Aims and Appeal of Art

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Aims and Appeal of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida.
The genre of Troilus and Cressida has always been a bone of contention. It bears similarities to tragedies but lacks the typical tragic plot structure. Shakespeare oppresses elements of tragedy and represents a broader philosophical style between Mythos and Logos. The play does not depict the death of its title characters. Also, he subverts the Homeric narrative which romantics stories of heroes. Currently, Literature associates the play with “problem comedies.” View of human relations. The Trojan story is based in the tradition of myths. The play depends on classical mythology. This is evidenced by the Prologue presence. He gives a brief story of the Greek Kings sailing to Troy to recapture stolen Helen. Its degree of briefness indicates familiarity of the audience with the mythology. In the play lust and brutality take the day. The desertion of the heroic attribute contradicts the concept of the fallen protagonist. This character is the tying factor in Greek tragedies. With this, it becomes a “problem” torn between Myths and Logos.
The setting, the Trojan War, create an expectation of a heroic epic. But Shakespeare deliberately creates an anti-heroic play. Though the play cannot be classified as a comedy, it is full of satire and humor. Cressida responses to Alexander “So do all me unless they are drunk, sick, or have no legs” (1.2.15-17). The war in Troilus and Cressida is neither epic nor heroic.

In fact, the Greeks and Trojans use Helen as an excuse to wage war. Shakespeare also utilizes a lot of mythical characters to emphasize the battle between Mythos and Logos. Examples are; Ulysses and Agamemnon. He depicts flaws with the supposedly god-like men using Homeric audacity. Through this, he undermines the perceived good characteristic of the heroic age.
Work Cited
“Shmoop Opt In”. Shmoop.Com, 2018, https://www.shmoop.com/troiluscressida/translation.htl. Accessed 9 July 2018.