Like or find fault; do as your pleasures are: Now good or bad, 'tis but the chance of war. Prologue

Transcription

1 Like or find fault; do as your pleasures are: Now good or bad, 'tis but the chance of war. Prologue

2 Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida: Of War and Lechery Kristina Faber Troilus and Cressida William Shakespeare

3 Introduction and set-up Faber s assertion My response in tandem The arguments Critical questions.

4

5 Thus Troilus and Cressida operates within the tragic rather than the comic mode, but it ultimately withholds catharsis. From the Prologue, which evokes the audience's knowledge of the fall of Troy, creating specific expectations of catastrophe, Shakespeare has manipulated the audience toward a tragic conclusion. Faber 146

6 Make War not Love The "pity and fear" that Aristotle believed tragedy purged us of seem appropriate responses in an audience given that tragedies end in death or defeat for the hero. Faber 137

7 Make Love not War Comedies, of course, often end in marriage. Faber 137

8 Troilus and Cressida ends not in marriage, but with Hector s death but even then, his death brings not redemption but the fall of Troy.

9 Make Love and War More penetrating, I believe, are the observations of Marilyn French and F. H. Langman that "at every level" (Langman 66) these plots coterminate: in Troilus and Cressida, love is war (French 159; see also Yoder 19). Faber 134

10 The idea that love is war is taken right to the extreme (like the empty threats people make that turn out NOT to be empty after all. Who knew right?). These people literally went to war and killed and died all because of a single woman. The is no honour in the play for there is none in war as well. It is essentially a war for lust and a lust for war.

11 The play is ridiculous, often show casing absurd characters and pitiless. Which is what it is meant to be. It is after all up to the chance of war and there are no chances in war. It is brutal and terrible. Shakespeare does not manipulate us towards a tragic conclusion, rather it is our own expectations that lead us there.

12 The Problem Play The problem of duality. The problem of the missing hero. The problem of the ending.

13 The Problem of Duality in the genre of the play (Tragicomedy) Tied in with the problem of the ending and in the plot of the play (War and Love)

14 The Problem of the Missing Hero The play lacks any noble and heroic character that the audience can rally behind or feel strongly for.

15 The Problem of the Ending or how Hector was murdered. Which is fun to think about considering that it is war so would it be more accurate to say he was killed in battle? Thou more importantly there is no catharsis. It s like a climatical build up leading to a steep steep steep edge off a cliff towards disappointment.

16 My Reading Experience Excitement Beginning End

17 Two for the price of one The problem of duality

18 In this play no conflict between love and war exists; rather, they are the same thing- appetite, impulse, manifestations of what Sagan calls the old brain. In Troilus and Cressida we witness reptilian behavior, whether the specific scene involves a battle or a bedroom. Faber 144

19 To angle for your thoughts: but you are wise, Or else you love not, for to be wise and love Exceeds man's might; that dwells with gods above. Crisseda

20 Crisseda s words are on point as the men who are in love (or lust) are irrational and not thinking straight. Paris and Troilus want to continue the war (Lovesick fools) as opposed to Hector (Married).

21 Our firebrand brother, Paris, burns us all. Cry, Trojans, cry! a Helen and a woe: Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go. Cassandra

22 Now, youthful Troilus, do not these high strains Of divination in our sister work Some touches of remorse? or is your blood So madly hot that no discourse of reason, Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause, Can qualify the same? Hector

23 Where Helen is the subject; then, I say, Well may we fight for her whom, we know well, The world's large spaces cannot parallel. Paris Is she worth keeping? why, she is a pearl, Whose price hath launch'd above a thousand ships, And turn'd crown'd kings to merchants. Troilus

24 War and Love The dual narrative. Helen becomes a symbol not only of love but of war as well. The War over a woman and how it affects the love life of another woman. Paris (Trojan) steals Helen (Greek) from Agamemnon (Greek). Diomedes (Greek) steals Cressida (Trojan) from Troilus (Trojan).

25 War for Love The only motivation in this war seems to be mostly love (lust). Achilles is spurred to action after his lover is killed. Troilus becomes extremely fired and charged after witnessing Cressida s infidelity. Diomedes hunts for Troilus on the battlefield and vice versa. All the men are basically fighting for a lover.

26 Make Love and War More penetrating, I believe, are the observations of Marilyn French and F. H. Langman that "at every level" (Langman 66) these plots coterminate: in Troilus and Cressida, love is war (French 159; see also Yoder 19). Faber 134

27 When we reverse the original cliche, we have "war is love." This motto, too, the play illustrates. LaBranche explores an important motif in Troilus and Cressida: "the friendly meeting of enemies" (445). Faber 144

28 Love in War Even in the midst of a heated war, there is platonic love amongst enemies. There is more friendliness in war than in love. There is a level of respect between the opposing armies and their leaders.

