DISCLAIMER:
OW: Prints/images utilized in this podcast are a select few of the much larger array of Shakespearean prints of Troilus and Cressida. All interpretations are my own with the understanding that, with the accessible prints available to me online, my conclusions are based on a small portion of a much larger canon.
INTRODUCTION:
OW: Cressida’s words in 3.2 ironically prophesize her fate by the end of William Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida. “If I be false or swerve a hair from truth/ when time is old and hath forgot itself… let them say, to stick the heart of falsehood, / as false as Cressid.”[1] The 1602 play takes place seven years into the Trojan War, the ten-year struggle between the Trojans and Greeks features in Homer’s The Iliad. Troilus, a prince, falls in love with Cressida, a Trojan woman before she is exchanged with a prisoner from the Greek camp. When he asks if Cressida will be true to him, Cressida swears it, stating if not, then her name should be a synonym for falseness. Since the play’s first performance, the character of Cressida has been exactly that: a temptress, a whore, a “dirty ho” as one Goodreads user describes her, Cressida has always been the villain of Shakespeare’s text for “deserting” Troilus in favor of the Greek solider, Diomedes.
OW: This critique of her fails to analyze the societal and cultural obligations, rules, and dangers of being an unmarried woman in either Ancient Troy/Greece or Early Modern and Romantic England. It also neglects how the men of the play, mainly Pandarus, Troilus, and Diomedes, influence her choices and shape her story. This podcast, False as Cressid, will delve into these topics, juxtaposing the late Elizabethan text with Early Modern and Romantic prints of the play’s characters to argue that, in truth, the characterization of a “false Cressid” is the only thing false about her.
AGENDA FOR TODAY’S EPISODE:
OW: Hello and welcome to False as Cressid, where I analyze Early Modern and Romantic era prints of Cressida in Shakespeare’s gendered reception of Troilus and Cressida! My name is Olivia, and I am current senior at the University of Alabama, majoring in English and History, with a minor in Medieval and Early Modern European Studies. For my third episode today, I will be discussing the relationship between Cressida and Troilus, and Cressida and Diomedes, to understand how Cressida’s relationships with both men are similar in prints of the latter acts as Cressida appears indifferent and/or fearful to both. First, I will look at prints from 4.2 to analyze how blasé or even vindictive Cressida appears when hearing the news of her exchange to the Greek camp. Second, I’ll focus on prints made by the artists Hubert Gravelot and Joseph Meadows, the former of who portrays an obedient Cressida and the latter who depicts a sinister one, to discuss how the voices of merely a few men dictate how a fictional woman is thought of over time, especially in interactions in Acts IV and V with Troilus and Diomedes. Finally, I will analyze prints from 5.2 to remark on the intense violence and sexual assault enacted upon Cressida by Diomedes to highlight how Cressida appears to react to Troilus in a similar way.
BEAT #1: REVELATION:
OW: A common theme of prints of 4.2 is that, in the aftermath of the announcement of the exchange, Cressida appears to be blasé/uncaring about the news. I am once again enlisting the help of my friend, Wylie Walker, to help me act out 4.2 to better emphasize this point.
OW: Thou must be gone, wench, thou must be gone: thou art changed for Antenor. Thou must to thy father, and be gone from Troilus: ’twill be his death, ’twill be his bane; he cannot bear it.
WW: O you immortal gods! I will not go.
OW: Thou must.
WW: I will not, uncle. I have forgot my father; I know no touch of consanguinity, No kin, no love, no blood, no soul so near me As the sweet Troilus! O you gods divine, Make Cressid’s name the very crown of falsehood If ever she leave Troilus! Time, force, and death, Do to this body what extremes you can; But the strong base and building of my love Is as the very centre of the earth, Drawing all things to it. I’ll go in and weep—
OW: Do, do.
WW: Tear my bright hair, and scratch my praised cheeks, Crack my clear voice with sobs, and break my heart. With sounding ‘Troilus’. I will not go from Troy.
