This essay is aimed at discussing such plays as The Trojan Women and Everyman. In particular, it is necessary to compare the experiences of the protagonists, namely Hecuba and the anonymous Everyman. In his play Euripides lays stress on the suffering of woman who is deprived of people who are most dear to her. Moreover, this character has lost her freedom which is one of the things that she values most.
In contrast, the so-called Everyman is affected by several issues such as awareness of one’s mortality and the inability to retain values that he earned in the course of the lifetime. Overall, both of these plays raise a great number of philosophical questions related to human existence.
While discussing the characters of these plays, one should take into account that Hecuba is the wife of the Trojan King, Priam. She sees that the people to whom she was so attached are either slaughtered or enslaved. Moreover, it should be mentioned that she is an old woman, and it will be impossible for her to change her life. This experience can produce a devastating effect on a person.
In turn, the life of Everyman draws to its end. However, this person is forced to understand that the things that he valued most were almost meaningless. For instance, this individual see that wealth, good relations with other people cannot secure happiness or salvation of the soul.
Certainly, these plays differ immensely in terms of setting and ideological background. The Trojan Women is closely tied to the Ancient Greek society that attached much importance to the freedom of an individual. In contrast, the play Everyman is based on the medieval culture with its extreme religiosity.
The main difference is that Hecuba suffering was caused by external forces while Everyman has to re-evaluate his entire life and he cannot accuse other people of his misfortunes. Still, these people have to take a new look at their past and present life.
Overall, the comparison of these plays suggests that the authors, who could live during different periods, were interested the philosophical questions regarding the existence of a person. These authors emphasize the importance of values in human life.