داستان نمایشنامه اقتباسی از نبرد معروف تروا است که به نظر می‌رسه در سال هفتم محاصره رخ می‌ده و درواقع همون تقابل آشیل و هکتور که توی فیلم معروف سال 2004 هم خیلی بهش تأکید شده بود اینجا نقش اصلی رو ایفا می‌کنه.
از این حرف‌های گذشته فکر کنم این عجیب‌ترین کاری بود که از شکسپیر خوندم... مثلاً با اینکه داستان بسیار به تراژدی نزدیکه اما عناصری مثل خدمتکار بذله‌گو که تو تمام کمدی‌هاش حضور داره، تو این نمایشنامه هم هست... همینطور از اون یکپارچگی همیشگی و کلاسیک شکسپیر هم خبری نیست... به طور مثال با اینکه نام داستان ترویلوس و کرسیداست اما درواقع سرانجام این دو نفر رو نمایشنامه مشخص نمی‌کنه و یه جورایی حس پایان باز می‌ده بهتون!‌ البته به این فکر کردم که شاید شهرت این داستان باعث شده که شکسپیر نخواد همه چی رو نشون بده اما یعنی مردم طبقه‌ی متوسط لندن قرن هفدهم، همه داستان ایلیاد رو می‌دونستند؟
نکته‌ی جالب اینه که این نمایشنامه از لحاظ زمانی بین آثار کمتر مشهور شکسپیر و آثار پرآوازه‌ای مثل مکبث و اتللو و هملت و لیرشاه نوشته شده و می‌شه گفت گذار شکسپیر به پختگی حداکثریشه... البته با اینکه اثر عجیبی بود به نظرم خوب نبود. نکته‌ی جالب دیگه‌ش اینه که این نمایشنامه بین ما ایرانی‌ها از همه‌ی آثارش مهجورتره... تا جایی که من گشتم ترجمه‌ی مستقلی جز ترجمه‌ی آقای پازارگادی تو مجموعه آثار شکسپیر از این اثر نیست و به شکل عجیبی هیچیک از دوستان و دنبال‌شوندگان من تو گودریدز این نمایشنامه رو نخوندن و حتی تو لیست «خواهم خواند» هم نذاشتند. ( )

We are at Troy, and the war is going nowhere from the Greek point of view. The Trojans are openly reviewing the idea that Helen is worth the trouble. The action is reviewed constantly by Thersites, an obvious draftee, not greatly given to any causes but his own survival, and the motivations of both sides are less than heroic. Cressida, is the beloved of Troilus, but with considerable encouragement, transfers her affections, and her body, to the care of Diomedes one of the Greek heroes. This is Shakespeare's most obviously anti-war play. ( )

One of the strengths of Troilus and Cressida is that, because everyone knows about the Trojan War and the main players in it, the events of this play really do feel like a little snapshot from a much larger history. While the tragedy of our titular couple is not as perfectly crafted as those of Shakespeare's "great" tragedies, it gains a special wrenching quality from being so random and incidental. Troilus and Cressida are torn apart, not just because of the events of the play, but because the war churns on, dragging everyone with it. This story focuses on the petty quibbles of soldiers, the beaten, mocking servant, the lecherous uncle, the distrustful husband, the warrior fighting dirty-- this Trojan War is grimier than you've ever seen it, and any hero in it is killed or corrupted before the end. Diseases, indeed. ( )

2019
https://www.librarything.com/topic/306026#6880301 ( )

I just didn't get this one. I tried print and audio and ended up going back to print to read the whole thing, but I still couldn't tell you much of anything that I read. I know my eyes moved across the page, but for some reason the words just refused to sink in. Possibly part of the problem is that I detest Ancient Greek history. I've never enjoyed it. However, I really liked Margaret George's novel Helen of Troy, so I thought I'd be okay here. I wasn't. I know it was a cultural norm both in Shakespeare's time and it seems to still be a norm today, but women being treated as property is a theme that angers me. The way Cressida was treated makes my blood boil, and I didn't see anything in her behavior that justified the label of "whore". Again, I obviously missed the message of the play. I didn't like any of the characters. I found no humor in the story. But, I finished, so I can check another of Shakespeare's plays off my to-read list. ( )