“Die shalt thou; and to thy tomb shall be given a name—“The hapless hound’s grave,” a mark for mariners.”
~ ‘Hecuba’ by Euripides (Edward P. Coleridge translation. GB5 - p. 363)
The play starts with a monologue from Polydore, Priam and Hecuba’s son. He was sent to Thrace at the beginning of the Trojan War for safety, under the protection of Thracian king Polymestor who was Priam’s friend. At the time, Polydore was a child and he lived well at the Thracian court while his brother Hector was defending well and winning the war. But once Troy fell, Polymestor kills him, takes his gold and throws him into the sea. Polydore is now a ghost and says that Achilles’ ghost is blocking the Greeks from setting sail home asking for Polyxena to be sacrificed. He feels sad for his mother Hecuba, who after having lost most of her children is about to know about the loss of two more.
Hecuba comes on stage and laments her state of being reduced from a Queen to a slave. She is informed of the decision by Greeks to appease Achilles’ ghost by sacrificing Polyxena and is distraught. As she talks about this to her daughter, Odysseus arrives to take Polyxena away. Hecuba tries different tactics to avoid Polyxena being killed - she reminds Odysseus that she had spared his life when he came as a spy into the Trojan camp, she says Helen must be sacrificed as she is the root cause of the war, she also offers herself. But Odysseus does not relent. Polyxena bravely accepts her fate and goes with him.