsors
See the new shakespeare.com. This feature, while it still provides useful information, is no longer maintained.
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help
The reactions of Gertrude and Hecuba to the violent death of their husbands (both kings as well) are opposites.
When her husband is murdered (by her brother-in-law, though she does not know it at the time) Gertrude probably mourned him, as it seems that she genuinely loved him. But rather quickly she re-marries and, particularly distasteful to Hamlet, her husband's brother. This changes the mood of the castle from one of mourning to one of celebration in a short time.
Hecuba, on the other hand, reacts to her husband's (Priam) murder more as Hamlet would have like his mother to. She is distraught and pius. When Priam is slaughtered she becomes uncontrollable--"When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport / In mincing with his sword her husband's limbs, / The instant burst if clamor that she made / (Unless things mortal move them not at all) / Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven / And passion in the gods." Not included in the portion of the Aeneid that Shakespeare uses is the description of Hecuba frantically pleding with Priam not to try to fight--"My poor husband, what made thought / Drove you to buckle on these weapons? / Where are you trying to go?"(Aeneid, trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Book II, lines 675-677 this gives good background to what Shakespeare used and shows more the pius behaviour of Hecuba).
What I am trying to get at is that Hecuba reacted to her husband's death as Hamlet would have liked to see his mother react to her husband's murder.
Hope this is a help.Posted by Kim P. on April 20, 1997 at 15:54:05
In Reply to "Hamlet: help on Gertrude and Hecuba" posted by dana on April 19, 1997 at 14:27:58
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help