OW: As can be seen, it is up to an actor’s inflection to determine whether Cressida’s words are sincere, much like it is up to an artist. The first print that evidences Cressida’s uncaring response is Troilus and Cressida [IV,2] Pandarus, Cressida, and Troilus (1800-1830).[2] It was made by J. Coghlan in the early nineteenth century. In the image, Troilus extends a hand to Cressida with an urgent expression on his face, further emphasized as his cape is billowing around him. Cressida gazes at the ground while pinching her veil with a blank face. Pandarus smiles at the pair as they all stand on the steps of the palace. This image is puzzling as the audience is not told the specific instance that is occurring. Are Troilus and Cressida there right after waking? That would explain the look on Pandarus’ face, but they are on the steps of the palace which, to me, suggests that they’ve been told the news of Cressida’s exchange and are therefore, making moves to part (or at least show their indignation).
OW: If this is true, why is Pandarus smiling? In Episode #2, I discussed Pandarus’ desires for the match (his association with Prince Troilus, his own sexual pleasure, etc.), so, I’m having a difficult time placing his expression. Regardless of the if image takes place before or after the news of the exchange breaks, Cressida’s ambivalence to what is happening around her is striking. If it happens before, she’s spent the first night with her lover and doesn’t appear to be excited but indifferent. If it happens after, then she’s receiving the news of her forced departure from Troilus and, yet again, looks as if she doesn’t care what the outcome is. Again, Cressida is painted as a blasé lover who uses Troilus for her own means until a better opportunity comes along. If she cannot have the prince of Troy, she will have a king of Greece.
OW: In Troilus and Cressida, Act 4, Scene II, made by Henry Tresham in 1794, the same story is told.[3] Different from the other image in this Beat, Cressida and Troilus are in a bedchamber, rather than outdoors. Pandarus comes and delivers the news to Troilus who receives it with a somber look. Cressida clings to Troilus, still partially unclothed as her breast is visible, and stares right at the viewer. Again, there is no discernable expression on her face of horror. This, to me, is quite a provocative image, especially during the Romantic era when it was created. In looking to the audience while the pair is receiving this news and while she is in a state of undress, Cressida appears to be baring herself to the viewer. Again, it seems to me as she is saying that she’s had her fun with Troilus, uncaring for his despair, and is now moving onto the next prospect. Moreover, with her eyes pinned on the audience, I would even go so far as to say that she’s suggesting to the viewers that one of them could be next.
BEAT #2- INTERACTION
OW: The interpretations of two artists, Joseph Kenny Meadows and Hubert Gravelot, drastically influence Cressida’s interpretation. The first print I’ve gathered is Troilus and Cressida (1846) by Joseph Meadows.[4] In the image, Troilus sits on a column gazing up at Cressida’s face with an imploring expression. Cressida holds his hand in hers with her while her head is bent and her eyes are downcast, looking at the ground. Her expression is undiscernible as only her eyes are shown. Here, she is the picture of a perfect lover, submissive and obedient to her partner’s command.
OW: This drastically differs in the following two prints, the first of which is titled Troilus and Cressida, Act III scene ii (early nineteenth century), which was made by, again, Joseph Meadows, though this time with a much more condescending view of Cressida.[5] In this image, Troilus leans toward Cressida as if to kiss her cheek. He holds her hands in his. Cressida, rather, has a blank expression on her face as she looks like she’s making to pull away. As opposed to the first images, she does not look either obedient or adoring of her lover. This theme continues in Troilus and Cressida, act 4, sc. 2, Cressida: Prythee, tarry—- you men will never tarry (1846) made by, again, Joseph Meadows.[6] In this drawing, Troilus holds Cressida close while placing a kiss on the top of her head. Cressida looks straight at the viewer with a menacing expression: brows arches, lips pulled taught. As mentioned in both Episodes #1 and #2, she is portrayed as if she has omnipotent knowledge of the events to come. Knowledge of the scene being depicted is crucial. As stated in the title, it depicts 4.2. It is the very beginning of the scene, the morning after the lovers have spent a night together. Cressida and Troilus both curse the night for being too short before Cressida asks Troilus to stay, stating, “Prithee, tarry. You men will never tarry. / O foolish Cressid! I might have still held off, / And then you would have tarried.”[7] I find it quite interesting that Meadows chose to depict the moments right before disaster, especially given Cressida’s facial expression. In the lines, Cressida begs Troilus to stay, saying if she put off his sexual advances, he would’ve already left. Juxtaposed with her malicious sneer, she looks vengeful, like she does not mean the words she says. Rather, Cressida is mocking Troilus, and he has no clue, simply holding his lover close.
