Introduction to English - Essay 1 (1000words) Login to unit provided

Introduction to English - 1 (1000words) Login to unit provided - Essay Example While Shakespeare presented his women as unfaithful and loose, Chaucer chose to show women as long-suffering, faithful and virtuous. Troilus and Cressida is set during the mythological war between the Greeks and the Trojans precipitated by a Trojan prince’s act of stealing the wife of a Greek king. The woman named Helen eloped with Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, and left her husband King Menelaus. Menelaus, together with the fierce Greek commanders and the greatest Greek warrior Achilles attacked Troy to vindicate the king’s honor and wrest the lovely Helen back. King Priam and his sons Hector, Paris and Troilus relentlessly defended Troy and a war lasting for more than a decade subsequently raged. Amidst this turbulent background, Troilus, Priam’s youngest son fell in love with Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan priest named Calchas. Troilus sought Cressida’s affection through her uncle Patroclus who, acting as a pimp more than a kinsman, set up a meeting between the two. On the initial meeting, Troilus proposed his love and Cressida although coyly at first, readily gave in. The sw ift development was marked by of faithfulness and Cressida, declared that â€Å"From false to false, among maids in love, Upbraid my falsehood! when they’ve said ‘as false As air, as water, wind, or sandy earth, As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifers’s calf, Pard to the hind, or stepdame to her son,† â€Å"Yea† let them say say, to stick the heart of falsehood, ‘As false as Cressid.† They ended up in bed together. Soon after, Cressida’s words were put to a test when her father Calchas defected to the Greeks who had camped outside Troy and suggested that a valuable Trojan prisoner be set off with his daughter Cressida. Since the Trojan prisoner was a valuable officer, the set off was readily agreed to by King Priam and his sons to the dismay of Troilus who was not able to stop the deal. Before she left, Cressida and Troilus pledged once more