Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare (Book Analysis) E-Book

Bright Summaries

• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: BrightSummaries.com
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 26

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of Troilus and Cressida with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare, which is set during the Trojan War, one of the key episodes in Greek mythology. It traces the progress of the conflict as both sides refuse to back down regardless of the human cost of their obstinacy; meanwhile, the Trojan prince Troilus attempts to woo Cressida, but their initial happiness is soon shattered by her apparent duplicity. With its subversion of the mythological tradition and frequent shifts in tone, Troilus and Cressida is one of the most philosophical and thought-provoking plays by William Shakespeare, who is widely considered to be one of the most influential writers in the history of the English language.

Find out everything you need to know about Troilus and Cressida in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

Leseprobe

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT AND POET

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.Died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.Notable works:King Lear (1623), playA Midsummer Night’s Dream (1600), playRichard III (1597), play

William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet and is generally considered the most influential writer in the English language. He worked in several modes including comedy, history, tragedy, the narrative poem and the sonnet, and was active during an extraordinary flowering of creativity during the Elizabethan Renaissance – not just as a playwright, but also as an actor and as the eventual co-owner of the Globe theatre in London. Shakespeare spent 20 years in London, where he wrote all of his famous works and staged them with his own acting company, The King’s Men, and others. Shakespeare’s plays are universal in their scope, as they explore all the complexities of the human experience, from politics to love and death. Played constantly all around the world and revered for their complex characters and deft use of language, Shakespeare’s plays are now considered one of the crowning jewels of English and international literary heritage.

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA

TRAGIC DRAMA

Genre: playReference edition: Shakespeare, W. (2015) Troilus and Cressida. London: The Arden Shakespeare, revised ed. by David Bevington.1stedition: 1623Themes: love and lust, war and honour, pride, appearances and reality, the personal and the political, performativity

Written between 1601 and 1602 and first published in the First Folio edition of 1623, Troilus and Cressida is a transitional play for Shakespeare, written after Hamlet (1600-1) but before the other great tragedies – King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, etc. – which were to follow. Set in the mythological Ancient Greece of the Trojan War, the play follows the unfolding and disastrous romance that blooms between Troilus, a Trojan prince, and Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan priest who has defected to the Greek side. It has been labelled one of Shakespeare’s ‘problem plays’ due to the complications arising from its historical-mythological setting, its unlikeable and seemingly satirical portraits of the mythical Greek heroes (who are depicted as godlike and noble in Homer’s works) and its lack of typical tragic plot structure. It is also shares the somewhat wry and pessimistic view of human nature seen in other problem plays such as Measure for Measure or All’s Well That Ends Well. While its reception historically was puzzled and mixed, beginning in the 20th century the play gained increasing respect and fascination as an object of study and was staged more frequently. It is generally seen today as one of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic, daring and contemporarily relevant plays.

SUMMARY

TROILUS FALLS IN LOVE