OW: Gravelot’s prints specifically of 4.4 tend to, in the handful of prints selected, show a more remorseful Cressida. In 4.4, it is time for Cressida to go to the Greek camp. Cressida and Troilus exchange love tokens and Troilus begs her to not forget him or be unfaithful to him. Then, he asks Diomedes, a Greek solider, to treat Cressida well but rather than assuring Troilus, Diomedes begins to flirt with Cressida in front of him. The three then exit as it is time for Diomedes to escort Cressida back to the Greek camp where her father Calchas now resides.
OW: Troilus and Cressida, act 4, sc. 4 was made by Hubert Gravelot in 1740[8]. In the image, Troilus looks to Cressida with his arm outstretched while Cressida is looking back at him with an expression of longing. She holds a love token in her hand. Pandarus looks on, concerned. I infer that this is the moment in which the couple share parting words. This version of Cressida looks to be much more present in and heartbroken by her situation. She looks to be equally, if not more, pained than Troilus at the prospect of their goodbye. She clutches the love token in her hand, not daring to let it slip through her fingers. Rather than staring at the audience, Cressida looks solely at Troilus, hanging onto every final word he says before their relationship changes forever.
OW: This is seen again in Troilus & Cressida, act 4, sc. 7 made by Hubert Gravelot in 1744.[9] In the print, Troilus and Cressida speak with the Greek soldiers, including Diomedes. I think this may be one of, if not the most, persuasive evidence for Cressida’s devotion to Troilus. A solider who I assume is Diomedes is gesturing to Troilus while he listens intently. Cressida pays no mind to Diomedes and instead gazes longingly and adoringly at Troilus. It looks as if she is getting her last glimpses of him (notwithstanding their plan for Troilus to visit her in the Greek camp) before she is taken from him. Again, she does not look at the audience but gazes at her lover, the picture of a devoted lover herself. Scholar Laurie Maguire writes of the scene, “the brief good-bye with Cressida is embedded in an atmosphere of mistrust.”[10] Despite her pained expression, Troilus is afraid of what she’ll do when they part and she is left to her own devices. With this context, Cressida’s expression almost looks as if she means to console Troilus that she’ll never disgrace him.
OW: This scene also foreshadows the sexual assault Cressida will endure from Diomedes and the other Greek soldiers in Acts IV and V. As previously stated, after Troilus asks Diomedes to care for Cressida, Diomedes then addresses Cressida in the nature of courtly love, stating, “When I am hence, I will answer to my lust, and know you lord, I’ll do nothing on charge.”[11] The Arden Shakespeare helps to contextualize this by stating, “He introduces this speech by a reminder of his diplomatic privilege; and then begins to exploit that privilege by saying he will respond to Troilus’ threat.”[12] I find this incredibly interesting given that not only is Diomedes stating that he will court Cressida regardless of if he has her consent or not, he is also stating he will not even regard her lover’s objection. As Gravelot has a more sympathetic understanding of Cressida, it is possible that he has taken Diomedes’ proclamation of sexual violence into account in his interpretation of her.
OW: These two different portrayals of Cressida in this episode rely mainly on two artists: Hubert Gravelot and Joseph Meadows. Gravelot depicted a kinder version of Cressida, one who appeared sweet and naïve, deeply in love with Troilus. Meadows, on the other, depicted a sinister, experienced woman who smirked at the viewer invitingly while in the arms of her supposed lover. Gravelot (1699 to 1773), a Frenchman, was a famous book illustrator who spent more than a decade in London. He contributed over thirty works to a 1740 complete works of Shakespeare illustrated book (done by a Mr. Theobald). Meadows (1790-1874) was a British illustrator who was known for his illustrations of certain Shakespeare scenes and would even publish a volume of such prints in 1843.
OW: Together, these two men, a century apart, like the men in Troilus and Cressida, aid in altering Cressida’s reputation. I find it fascinating how the depictions of a few men will either smother the flames or add fuel to the fire of Cressida’s reputation as a betrayer of her lover. Scholar Jamie Fumo writes, “Hatred of Criseyde is an integral aspect of her love worthiness, and our review of the tradition of last words on Cressida has shown, if nothing else, how abruptly and unpredict-ably lovers of Cressida can become haters.”[13] With their art, these artists also have a last word on Cressida’s character. Innocent or guilty? The verdict is in the hands of these select men who depict Cressida to their choosing. Their choice of narrative will shape her reputation, rather than Cressida herself.
