Troilus and Cressida

In Troilus and Cressida, events rob the youthful and the idealistic of their noble notions about romance and heroism. In both its love plot and war plot, the play steadily interrogates and undermines both conventions of courtly love and the warrior ethos, reflecting a disillusionment with romantic and heroic ideals. 

Troilus’s example illustrates the process of disenchantment. At the beginning of the play, Troilus is filled with the ardor of love. His first line in the play is his wish to “unarm again” (1.1.1). So busy is his heart fighting for Cressida’s favor that he has no desire for the external fight. By the last act, the ardor of love in Troilus has been replaced by a new passion: the annihilatory passion for war. Completely reversing his previous lack of interest in battle, Troilus berates Hector for asking him not to fight. He tells his older brother that nothing can stop him from war, “not fate, not obedience, nor the hand of Mars […] Not Priam and Hecuba on knees” (5.3.52-54). Thus, in a series of images, Troilus demolishes the idea of obedience to brother, god, and parents. Discarding all ideals of family, order, and love, Troilus opts for revenge and nihilism.