Troilus and Cressida

• The Trojan War, year seven. Everyone's exhausted. The Greeks are bickering. The Trojans debate whether to return Helen • Troilus (Trojan prince) is desperately in love with Cressida. Her uncle Pandarus (the original "pander") arranges their meeting • They consummate their love — one night of passion, vows of eternal fidelity • Next morning: Cressida is traded to the Greek camp as part of a prisoner exchange. Torn from Troilus immediately • In the Greek camp, Cressida flirts with Diomedes. Troilus watches, hidden. She gives Diomedes the sleeve Troilus gave her • Troilus's disillusionment is total: "This is, and is not, Cressid." Love collapses into nothing • Greek politics: Ulysses gives a famous speech on "degree" (social order), then proceeds to manipulate everyone • Achilles sulks in his tent (with Patroclus, his lover — Shakespeare makes the relationship explicit). Ajax is an idiot chosen to fight Hector instead • Hector and Ajax fight inconclusively. Hector meets Achilles, who's unimpressive up close • Patroclus is killed. Achilles finally fights — but not heroically. He has his Myrmidons surround an unarmed Hector and butcher him • Pandarus delivers a diseased, cynical epilogue. No resolution, no triumph, no meaning. War continues • The most cynical thing Shakespeare ever wrote — every ideal (love, honor, heroism) is systematically destroyed