Troilus and Cressida Time Essay
Grasping Time in Troilus and Cressida
Every being in the universe, consciously or unconsciously, is controlled by the invisible hand of time. In Troilus and Cressida, a play depicting the two dichotomous worlds of love and war, time manifests itself in its many and diverse functions. The concept of time transcends the individual characters to act as an overarching theme for certain aspects of the play, and although the characters may not explicitly refer to the word “time” in their lines, they point to the unique characteristics and larger ideas of time. Essentially, time affects how value is measured in the play, the characters’ sense of judgment, the emotional tone of specific scenes, how audiences perceive the nobles of the Elizabethan court, and finally the fates of the characters themselves. The primary and most obvious function of time in the play is in its ability to dictate the value of people. During her monologue at the end of Act I Scene II, Cressida is the first to reference the formidable power that time mercilessly wields over men and women: “Things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing…Men price the thing ungained more than it is;” (1.2.280-282). Her observation places all relationships between man and woman within time’s sphere of influence and suggests that any man in pursuit of a woman values her less and less as he gains her love. The warriors of the play also hold a skewed or exaggerated perception of time, which can be seen on both the Greek and Trojan sides of the battle. In his attempts to manipulate Achilles and end the vicious cycle of inertia plaguing the Greek warriors, Ulysses warns Achilles of his imminent destruction by time—“Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, / Wherein he puts alms for oblivion, / A great-sized monster of ingratitudes” (3.3.145-147)—and forgetfulness—“good deeds past, which are devoured / As fast as they are made, forgot as soon / As done” (3.3.148-150). Here, Ulysses speaks of time forgetting what
Every being in the universe, consciously or unconsciously, is controlled by the invisible hand of time. In Troilus and Cressida, a play depicting the two dichotomous worlds of love and war, time manifests itself in its many and diverse functions. The concept of time transcends the individual characters to act as an overarching theme for certain aspects of the play, and although the characters may not explicitly refer to the word “time” in their lines, they point to the unique characteristics and larger ideas of time. Essentially, time affects how value is measured in the play, the characters’ sense of judgment, the emotional tone of specific scenes, how audiences perceive the nobles of the Elizabethan court, and finally the fates of the characters themselves. The primary and most obvious function of time in the play is in its ability to dictate the value of people. During her monologue at the end of Act I Scene II, Cressida is the first to reference the formidable power that time mercilessly wields over men and women: “Things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing…Men price the thing ungained more than it is;” (1.2.280-282). Her observation places all relationships between man and woman within time’s sphere of influence and suggests that any man in pursuit of a woman values her less and less as he gains her love. The warriors of the play also hold a skewed or exaggerated perception of time, which can be seen on both the Greek and Trojan sides of the battle. In his attempts to manipulate Achilles and end the vicious cycle of inertia plaguing the Greek warriors, Ulysses warns Achilles of his imminent destruction by time—“Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, / Wherein he puts alms for oblivion, / A great-sized monster of ingratitudes” (3.3.145-147)—and forgetfulness—“good deeds past, which are devoured / As fast as they are made, forgot as soon / As done” (3.3.148-150). Here, Ulysses speaks of time forgetting what
Cited: Shakespeare, William. The History of Troilus and Cressida. Ed. Jonathan V. Crewe. New York: Penguin, 2000. Print.