Troilus and Cressida (Oxford Shakespeare)

by WilliamShakespeare (Author), KennethMuir (Editor)

• Used

  Paperback
  1984

  $6.30

  Given the wealth of formal debate contained in this tragedy, Troilus and Cressida was probably written in 1602 for a performance at one of the Inns of the Court. Shakespeare's treatment of the age-old tale of love and betrayal is based on many sources, from Homer and Ovid to Chaucer and Shakespeare's near contemporary Robert Greene. In the introduction the various problems connected with the play, its performance, and publication, are considered succinctly; its multiple sources are discussed in detail, together with its peculiar stage history and its renewed popularity in recent years.

• Used

  Paperback
  1983

  $3.25

• New

  Paperback
  2005

  $35.37

  This edition is the first to offer a detailed account of the theatrical treatment of Troilus and Cressida on the British and North American stages from its first revivals at the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. As social turmoil increased, audiences grew more in tune with the play's cynical undercutting of the Homeric tale of Greeks and Trojans, and less dismissive of Shakepeare's dark comedic treatment of the Medieval tale of Troilus and Cressida. This edition of this problematic and fascinating play traces its theatrical history, drawing upon critical responses, photographic archives, promptbooks, and video tapes of more recent productions to trace changes in production styles and emphases. Stage history is placed against a broader background of social change including shifting attitudes towards war, politics, sexual issues, and the rise of feminism that has increased understanding of Cressida's actions in a wartime man's world.