Poseidon and Athena
1. What is Poseidon talking about at the beginning of the play? Why is he upset? What does he tell about the House of Troy? Why does he feel sorry for Hecuba?
2. Athena shows up and asks Poseidon for his help with a plan. What is her plan, and why does it surprise Poseidon?
Hecuba, the Trojan
Women, and Talthybius
3. On page 260, Hecuba, Queen of Troy, weeps. (The italics mean that she is using formal poetic language). Why does she weep? Who is she angry with the most?
4. Notice that the chorus is made up of women of Troy. They converse with Hecuba, individually and as a group. What do they seem to be worried about? What is the chorus hoping for (look at the bottom of 261 and top of 262)?
5. What does Talthybius come to tell the women? How would you describe his attitude towards the women?
6. What has happened to Cassandra, Polyxena, and Andromache?
Hecuba, Cassandra,
the Trojan Women and Talthybius
7. Cassandra's speech (page 264) shows that she's gone mad. What details in her speech (and in the response to her by other characters) show that she's gone mad? What is Cassandra's plan (page 265) and how does she justify it?
8. Summarize what Hecuba is worried about in her speech on page 268.
9. What is the "four-footed wagon" that was the Trojans' "sad undoing"? What story does the chorus tell on pages 268-269?
10. When Andromache and her son Astyanax appear on a wagon, where are they going? Why is Andromache so sad? What do she and Hecuba say to each other? Near the middle of page 271, the difference between Hecuba's and Andromache's attitudes becomes clear. What is that difference?
Andromache, Hecuba
and the Leader
1. When she was married to Hector, what did Andromache work hard to achieve? Why does she regret it now?
2. On page 272, how does the Leader respond to Andromache’s lament?
3. How does Hecuba respond to Andromache? What advice does she give her?
Talthybius and Andromache
4. Talthybius comes with more bad news. What is it? How does Talthybius feel about the news he brings?
5. How does Andromache react to his news? What does she say to her son, Astyanax? What does she say to the Greeks? (they’re not actually standing there—she’s venting).
Chorus, Menelaus, Helen and Hecuba
6. What does the Chorus sing about on pp. 275-276?
7. Menelaus shows up to claim his wife, Helen. What does plan to do with her?
8. What advice does Hecuba give Menelaus on the top of p. 277?
9. What does Helen ask of Menelaus? Whom does Helen blame for the Trojan War? What reasons does she give? (pp. 277-279)
10. How does Hecuba respond to Helen’s argument? (pp. 279-280). On page 281, how does Hecuba warn Menelaus?
Talthybius, Hecuba and the Chorus
11. What does the Chorus sing about on pp. 281-282?
12. What news does Talthybius bring to Hecuba? What has happened to Astyanax and Andromache?
13. What job does Hecuba have to do now? What does she say while she does it? How does the Chorus react while she does it?
14. What fate awaits Hecuba? What attitude does Talthybius have about this? (pp. 285-7)