What Was The Main Source Of Shakespeare’s Drama “Troilus And Cressida”?

Troilus and Cressida were a loving couple according to the medieval romance. The characters of the story were based on Greek mythology. As per the great epic Iliad which was written by Homer, Troilus was the son of Priam and Hecuba

According to the non-Homeric legends the son of Priam and Hecuba that is Troilus was killed during the war with Achilles. The story of Troilus was first turned into a romantic story in the middle ages. In themedieval legends about Troilus he started to be represented as an innocent lover. In that legend his lover was Cressida, who betrayed the innocent Troilus. The lady, Cressida, deserted him for the Greek warrior Diomedes. The lover was killed by his faithless love.

The first adaptation of the story was written in the name of "Roman de Troie" in the 12th century. Then on the same subject several books published, such as "Il Filostrato" by Giovanni Boccaccio, "Troilus and Criseyde" by Geoffrey Chaucer and finally the drama by William Shakespeare.

Add Comment

Report