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The Art of Acceptance
For Hecuba!What’s Hecuba to him, or he to HecubaThat he should weep for her?What would he doHad he the motive and the cue for passionThat I have? He would drown the stage with tears,And cleave the general ear with horrid speech …
Hamlet, Act II, Sc2
Hamlet asks how an actor can cry for an imaginary character in a play when he, Hamlet, with all his motive and passion, cannot cry for his dead father. “What’s Hecuba to him or he to Hecuba / That he should weep for her?” Metaphorically, great actors accept Hecuba’s importance to them and convince their audiences that their emotions and the circumstances are real. Learning to accept the character and the circumstances is one of the most important steps toward great acting. ...
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