OW: Scholar Grace Tiffany analyzes this discrepancy regarding Cressida’s character, writing, “Like Shakespeare’s Trojans and Greeks, scholarly evaluators of Shakespeare’s Cressida divide themselves into two warring camps that only seem radically opposed. In fact, both camps share a common perspective and language that produce a disturbing vision of woman as passive creation of her patriarchal culture. Cressida as wanton and Cressida as victim present two sides of the same interpretive coin: both notions result from and re-create the idea of Cressida as a creature formed by male perceptions and values; thus both notions, by privileging male determination of female identity, reinforce female subjectivity.”[14]
OW: I find Tiffany’s argument incredibly compelling. In this constant pitting Cressida against herself, both arguments emphasize Cressida’s character as it is shaped by the men of the story. While this has its validity (as I, myself, have shaped this podcast to focus on how men in the text have impacted Cressida’s reputation across centuries), it is important that Cressida does not have a passive role in her own characterization. Yes, she is mischaracterized as a villain but her being a victim (of sexual assault and manipulation) does not completely negate her agency. I believe this agency comes in the form of what others describe as her “betrayal” of Troilus as she understands the world around her as an unmarried woman in a foreign camp. Cressida assesses the risk and does what she needs to survive.
BEAT #3: INTERACTION:
OW: Prints of 5.2 of Troilus and Cressida both show violent and sexualized portrayals of Cressida’s sexual assault in the Greek camp, and a resistance to Diomedes that is reminiscent of her resistance to Troilus. In the scene, Diomedes again states his desire to have se with Cressida (and his insistence on her allowing him), a conversation Ulysses and Thersites (two Greek soldiers) and Troilus hear, as they have snuck into the tent. They also listen as Diomedes insists on having a token of her love and takes Cressida’s token from Troilus. The first image of this scene is Troilus & Cressida [act V, scene 2] made by John Gilbert in the early nineteenth century. In the print, the soldiers of the Greek camp meet Cressida curiously. They all huddle around her and peer at her, the old man in the front, who I’d assume is Nestor, grasping her arm. Cressida, intimidated by the strangers, keeps her head slightly bowed and her eyes downcast. She appears meek and submissive. This style is quite similar to previous prints I’ve analyzed, such as the 1846 print by Kenny Meadows in Beat #2 of this episode, which suggests a more conservative depiction of Cressida, characterized by the Victorian era it was created in.
OW: The next print, Troilus and Cressida, act V, scene II, was made by Angelica Kauffman in 1795. This is of note as this is the first time I’ve found an interpretation of Cressida by a woman artist. In the image, Diomedes looks sternly at Cressida in mid-conversation with his finger in the air. Cressida looks at him imploringly, holding his hand and reaching her other arm out to cup his face in her hand. In the background stands Ulysses, Thersites, and Troilus listening in, the latter of whom is being physically restrained due to his outrage to the conversation being had. Rather than the submissive version seen in the previous print, Kauffman portrays Cressida as betraying Troilus with Diomedes or, at least, pretending to as a means of survival. It is impossible to discern Kauffman’s motives, especially considering the polarizing differences between the two interpretations. Regardless of her intent, this print showcases a Cressida who is quite active in her relationship with Diomedes (whether through actual or faked desire). In this depiction, Cressida’s words appear false. The scene shows a struggle between the two, with Cressida stating, “You look upon that sleeve?/ Behold it well./ He loved me- O false wench!- Give’t me again.”[15] Paired with Kauffman’s print, the heated argument looks like a mere playfight, Cressida teasing and flirting with Diomedes before she eventually gives in.
