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TROILUS & CRESSIDAContents:
In Shakespeare’s day the story of the Trojan Wars would have been known by every member of his audience. They would have known about the heroes and the gods, and the parts that they played in the ten year war. Shakespeare would have assumed this prior knowledge when he wrote Troilus & Cressida. However today the story is not such an integral part of our culture, so for those who do not know the story here is a brief synopsis. The highlighted section is the passage dealt with during the play. The war began in heaven where three of the Greek goddesses were arguing about who was the fairest - Hera, the queen of the gods, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. The gods took an active part in the Trojan war, on both sides. Paris, a Trojan prince, was called on to choose between the goddesses. He chose Aphrodite as the fairest. She in return gave him Helen, the most beautiful women in the world, as a prize. However, Helen was already married to Menelaus, the King of Sparta. Paris persuaded Helen to desert Menelaus and come with him to Troy. Menelaus, determined to get her back, called upon the other Greek kings to help him. They gathered an army and sailed across the Aegean sea to Troy. Troy was such a magnificent city that they could not capture it immediately, so instead they laid siege to it. Neither side could gain an advantage in the numerous battles that took place. After nine years a quarrel broke out between two Greeks, Achilles and Agamemnon, both vain and obstinate, over a captured girl. At this point Homer’s poem the Iliad (the source) and Shakespeare’s play Troilus & Cressida begin. Achilles was so annoyed by the quarrel that he refused to continue to fight. This left the Greeks without their greatest warrior. The battle continued with many single combats, including between Menelaus and Paris. Paris was lucky not be killed in this encounter. After this combat Paris and Hector, two Trojans, also withdrew from the field of battle. When the two Trojan heroes returned to the field, Achilles was still absent. The Trojans faired well, on one day they succeeded in burning one of the Greek ships. The other ships were saved by Patroclus, Achilles’ dearest friend, who was wearing Achilles’ armour. However, has he pursued the Trojans he was killed by Hector. This action brought Achilles back to the field of battle, searching for revenge. He duelled with Hector and won. Then he dragged his body around the city. Here both the Iliad and Troilus & Cressida end at this point in the war. However the battle for Troy continued. Achilles was killed by Paris. Then Paris himself was killed by an arrow. Ulysses, a Greek leader, decided to try to defeat the Trojan by cunning, as strength had failed. The Greeks built a wooden horse, hid some soldiers inside, and then pretended to leave. The Trojans considered the horse to be a sacred object and brought it into the city. However, that night the Greek soldiers slipped out of the horse and opened the city gates. The Greek army then entered the city and raised it. |
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