In the fifth episode, and in association with Required Reading and Two True Freaks, I am joined by Tom Panarese as we look at the play “Troilus and Cressida” by William Shakespeare. This is considered a problem play…in more ways than one! How well does the bard balance romance with political intrigue? Listen and find out!
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This was an engrossing discussion, and it led me to my copy of Harold Bloom’s “Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human.” Essentially, he agreed with you two. He also states that there is no evidence that the play was performed in W.S’s lifetime. It probably was, but at a sort of private event. I am unaware if there has been any evidence in the last thirty years to show otherwise. However, while I was listening, I was thinking about the performance conventions of the time, when all the women were played by boys and young men. How would they have done any scene of excessive kissing? As a joke to the audience? As a broad lampoon of kissing? As a sort of hazing for the kid who was the girl?
Your discussion of what did Shakespeare and his audience know of the story of The Iliad reminded me of some things that Stella touched on in previous episodes. Probably Shakespeare’s audience knew the broad outlines of the story, as did Homer’s audience. Each author was almost required to feature the “stars” of the story. Helen, Paris, Hector, Achilles. Shakespeare gives his audience a couple who serve as an entry-point to bring us into that world. Homer had to find ways to justify the actions of the principal figures in ways that his audience would’ve understood. Much like we super-hero comics fans know the previous adventures of our favorites, Homer’s audience knew the stories of the gods. Why didn’t the gods intervene? “Well, they were fighting their own fights and here’s how it happened!” Why was Zeus so turned on by Hera when he had sexually conquered so many others? “Well, here’s a list and he said this was the best!” They knew that the war lasted ten years. They also “knew” that Achilles could have ended it much earlier that that. So, Homer (or his predecessors) had to come up with an explanation for why Achilles didn’t. Or wouldn’t. ( See also, Spear of Destiny and superheroes of World War II.)
Stella, your thesis for this show is “was Helen to blame.” Why? Where does that notion come from. Is it merely conventional wisdom? Was it brough up in the Renaisance? Is it a reflection of 19th century Western European thought? As the story clearly states, Helen had no choice in the matter. She was an pawn of the gods.