Troilus and Cressida
'Troilus and Cressida' Summary
Troilus and Cressida is set during the later years of the Trojan War, faithfully following the plotline of the Iliad from Achilles' refusal to participate in battle, to Hector's death. Essentially, two plots are followed in the play. In one, Troilus, a Trojan prince (son of Priam), woos Cressida, another Trojan. They profess their undying love, before Cressida is exchanged for a Trojan prisoner of war. As he attempts to visit her in the Greek camp, Troilus glimpses Diomedes flirting with his beloved Cressida, and decides to avenge her perfidy.
While this plot gives the play its name, it accounts for only a small part of the play's run time. The majority of the play revolves around the leaders of the Greek and Trojan forces, Agamemnon and Priam, respectively. Agamemnon and his cohorts attempt to get the proud Achilles to return to battle and face Hector, who sends the Greeks a letter telling them of his willingness to engage in one-on-one combat with a Greek soldier. Ajax is originally chosen as this combatant, but makes peace with Hector before they are able to fight. Achilles is prompted to return to battle only after his protege Patroclus is killed by Hector before the Trojan walls. A series of skirmishes conclude the play, during which Achilles catches Hector and has the Myrmidons kill him. The conquest of Troy is left unfinished, as the Trojans learn of the death of their hero.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1602Author
William Shakespeare
United Kingdom
William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he was probably educated at the King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford, where he...
More on William ShakespeareDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Christopher Junior by Madeleine Lucette Ryley
In the world of Victorian England, where social class defines one's fate, a young man named Christopher Junior embarks on a journey of love, ambition,...
The Room in the Dragon Volant by Sheridan Le Fanu
J. Sheridan LeFanu's Gothic mystery novel is narrated by Richard Beckett, a young Englishman abroad in Napoleonic-era France. He falls instantly in lo...
Smoke by Ivan Turgenev
Smoke is an 1867 novel by the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev (1818–1883) that tells the story of a love affair between a young Russian man and a young m...
Gyges und sein Ring by Friedrich Hebbel
Tauchen Sie ein in die faszinierende Welt von "Gyges und sein Ring" von Friedrich Hebbel, einem zeitlosen Drama, das die Grenzen von Macht, Moral und...
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
The Cherry Orchard is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by Znaniye (Book Two, 1904), and came...
The Genial Idiot by John Kendrick Bangs
John Kendrick Bangs once again takes us on a journey with the loveable, but somewhat self-opinionated and irritating Mr Idiot.
Historietas Nacionales by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón
Step into the rich tapestry of Spain's history with Pedro Antonio de Alarcón y Ariza's captivating work, "Historietas Nacionales." In this literary jo...
The Big Blue Soldier by Grace Livingston Hill
This is a captivating novel written by Grace Livingston Hill, a renowned author known for her inspiring and heartwarming stories. This book was writte...
Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas
The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later is a novel by Alexandre Dumas. It is the third and last of The d'Artagnan Romances, following The Three Mus...
Callista by John Henry Newman
In the third century, a beautiful Greek woman named Callista is forced to choose between her love for a pagan philosopher and her newfound faith in Ch...
Reviews for Troilus and Cressida
No reviews posted or approved, yet...