Facing fear in Troades : Hecuba's and Andromache's competing strategies

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Seneca's philosophical works propose that resignation or hope may restrain fear. In his tragedy Troades , Seneca reflects further on the relative effectiveness of these approaches through the 'doublet' characters Hecuba and Andromache. Though the women are not Stoics, their ways of facing fear echo Seneca's philosophical recommendations and illustrate some finer details of managing emotions. While resignation may theoretically seem superior, their experiences reveal how specific circumstances may instead call for hope. Seneca's play reveals his insights on each approach's nuances, including why either hope or resignation suits individual situations and the unique challenges and benefits each offers. The complications of choosing and adhering to a method of emotional control and the importance of using reason as the basis for such control become especially clear through this play's detailed treatment of the women's situations.