Study Questions for Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida

• How do you account for the absence of gods or other divine figures in the play?
• What is the status of the prominent Chaucerian theme of fortune in Shakespeare's play?
• What kinds of values are reflected in the characters in this play?  How do these values compare to those we have seen in Homer, Vergil, Dante, and Chaucer?
• How is Shakespeare's version of this story different from Chaucer's?  How do they treat the love theme differently?
• How is Shakespeare's Achilles different from Homer's Achilles?
• Is Shakespeare's play a tragedy, a comedy, or a romance?
• What is the role of Thersites in the play?