Which statement best explains why Shakespeare…

English Questions

Which statement best explains why Shakespeare alludes to the story of Pyrrhus and Priam throughout Act II, Scene ii of Hamlet? The allusion highlights ideas related to the murder of King Hamlet, demonstrates Claudius’s guilt in the murder of Hamlet’s father, emphasizes the significance of the play’s Greek setting, or suggests that Hamlet is wrong to suspect his uncle of murder?

Answer

The statement that best explains this is that the allusion highlights themes related to the murder of King Hamlet. In the myth of the Trojan War, Pyrrhus ultimately kills Priam, the King of Troy, with great satisfaction. Hecuba, Priam’s wife, witnesses this act. Priam’s actions contributed to the war that led to the death of Pyrrhus’s father, Achilles, and by killing Priam, Pyrrhus avenges his father. Hamlet references this story to illustrate that his motivations are akin to those of Pyrrhus; he seeks to avenge his father’s death by murdering Claudius in front of Gertrude, Claudius’s wife. This analogy establishes the following roles: Hamlet as Pyrrhus, Claudius as Priam, and Gertrude as Hecuba.

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