OW: In the next print, Cressida’s resistance starts to appear. Troilus & Cressida [act 5, sc. 2] was made by Charles Geoffrey somewhere between 1819 and 1833. In the image, Diomedes tugs Cressida towards her by her hand, which clutches the love token. Diomedes’ eyes bore into hers and she meets his gaze with a defiant yet indifferent expression. Rather than Kauffman’s print, which depicts a compliant Cressida, Geoffrey’s Cressida resists Diomedes’ attempt at grabbing her love token from Troilus. She leans away from Diomedes, in the act of putting as much distance between the two of them as possible, while Diomedes continues his advances. Diomedes does not have Cressida’s consent to either touch her or her love token and Cressida’s disapproval and distress is evident. The scene is similar in Troilus & Cressida, Cress.– Nay, do not snatch it from me, He that takes that must take my heart withall, act 5, sc. 2. The print was made by John Thurston in 1805. As with Geoffrey’s image, Diomedes’ hand extends to grab Cressida’s token while she holds it out of his reach, meeting his gaze as she does so. The quote contextualizing the image states, “Nay, do not snatch it from me.”[16] This is said by Diomedes as Cressida holds the token before Cressida responds by saying he cannot have it because in doing so, he’d have her heart.
Therefore, this print specifically indicates Cressida actively defying Diomedes, especially as he tries to unconsensually touch her. Gone is the maiden who kept her eyes downcast.
OW: This theme of Diomedes’ cruelty intensifies in Troilus and Cressida, act 5, sc. 2, As I kiss thee, Nay, do not snatch it from me, which depicts the same quote just mentioned. The print was made by Henry Howard in the early nineteenth century. Rather than just trying to snatch the love token from Cressida, he presses a kiss to her cheek as he holds the token out of her reach with his other hand firmly around her waist. Cressida reaches for it, her sole focus on getting her love token back. Again, Cressida does not seem pleased with the prospect of being Diomedes’ lover and is quite adamant on getting her love token, from Troilus, back.
OW: The final print of this podcast, Troilus and Cressida, act 5, sc. 2, Cressida: O pretty pretty pledge! — nay do not snatch it from me, fully encapsulates the continual argument of Cressida’s character. The image was created by Henry Fuseli in 1804. Diomedes’ sexual assault of Cressida is on full display. He grips her waist tightly while reaching his other hand for the love token. His muscles are flexed, highlighting the intensity of his grip on Cressida. Cressida pulls away from Diomedes, which is evident in the large ripples of her dress, highlighting the swiftness and scale of the motion. In the struggle, her breast is revealed and gazes at the audience, the first instance of this in prints discussed of 5.2. Troilus looks on in horror, the whites of his widened eyes in sharp contrast to the shadows he’s hidden in.
OW: I bring up 5.2, in particular this final scene, to make note of two things. One, the defiance expressed by Cressida which directly contrasts the widespread idea of her as a vindictive manipulative seductress when, as scenes of 5.2 depict, she is a woman trying to survive in an unfamiliar setting with strange men who assault her. With the intensity of prints, such as the final one by Fuseli, I would think that more scholars would be sympathetic to Cressida’s cause yet several articles from the twentieth century prove this to be false, as well as the myth of her betrayal that has seeped into popular culture. This highlights how, in the few prints I’ve managed to find over the course of this project, the ones that paint Cressida in a negative light potentially hold more weight than those that depict her kinder, as I believe she is.
OW: The second point I want to note are the marked similarities between Cressida’s interactions with Troilus and her interactions with Diomedes, specifically in this episode. As discussed in Beat #1 and #2, there are several prints that show a doting Troilus holding Cressida close while she pulls away with an expression of either cunning or distaste. I find this quite interesting as, to me, it further evidences Cressida’s desire for survival. This is similar to Cressida pulling away from Diomedes in 5.2 She makes her discomfort evident in both scenarios. This leads me to think that she is unhappy with Troilus as she is Diomedes and how, in all, Cressida is only with these men as a means of survival (though her disapproval can’t help but seep through). In Episode #2, I discussed the weight Pandarus’ authority has over Cressida and how it could’ve been used to sway her over to enter into a sexual relationship with Troilus. In Troy, Cressida was an unmarried woman whose closest male relative, her father Calchas, has fled to the Greek camp, leaving her under her uncle Pandarus’ care. He urges her to become sexually involved with Troilus and so she does. This is similar to Cressida’s reactions to Diomedes in Beat #3. Kauffman’s print depicts a Cressida willing to play the role of the caring lover, which I believe could be a means of survival. In Geoffrey, Howard, and Fuseli’s prints, she is resistant to Diomedes’ attack and tries to wrench herself from his clutches, taking her beloved love token from Troilus with her. In either of these readings, Cressida does not maliciously betray Troilus. Rather, she is an unmarried woman in an unknown land faced with a difficult choice: play the part required of her or face sexual violence with her dissent? In these prints of Beat #3, we see both options play out and, consequently, how, in both instances, she is not the false Cressid she’s been painted as.