29 AENEAS Princes, enough, so please you. AJAX I am not warm yet; let us fight again. DIOMEDES As Hector pleases. HECTOR Why, then will I no more:

30 Hector By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms; Hector would have them fall upon him thus: Cousin, all honour to thee! [They embrace] AJAX I thank thee, Hector Thou art too gentle and too free a man: I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence A great addition earned in thy death

31 So where my hero at? The problem of the missing hero

32 Catharsis is also prevented in this play because Shakespeare does not give us a tragic hero with whom to identify, with whom to move through the intense process of suffering and clarification, to a cathartic climax. An emotional experience, catharsis enlarges us perhaps more than it uplifts. Faber 138

33 Long story short, there is no Brutus in this play.

34 And tell me, noble Diomed, faith, tell me true, Even in the soul of sound good-fellowship, Who, in your thoughts, merits fair Helen best, Myself or Menelaus? Paris

35 Both alike: He merits well to have her, that doth seek her, Not making any scruple of her soilure, With such a hell of pain and world of charge, And you as well to keep her, that defend her, Not palating the taste of her dishonour, With such a costly loss of wealth and friends: He, like a puling cuckold, would drink up The lees and dregs of a flat tamed piece; You, like a lecher, out of whorish loins Are pleased to breed out your inheritors: Both merits poised, each weighs nor less nor more; But he as he, the heavier for a whore. Diomedes

36 The noble cause of the war as so passionately argued by our dear Paris and Troilus is openly called out by Diomedes and the face that launched a thousand ships becomes the whore of Troy.

37 Lechery, lechery; still, wars and lechery; nothing else holds fashion: a burning devil take them! Thersites

38 Honour(less) Ajax and Achilles. Cressida and her father, Calchas. Why is Achilles portrayed so dishonourably? Compared to Brutus, these people are base and decadent.

39 Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded of Agamemnon; Thersites is a fool to serve such a fool, and Patroclus is a fool positive. Thersites

40 What about Hector? While he is a rather enticing choice, it is difficult to feel pity for him by the end of the play.

41 Rather, the problem is that in his death scene Hector gives no indication of having learned anything about himself or his situation. No revelation mitigates his brutal assassination by Achilles' mob of Myrmidons: Hector's wretched end is not a tragedy but a waste of shame. Faber 141

42 In tragedy the hero's death or defeat becomes a sacrifice which saves his society-rather than destroying the future, he makes it possible. Faber 139

43 So while Brutus understands the folly of his actions and kills himself honourably, Hector is brutally set upon and killed like Caesar but his death doesn't do anything but bring about the fall of Troy - which in this case is a bad thing.

44 Obviously, to dispense with Cressida as a noble heroine presents no difficulty. Critics have had field days slinging mud at this daughter of the game, and finding bad enough names to call her has often seemed the only real challenge. Faber 141

45 Stab stab stab The problem of the ending

46 Another aspect of this play's catastrophic ending is that Hector's death dooms, rather than saves, his society. Hector is murdered, not sacrificed. Traditionally, the tragic hero is something of a scapegoat Faber 137

47 Death, in the near future. Like Caesar, no-one listens when someone tells them they're gonna die.

48 Hold you still, I say; Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate: Lie every man holds dear; but the brave man Holds honour far more precious-dear than life. Hector

49 The build up to his death is very caesar-like. People are telling him that they have dreamt that he is going to die but he does not care. This then makes it harder to feel for him as it would seem that he has it coming.

50 ACHILLES ACHILLES Now do I see thee, ha! have at thee, Hector! I do disdain thy courtesy, proud Trojan: [They fight] Be happy that my arms are out of use: HECTOR Pause, if thou wilt. My rest and negligence befriends thee now, But thou anon shalt hear of me again; Till when, go seek thy fortune

51 At the actual fight scene, it is extremely anticlimatical as both warriors come to a draw and retreat. The highlight of the battle between the two is nothing short of a let down and is completely unsatisfying.

52 But wait. There s more (disappointment)!

53 HECTOR [HECTOR falls] I am unarm'd; forego this vantage, So, Ilion, fall thou next! now, Troy, sink down! Greek. ACHILLES Strike, fellows, strike; this is the man I seek. Here lies thy heart, thy sinews, and thy bone. On, Myrmidons, and cry you all amain, 'Achilles hath the mighty Hector slain

54 Fall, Hector Hector s death paralleling Caesar s own death. Out of combat. Ganged up on and stabbed a great many times. Became a spectacle.

55 Back tracking to honour(less) Achilles is claiming the credit for the killing (or murder) or Hector. The greatest of the Greek warriors turns out to be a leech. Which is honestly quite upsetting personally. So much for heroism and fame and glory.

56 He's dead; and at the murderer's horse's tail, In beastly sort, dragg'd through the shameful field. Frown on, you heavens, effect your rage with speed! Sit, gods, upon your thrones, and smile at Troy! I say, at once let your brief plagues be mercy, And linger not our sure destructions on! Troilus

57 Not only is Hector s killing dishonourable. He is then made into a spectacle of the Grecian s might and of Troy s downfall. Hector s death brings about a complete fall in morale and Troilus becomes a harbinger of impending doom. oh and Pandarus is cursed at.

58 I would concur that the ending of Troilus and Cressida will forever remain troubling, offering neither traditional comic release nor tragic catharsis. Faber 133

59 While his death parallels Caesar s, all similarities stop there as it signals death instead of rebirth. While Caesar s death inspires an uprising, Hector s brings about the downfall of an empire. He is no tragic hero though he is likeable within the play.

60 To conclude

61 But Shakespeare seems more intent on examining how war corrupts. Little that is redeeming remains in Shakespeare's Troy. Faber 140

62 It is a tragedy and the tragedy is war. There is no redemption because there is none in war. It is a play that is meant to provoke. It is like a early modern critique of war and the waste it generates.

63 Critical Questions What is the role of Thersites within the play? Does he serve as a foil for the other characters? How well does Shakespeare balance the comedic and tragic elements in Troilus and Cressida? Do they conflict with each other or do they support each other to a certain extent?

64 Bibliography Faber, Kristina. Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida: Of War and Lechery. Vol. 26. N.p.: Colby, Ser. 2. Web. Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida. Folger Shakespeare Library. Web.