The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.1727  Monday, 10 October 2005

[1] 	From: 	David Basch <
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	Date: 	Friday, 07 Oct 2005 09:55:57 -0400
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 16.1720 Troilus & Cressida

[2] 	From: 	D Bloom <
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	Date: 	Friday, 7 Oct 2005 11:57:18 -0500
	Subj: 	RE: SHK 16.1720 Troilus & Cressida


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		David Basch <
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Date: 		Friday, 07 Oct 2005 09:55:57 -0400
Subject: 16.1720 Troilus & Cressida
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.1720 Troilus & Cressida

The point of marriage is critical in Troilus and Cressida. Whatever the 
details, the secret liaison between T&C was not a marriage. Cressida 
could not have felt herself bound to marriage when Troilus says not a 
word to others about their lawful attachment to prevent her transfer to 
the Greek camp, where she is passed around for a round of free kissing.

It tells something about Troilus's shallow thinking about his 
responsibility if he was to consecrate a wife of his own.

David Basch

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		D Bloom <
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Date: 		Friday, 7 Oct 2005 11:57:18 -0500
Subject: 16.1720 Troilus & Cressida
Comment: 	RE: SHK 16.1720 Troilus & Cressida

Larry Weiss comments: "I confess total ignorance of the matrimonial law 
of Troy . . ."

Very apt. Priam and Hecuba would seem to have been married, although 
what the status of the king's other women was I don't think we're 
informed. Likewise, Hector and Andromache-very domestic.

Paris and Helen, however, present a problem: were she and Menelaus 
legally divorced? The latter doesn't seem to think so, and, in a 19th 
Century sort of way, manages to get launched some thousand ships of 
attorneys to recover his legal property.

I think that perhaps the matrimonial law of Troy bears affinity to the 
game laws of the Forest of Arden and import-export tariffs through the 
sea-coast of Bohemia.

Cheers,
don

PS: Has anybody noticed the parallel of Troilus and Cressida with Hamlet 
and Ophelia?

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