William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida

William M. Hamlin (Washington State University)

Ed. by William M. Hamlin, Washington State University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.03: English Writing and Culture: Renaissance (Elizabethan and Jacobean periods) , 1485-1625.
Vol. editors: William M. Hamlin (Washington State University), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University), Ema Vyroubalova (Trinity College Dublin)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1601 - c. 1602

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

Resources

Save to Bookshelf

Recommended Reading

Neither a comedy nor a tragedy in any conventional sense,

Troilus and Cressida

bears a well-deserved reputation as one of Shakespeare’s most difficult and enigmatic plays. Set during the Trojan War, it tells the story of two young lovers who are abruptly separated after spending a single night together. Troilus is the youngest son of Priam and Hecuba, king and queen of Troy; Cressida is the daughter of a Trojan prophet named Calchas who has defected to the Greeks. When the Greek army captures the Trojan warrior Antenor, Calchas proposes that Troy redeem him by offering Cressida in exchange – a plan that allows the Greeks to reward Calchas by reuniting him with his daughter. Both sides assent to the trade. Cressida is immediately dispatched from her native city, and at her departure…

Please log in to consult the article in its entirety. If you are a member (student of staff) of a subscribing institution (see List), you should be able to access the LE on campus directly (without the need to log in), and off-campus either via the institutional log in we offer, or via your institution's remote access facilities, or by creating a personal user account with your institutional email address. If you are not a member of a subscribing institution, you will need to purchase a personal subscription. For more information on how to subscribe as an individual user, please see under Individual Subcriptions.

2734 words

Citation: Hamlin, William M.. "Troilus and Cressida". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 August 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8470, accessed 24 April 2024.]

View recommended reading for this article

Save this article