CONCLUSION:
OW: In sum, I analyzed prints of Cressida, Troilus, and Diomedes to better understand how Troilus, as her lover, influences her reputation across history. First, I analyzed images of 4.2 to discuss how blasé and uncaring Cressida looks at the news of her permanent departure from Troilus. Second, I analyzed prints from Acts III and IV made by Hubert Gravelot to highlight how they show a more remorseful Cressida and how, when juxtaposed with prints of Joseph Meadows, this reveals how the voices of mainly two men artists control the reputation of Cressida. Finally, I analyzed prints of 5.2 to note the similarities between Cressida’s interactions with both Troilus and Diomedes, and how her actions in the Greek camp are a means of survival.
THANKS:
OW: As always, this episode would not be what it is without the help of several people. First, thank you to my advisors, Dr. Jones and Dr. Tavares, for their continued guidance on this project. Thank you, again, to my friend, Wylie Walker for acting out lines from Act IV Scene IV with me. Special thanks to the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Albertina Museum, the British Library, Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive, the Look and Learn History Picture Archive, and Artvee for their public display of these images from Troilus and Cressida.
[1] Shakespeare, William, Troilus and Cressida, Penguin Random House, 2017, lines 179-190.
[2] Coghlan, J. Troilus and Cressida [IV,2] Pandarus, Cressida, and Troilus, 1800-1830, Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington D.C. https://digitalcollections.folger.edu/img34426.
[3] Henry Tresham. Troilus and Cressida, Act 4, Scene II, 1794, Artvee, Troilus and Cressida, Act 4, Scene II by Henry Tresham – Artvee.
[4] Meadows., Joseph Kenny Troilus and Cressida, 1846, Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive, Troilus and Cressida | Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive.
[5] Meadows, Joseph Kenny. Troilus and Cressida, Act III, scene ii, early nineteenth century, Look and Learn History Picture Archive, Troilus and Cressida, Act III, scene ii stock image | Look and Learn.
[6]Meadows, Joseph Kenny. Troilus & Cressida, act 4, sc. 2, Cressida: Prythee, tarry.—– You men will never tarry, 1846, Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington D.C, https://digitalcollections.folger.edu/img27170.
[7] Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida, Penguin Random House, 2017, lines 16-18.
[8] Gravelot, Hubert. [Troilus and Cressida, act 4, sc. 4], 1740, Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington D.C. https://digitalcollections.folger.edu/img27171.
[9] Hayman, Francis. Troilus & Cressida, act 4, sc. 7, 1744, Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington D.C. https://digitalcollections.folger.edu/img28272.
[10] Maguire, Laurie. “Performing Anger: The Anatomy of Abuse (s) in “Troilus and Cressida,” Renaissance Drama 31, 2002, pp. 153-183 (168), Performing Anger: The Anatomy of Abuse(s) in “Troilus and Cressida” on JSTOR.
[11] Shakespeare, William, Troilus and Cressida, Arden Shakespeare, 1984, lines 128-130, https://archive.org/details/shakespeare-troilus-and-cressida-arden/page/241/mode/2up.
[12] Shakespeare, William, Troilus and Cressida, Arden Shakespeare, 1984, page 242. https://archive.org/details/shakespeare-troilus-and-cressida-arden/page/241/mode/2up.
[13] Fumo, Jamie. “Hating Criseyde: Last Words on a Heroine from Chaucer to Henryson,” The Chaucer Review 46, no. 1, 2011, pp. 20-38 (37). Hating Criseyde: Last Words on a Heroine from Chaucer to Henryson Last Words on a Heroine from Chaucer to Henryson on JSTOR.
[14] Tiffany, Grace. “Not Saying No: Female Self Erasure in Troilus and Cressida,” Texas Studies in Literature and Language 35, no. 1, 1993, pp. 44-56 (44). Not Saying No: Female Self-Erasure in Troilus and Cressida on JSTOR.
[15] Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida, Penguin Random House, 2017, lines 83-84.
[16] Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida, Penguin Random House, 2017, line 99.
False as Cressid 