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The aim of this study is to examine Shakespeare's Troilus
and Cressida from a feminist perspective. Traditional reading
tends to deem Shakespeare's Cressida to be a type of
inconstancy, a female wanton, but I would like to prove that
she does not deserve all the blame from critics as well
as from the men in the play. In fact, she is oppressed and
victimized in her patriarchal culture.
The thesis is composed of one introduction and five chapters.
The Introduction briefly outlines the various assessments from
critics and the motivation of my research on the topic. Chapter
One discusses the unbalanced relationship between man and woman,
and uncovers how the contaminated conception of love degrades
the lovers in the play. Chapter Two attempts to expose the
irrationality of the male characters with regard to the worth of
Helen, who is reduced to the status of commodity. Chapter Three
delineates Troilus and Cressida's encounter, and scrutinizes
Cressida's conformity to woman's decorum. However, her
intentional subjection to woman's role is interpreted as a
calculating flirt. In Chapter Four, I would like to subvert the
traditional fallacy of "true Troilus" and "false Cressida." In
fact, Cressida is only a prey to Troilus' sexual appetite. Her
precarious position as a powerless woman renders her incapable
of love. In the last Chapter, I wish to provide an overall
reappraisal to the play. By carefully examining Shakespeare's
treatment of the legendary story, we may discover that the
playwright indeed exonerates Cressida who is seriously
misunderstood as an archetype of falsehood.
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