Neither a comedy nor a tragedy in any conventional sense,

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…

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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 21 November 2024.]

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