Troilus and Cressida

The History of Troilus and Cressida is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1602, shortly after the completion of Hamlet. It was published in quarto in two separate editions, both in 1609. It is not known whether the play was ever performed in its own time, because the two editions say different things: one announces on the title page that the play had been recently performed on stage; the other claims in a preface that it is a new play that has never been staged.

Synopsis

The play is set during the Trojan War, and essentially has two plots. In one Troilus, a Trojan prince , woos Cressida, has sex with her, and professes never-dying love just before she is traded with the Greeks for a prisoner of war. Trying to visit her in the Greek camp, he sees her with Diomedes, and decides she is a whore.

Related Topics:
Trojan War - Troilus - Trojan - Cressida - Greeks - Diomedes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite being the titular story, this plot takes up very few scenes: the majority of the play revolves around a scheme by Nestor and Ulysses to get the lazy Achilles back into battle to fight for the Greeks.

Related Topics:
Nestor - Ulysses - Achilles

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The play ends with a series of battle skirmishes between the two sides, and the death of the Trojan hero Hector.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~