hecuba & hamlet

Textkit Community Open Board
1

Hi all,

I’m working on a production of Hamlet at the moment & am looking to put a Greek passage into it.

It’s the piece which the player recites to Hamlet about Pyrrhus killing Priam & the mourning of Hecuba. Rather than use Shakespeare’s words I’d rather use a correspoding passage from a Greek tragedy. Can anyone recommend a passage? It doesn’t have to be an exact replica o’th’original. Even a few lines would be enough - as, since it’s in a foreign language, only a few lines would be enough to prompt Polonius’ “this is too long.”

Thanks in advance.

2

Why would you substitute Shakespeare’s words? The mix of drama and epic is what makes them so important for that part. Also the allusions made, for the most part, are more relevant to Shakespeare’s time (Mars Armour, for example) than any of the Classics.

3

Fascinating. 92 people read this post as I write this. And no one could suggest anything. Except poor Scibo.

4

Well, the obvious source for a passage would be Euripides’ Hecuba, would it not? Haven’t read it in Greek tho, so can’t help with specifics.