After rereading Troilus and Cressida for the paper and final, I
still find the play to be atrocious. I completely understand why critics say it
is one of Shakespeare’s worst plays, and is hardly ever acted out. I understand
that Shakespeare used the play as a satire for love and war, but I cant imagine
it being that enjoyable to watch on stage. There’s no real noticeable climax in
the play. Maybe it would be different to watch it, but after reading it I feel
the story is incomplete. It was not satisfying like the rest of Shakespeare’s
play which tend to wrap themselves up.
Also, I think Shakespeare tried a little bit to hard to make the Iliad’s
characters more realistic. I can understand making Achilles a bit pompous and a
narcissist, but he was also made out to be a coward. How do you go from
depicting Achilles as a mighty force racing down to the gates of Troy to face
Hector with the earth trembling in his wake to having him gang up on an unarmed
Hector with a bunch of men to kill him? It’s stretching the character too far.
Achilles was still a proud warrior in Troilus and Cressida – I don’t think it
makes sense for him to allow his reputation to be tarnished by ganging up to
kill Hector. The Greeks would celebrate the Trojans death, but they would also
whisper how he was so great that Achilles couldn’t beat him in a legitimate
duel.
I did enjoy the play’s take on love, however. I think most relationships boiled
down to lust in those days, and it was a refreshing change from the tales of
true love at first sight. Overall I still found the play to be disappointing
though
