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Author Archives: raquel.ortega1
Posts: 3 (archived below)
Comments: 3
Dear Cressida, Your Actions Speak Louder Than Your Words!!
In our class discusions we have throughly discussed Cressida. Cressida’s relationship with Troilus. Cressida’s relationship with Diomedes. And every other relationship she has in the story. Still today, I don’t quite know where stand with her. I wonder if she was evil and conniving from the start or whether her actions were shoved upon her upon the Trojan and Greek exchange. One thing I do know if that she is most definitely deceitful and manipulative. She too, is unsure of what she might become someday. She says, ” I have a kind of self resides with you;/ But an unkind self, that itself will leave to be another’s fool. / I would be gone. Where is my wit? I know not what I speak” (3.2 149-152). In today’s urban society one would classfiy Cressida as a “trick,” someone who deceives, lies, and is untrustworthy. You can look it up in at Urbandictionary.com if you need further connotation. 🙂
Cressida’s relationship with Troilus is rather interesting because neither of them pledged any vows to be with each other for the rest of their lives. We can furthermore classify their relationship as a lustful one, lasting as long as a 3rd grade romance. And by the end we see what love or lust as one can call it has done to Troilus. One thing I know I am definitely in Troilus’s side.
Stubborn Love
This play had struck my interest for a few reasons. For one, I enjoyed reading the play and noticing how relaxed the text was to read and understand. I did enjoy reading how characters like Benedick spoke in way that was translucent and simply understandable. The prose of the text made for a more enjoyable reading. However, I most enjoyed seeing two tough and obstinate characters like Benedick and Beatrice (two people of whom) rejected any facet of true love fall completely in love. Through the beginning of the play, we can see how Benedick proclaims his declaration of a bachelor he says,
Those women conceived me. I thank her;
that she brought me up, I likewise give her most
humble thank. But that I will have a rechate
winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an
invisible baldrick,all women shall pardon me.
Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any
I will do myself the right to trust none…
I will live a bachelor. (1.1 229-236)
We can see that Benedick has no intentions of falling in love and will not have anything to do with women and truly believes that his relationship to a man is much closer to that of a women. In Benedick’s eyes all men are considered bachelors, and therefore unmarried. As stated above Benedick makes a reference to being taken by the horns, and it seem as if he does not want to be taken control of especially by a women. Benedick holds this philosophy of love true until the end of the play when his feelings are confronted and challenged by Beatrice, who is just as persistent as Benedick.
Beatrice’s’ mind-set seems to correspond exactly to Benedick’s. For one, she does not believe in love. This is because she truly thinks no man is going to suit her, in other words, no man will ever live up to her standards. Beatrice and Benedick develop feelings for each other. Thus, they cannot resist one another and cannot avoid falling in love.
