Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

By Bright Summaries

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

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• Language: English
• Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
• Release date: Apr 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9782808019187

Book preview

ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT AND POET

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.

Died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.

Notable works:

King Lear (1623), play

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1600), play

Richard 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.

TRAGIC DRAMA

Genre: play

Reference edition: Shakespeare, W. (2015) Troilus and Cressida. London: The Arden Shakespeare, revised ed. by David Bevington.

1stedition: 1623

Themes: 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,