Troilus and Cressida, then, as models to Helen and Paris -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 05:49:53 01/28/08 Mon
Author: Betsy Peters
Subject: Troilus and Cressida, then, as models to Helen and Paris

By attracting Troilus and Cressida one to another, Pandarus creates a couple to stand as a proxy to Paris and Helen. The Trojan War council opens the play discussing how they might take Helen from her lover Paris and return her to the Greeks. Pandarus�s parallel lovers provide the solution. Instead of separating Helen from Paris, the Trojans exchange Cressid. From his position as the mediator of the lover�s relationships, Pandarus moves direction of the whole play. As By doing so, Shakespeare merely shifts the focus of Homer�s Torjan War account but still lays the responsiblilty at Pandarus' feet. In the Iliad, Pandarus does indeed direct the final stage of the Trojan War as he breaks the peace of Paris and Menelaus� duel by shooting the Greek king from the ranks; fights erupt, and chaos ensues until the Greeks level Troy. In Troilus and Cressida, again Pandarus directs the narrative. This time, instead of arming himself with a physical bow and arrow, he chooses Cupid�s weapons to drive the drama to death.

Thanks to Dr. Smith for assigning this thought-provoking play for his Shakespeare class.

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