Question

which statement best explains why shakespeare alludes to hecuba throughout act ii, scene i of hamlet?
like gertrude, hecuba has married the brother of her dead husband.
like gertrude, hecuba shows little emotion after the death of her husband.
in contrast to gertrude, hecuba takes revenge on her husbands killer.
in contrast to gertrude, hecuba is the ideal image of a grieving widow.

Explanation:

In Hamlet, Gertrude quickly marries Claudius (her dead husband King Hamlet's brother) and shows little outward grief - like a lack of deep mourning. Hecuba, in contrast, is depicted as an ideal grieving widow, deeply sorrowful over her husband's death. This contrast is why Shakespeare alludes to her.

Answer:

In contrast to Gertrude, Hecuba is the ideal image of a grieving widow.