Keyword Guide · study-guide-general
Shakespeare draws on the Greek myth of Pyrrhus in Hamlet to comment on revenge, violence, and the weight of familial duty. Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, is referenced directly in a player’s speech during the play, creating a deliberate foil for Hamlet’s own struggle to avenge his father. This guide breaks down the allusion’s purpose and gives you usable tools for class work and assessments.
Pyrrhus is a mythic Greek warrior referenced in Hamlet to contrast and mirror Hamlet’s quest for revenge. Pyrrhus kills King Priam of Troy to avenge his father Achilles’ death, acting swiftly and brutally without hesitation, while Hamlet delays his own revenge for most of the play. The allusion highlights how revenge distorts morality, even when it feels justified by loss.
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Pyrrhus is a figure from Greek mythology, referenced in a traveling player’s monologue delivered in Hamlet’s court. The monologue describes Pyrrhus’ violent, unflinching murder of Priam, the king of Troy, to avenge the death of his father Achilles. Shakespeare uses the allusion to create a direct foil for Hamlet, who struggles for months to act on his father’s request to kill Claudius.
Next step: Write a 1-sentence note in your text margin connecting Pyrrhus’ actions to the revenge motive Hamlet is given in Act 1.
Action: Identify the context of the Pyrrhus allusion in Hamlet
Output: A 2-sentence note explaining where in the play the allusion appears, and who delivers the speech about Pyrrhus.
Action: Map character parallels and contrasts between Pyrrhus and Hamlet
Output: A 2-column chart listing 3 similarities and 3 differences between the two characters’ motives, actions, and values.
Action: Connect the allusion to major themes of the play
Output: A 3-sentence analysis of how the Pyrrhus reference supports 1 central theme of Hamlet, such as the cost of revenge.
Essay Builder
Turn your thesis and analysis points into a structured, teacher-approved essay outline in 2 minutes.
Action: Mark the section of the play where the player delivers the speech about Pyrrhus, and note Hamlet’s immediate reaction after the speech ends.
Output: A 1-sentence note in your text that links the timing of the speech to Hamlet’s ongoing internal conflict about revenge.
Action: Create a T-chart with one column for Pyrrhus and one for Hamlet, listing their motives, choices, and emotional responses to their father’s deaths.
Output: A 3-point list of the most significant comparisons you can cite in discussion or essays.
Action: Choose one central theme of Hamlet, and write 2 sentences explaining how the Pyrrhus allusion helps develop that theme.
Output: A reusable analysis point you can adapt for short answer responses and essay body paragraphs.
Teacher looks for: Correct context of the allusion, including who delivers the speech and where it appears in the play, with no misstatements of Pyrrhus’ mythic backstory.
How to meet it: Explicitly state that Pyrrhus is a mythic figure referenced in the player’s speech, and note his motive for killing Priam is avenging his father Achilles.
Teacher looks for: Discussion of both similarities and differences between Pyrrhus and Hamlet, not just one or the other, with clear ties to specific character actions.
How to meet it: List 2 shared motives between the two characters, plus 2 clear differences in how they act on those motives, with specific references to the play’s events.
Teacher looks for: Explicit link between the Pyrrhus allusion and a major theme of Hamlet, with reasoning that explains why Shakespeare included the allusion alongside leaving it out.
How to meet it: Tie the allusion to a theme like the cost of revenge or the danger of unregulated grief, and explain how the speech shapes audience understanding of Hamlet’s choices.
Pyrrhus, also called Neoptolemus, is the son of the Greek warrior Achilles. After Achilles is killed during the Trojan War, Pyrrhus joins the Greek fight against Troy, where he kills the Trojan king Priam on his own throne to avenge his father’s death. Write down 1 fact about the myth you can cite to ground your analysis of the allusion.
The allusion appears when a group of traveling players visits Elsinore, and Hamlet asks one player to deliver a monologue he remembers about the fall of Troy. The speech describes Pyrrhus’ violent, unhesitating attack on Priam, with graphic details about the destruction of the city and the suffering of innocent Trojans. Use this context to explain why Hamlet would specifically request this speech from the player.
A foil is a character who highlights specific traits of a main character through comparison and contrast. Pyrrhus and Hamlet both have a clear duty to avenge their father’s deaths, but Pyrrhus acts immediately and brutally, while Hamlet overthinks his choice and delays for months. Add one line to your notes about how this contrast changes your reading of Hamlet’s behavior.
Both men are motivated by intense grief over their father’s violent death. Both believe their revenge is justified by the wrongs their fathers suffered. Both their acts of revenge take place in royal courts, with consequences that extend far beyond the person they are targeting. Jot down one parallel you haven’t seen discussed before to bring up in class.
The Pyrrhus allusion links Hamlet’s personal quest for revenge to the large-scale, destructive violence of war. It shows that even revenge that feels justified by grief can harm innocent people and erode the moral character of the person seeking it. It also questions whether there is any “right” way to carry out a violent act of revenge. Use this thematic connection to answer short answer questions on quizzes and exams.
Use this before class discussion to have concrete points to contribute when your teacher asks about allusions or foil characters. You can also use the foil dynamic between Pyrrhus and Hamlet as the core of a literary analysis essay about Hamlet’s status as a tragic hero. Test the analysis by writing a 3-sentence practice response to a prompt asking about the purpose of mythic allusions in Hamlet.
No, Pyrrhus is only referenced in a monologue delivered by a traveling player who visits Elsinore. He does not appear as a physical character in the play’s action.
Hamlet uses the speech to test his own feelings about revenge, and to confront how slowly he has acted on his promise to kill Claudius to avenge his father’s death.
Pyrrhus acts immediately and brutally to avenge his father, with no hesitation or moral doubt. Hamlet spends most of the play questioning whether he should act, weighing the moral cost of revenge before he finally kills Claudius.
Most high school and college literature courses cover key allusions in Hamlet, including the reference to Pyrrhus, as they help explain major themes and character motivation. It is a common topic for short answer questions and essay prompts.
Editorial note: This page is independently written for educational support. Verify specifics with assigned class materials and the original text.
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