English Literature Writing 2

英史期末 52
Troilus and Cressida are one of the most abstruse tragic plays in Shakespeare’s
literary works. There are two plot lines in the play. One is about two Trojan lovers,
Troilus and Cressida. When Cressida was traded to the Greek camp for exchange, she
betrayed Troilus immediately after one day, throwing her arms into Diomedes. The
other plot line focuses on the political aspect, of Hector and Achilles. The play
focuses on the themes of betrayal and conflicts of people. The betrayal of love, the
role and duty that should be done, and the betrayal of the subordinate status.
The betrayal of love is discussed in Troilus and Cressida. Troilus and Cressida are
a pair of Trojan couples. Sarcastically, Cressida’s father, Calchas, left his daughter and
defected to the Greek camp. With Pandarus’s help, the couple slept a night together.
They expressed their love and Cressida swears eternal loyalty to Troilus. In Act 3
Scene 2, Cressida says, “If I am false, or swerve a hair from the truth, let them say, to
stick the heart of falsehood, 'As false as Cressid.' ” This shows how Cressida is sure
about her loyalty. However, when Cressida is sent to Greek to trade for a Trojan
prisoner she accepts Prince Diomedes and gave him the love token Troilus gave her.
When Troilus heard their conversation, he felt betrayal, sorrow, and rage. He says,
“This she? No, this is Diomedes' Cressida. If beauty has a soul, this is not she; If souls
guide vows, if vows be sanctimonies, If sanctimony be the gods delight, If there be
rule in unity itself, This was not she.” (Act5, Scene 2) He couldn’t stand it and couldn’t
believe what Cressida did to him. He thinks that the person who betrayed him is
someone else, not Cressida. This is one of the first tragic climaxes in the play. This
shows how what people love and fight for during war might not be faithful to us.
Achilles betrayed his roles and duty to the country in Troilus and Cressida. He
did not act as people expected. Achilles, the Greek hero, and warrior, chose to refuse
to fight for the country. In the lines, “The great Achilles, [...] Grows dainty of his
worth, and in his tent Lies mocking our designs: with him Patroclus Upon a lazy bed
the livelong day.” (Act1, Scene 3) Achilles neglects his duties and spends time with his
lover instead. This is an act of betraying his job, fleeing away from his responsibility.
Achilles betrayed his political and military roles. Another example of his decisions is
when Hector challenges Greece to send its mightiest warrior for combat. Not only
did Achilles didn’t reply, the Greeks send Ajax, who is not the best warrior to Hector
to humiliate him. This is also one of the opposite acts of a hero. In the end, Hector
and Achilles didn’t kill each other. Achilles chose to let the soldiers kill Hector
unarmed, which is considered immoral and unrighteous at that time. Achilles
abandoned the rules he should have followed as a warrior. The disappearance of the
heroic trait negates the concept of the characteristic of the tragedies.
Other male characters also showed betrayal throughout the play. For example,
Thersites, the fool in this play. Thersites, a foul-mouthed ruffian, refuses to obey and
instead curses his master and the Greeks with equal vigor, provoking Ajax to beat
him. In Act 2, he says, “All the argument is a cuckold and a whore; a good quarrel to
draw emulous factions and bleed to death upon. Now, the dry serpigo on the
subject! and war and lechery confound all!” This shows how Thersites’ deceit leads
people to destruction. War looms between the two countries.
A variety of topics were discussed in Troilus and Cressida. Infidelity and the war
theme are the major issues addressed in the play. We can see the strong emotion
flows between the characters and their choices when humans face wars. When
Troilus and Cressida fell in love, war rages around the two. People end up betraying
each other during the war, but this may also show human self-defense and the only
way out of strong despair.

English Literature Writing 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

English Literature Writing 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

English Literature Writing 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

英史期末 52

You might also like