Play Synopsis

Troilus and Cressida begins with the Trojan War going on its seventh year. Troilus is King Priam's youngest son and has fallen for Cressida, the daughter of Calchas, traitor of the Trojans. Cressida's uncle, the precocious Pandarus, encourages a romance between the two which leads them straight to the bedchamber.

When we see the Greeks at their camp, they are discussing the problem of the arrogant Achilles' apathy toward the war, as being damaging to the army's overall unity, morale and success. When the Trojan warrior Hector issues a challenge to duel any Greek in one-on-one combat, Ulysses chooses Ajax over Achilles to represent the Greeks. Ulysses hope is to pierce Achilles pride and arouse his motivation to fight.

Cressida's father Calchas, has deserted Troy for the Greeks. He insists to the Greeks that he is due a favor for joining them with his knowledge of the Trojan forces. He proposes that the score will be settled if the Greeks will exchange a Trojan prisoner for his daughter, Cressida. Agamemnon, commander of the Greek army, agrees to this, and Cressida is soon parted from Troilus, to return to her father. Swearing her infidelity to Troilus, Cressida appears inconsolable, because of their forced separation. In the very next scene however, she displays an unreasonably speedy recovery, when she meets— and flirts—with all the Greek generals, in particular Diomedes. It is obvious has no problem with being untrue to Troilus, despite his steadfast devotion.

When Hector and Ajax meet to have their duel, they fight half-heartedly until Ajax declares the two shouldn't be fighting, because they are in fact, literal cousins. The Trojans and Greeks find themselves on good, even congenial, terms for the remainder of the day.

With her favor, Diomedes has been courting Cressida, since her arrival in the Greek camp. While escorted in the Greek camp by Ulysses, a heartbroken Troilus witmesses Cressida betray her vow to him by giving Diomedes the sleeve that Troilus had given to her when she left Troy. He vows to kill Diomedes in battle, though later fails to actually do so.

During the major and final battle, Hector slays Patroclus, which arouses the wrath of Achilles at last. (Achilles and Patroclus were so close that they were accused of being lovers.) Achilles finds Hector resting at the end of the day and in a cowardly fashion, has his men slay the Hector as he is unarmed and resting. Troy has suffered a grave defeat by the end of the day, and Troilus expresses his rage by cursing and blamimg both Achilles and Pandarus.

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