Troilus and Cressida

Set during the long siege of Troy, this caustic play twines a doomed love story with a jaundiced view of the Trojan War itself. The Trojan prince Troilus wins the love of Cressida, only to lose her to a prisoner exchange that carries her to the Greek camp and into the arms of another man. Around them, Homer’s heroes are cut down to size: Achilles sulks, Ajax preens, and the whole conflict grinds on over questions of honor that begin to look hollow. Hard to file as comedy or tragedy, it ranks among Shakespeare’s most bitter and modern works. First printed in 1609, it rewards readers who like their romance shadowed by irony. Available here as a free PDF and EPUB edition.