Amanda Yapias

Dr. Stanford
IHUM 201
October 4, 2014
Gender and Equality in Hecuba
In the ancient Greek world of Euripides a women is seen as being inferior to men
on every level socially, emotionally, physically, and intelluctually. The women does not
recieve the same honor as a man no matter her station in life. In Euripides world, a
women must act with more decorum and restraint than men. Because of this, women
seem to be both more admirable and unpredictable at the same time. Due to this
inequalitiy, Hecuba is seen as admirable because in the face of losing everything she
overcomes great obstacles without losing her dignitiy. This alone is remarkable because
Hecuba, once the queen of Troy, has now been reduced to slavery. Hecuba's desperation
also makes her a bit unpredictable and a bit terrifying as she seeks justice and ultimate
revenge for the death of her youngest son Polydorus. The inferiority enforced upon
women in the Greek world compels Hecuba to suffer more hardship than is neccessary.
Gender inequality is pervasive throughtout all of Hecuba.
At the conclusion of the Trojan War, with most of the Trojan soliders killed by the
Greeks, Hecuba is left alone. She has lost her country, her husband, her children, and her
hope. Hecuba is portrayed as an old, lonely, and desperate slave of the victorius Greeks.
Odysseus informs Hecuba that her daughter Polyxena must be sacrificed on the tomb of
Achilles to please the gods. Hecuba is forced to beg Odysseus to spare her daughter
reminding him that she had once saved his life, "When thou camest to spy on Ilium
disguised in rags and tatters, while down thy cheek ran drops of blood?" (BYU

performance 2014) Odysseus responds that he very well knows that Hecuba saved his
life, but that still does not change the fact the Polyxena must be sacrificed to please the
gods or severe consequences will come upon the Greeks. The fact that Oydsseus is
unmoved by the pleadings of a desperate mother shows just how deep the gender
inequality in ancient Greece really was. Hecuba bravely saved Oydsseus life; Oydsseus
cannot show mercy to Hecuba because he is a strong, victorious male. Showing mercy to
a slave would be seen as the ulitmate weakness due to the inherent gender inequality in
there world.
Thus, the former queen is reduced to beg Odysseus for the life of her child.
Hecuba offers to die in place of her daughter. Odysseus states " Tis not thy death, old
dame, Achillies' wraith hath demanded of the Achaeans, but hers. (BYU performance
2014) Then, Hecuba offers to die with her daughter, this Odysseus says is not necessary.
Hecuba states that she will never let her daughter go, that she will clinged to her like ivy
to an oak. Odysseus states, " Not if thou will harken unto to those who are wiser then
thyself" (BYU performance 2014) Even Hecuba's profound grief of the loss of her child
does not make Odysseus see the inhumanity of sacrifcing a slaves daughter on the tomb
of Achilles. This contrasts Odysseus's cold hearted dominance of Hecuba, not only have
the Greeks defeated her militarily, but they have humiliated her by demanding the
sacrifice of Polyxena and they have insinuated that the Greek soldiers are more intelligent
than Hecuba.
The Greeks sail to Troy and beseige it for ten years because Helen of Sparta had
gone to live with Paris in Troy. Thousands of people lost their lands, Troy was destroyed,
and everyone lost their spouses, and children. Yet Hecuba, former queen of Troy, is

expected to endure the loss of her husband, her country, her throne, and her children
without a murmur of complaint. It was her duty as far as Odysseus and the Greek army
were concerned. The men in this story are allowed to be violent in order to achieve justice
as they see it. They do not ask anyone for permission they just aggresively pursue their
goals. Adding to Hecuba's profound sense of loss over the death of her children, is the
knowledge that her son Polydorus was murdered by a friend, Polymester. Hecuba is
expected to endure betrayal as well all of this without any recourse left to her. The whole
cause of the Greeks fighting in Troy was due to their male jealousy. Their male
dominance let them lead their nation to war, cause under suffering to thousands of people,
displaced many people from their homes, and caused many people to lose their lives.
Hecuba, conversely, because she is a women has no outlet is forced to endure loss after
loss without any recourse. This all because of her gender.
In order to exact her revenge about her sons murder, Hecuba pleads to
Agamemnon. Even though she is a former queen and now a slave, she can not act on her
own. This shows the authority men had over women and that women are subserviant to
them. Hecuba says " O Agamemnon! by thy knees, by the beard and conquering had I
implore thee." "What is thy desire? to be set free? that is easilly done." said Agamemnon,
"Not that, give me vengenance on the wicked, and evermore am I willing to lead a life of
slavery." (BYU performance 2014) Hecuba had to appeal a Greek general Agamemnon
to receive justice from her son. Agamemnon agreed that justice should be neated out and
she proceeded to revenge her sons death in the only way she knew how. I find it
interesting that Hecuba, a grieving mother and queen, would even need to consider in
even asking Agememnon for his approval to exact her revenge.

Throught the tragedy of Hecuba, this former queen of Troy is seen as far inferior
to the men that she associates with. Yes, the Greeks are victorious over the Trojans after
waging war for ten years. The Greek men have had ten years to vent over their loss of
Helen of Sparta. Their male jealousy led to Hecuba losing her husband, her country, and
her children. Hecuba is forced to beg Odysseus in a vain attempt to save her daughters.
She is also forced to beg Agememnon for his approval to seek revenge for her sons death.
All of this begging is the result of the gender inequality in the world of the Greeks.
Despite this inferiority Hecuba gains self confidence by exacting revenge against her
murdered son. Hecuba overcomes great obstacles that include losing her last two
children, her country, and her kingdom without losing her noble barring. Whether we
disagree or agree with Hecuba and her desire for revenge, I feel that justice was due and
she achieved this by ultimately taking matters into her own hands. In this final act she
rose above her situation as a slave women to give voice to all her sorrows and loss. In this
she must have found some measure of comfort.