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The Importance Of Characterization In Troilus And Cressida

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From how people structure their speeches to how they use words, the audience can understand a lot about their traits and personalities. This is used by many authors in literature, and it is called characterization. Characterization is the method in which the author reveals the attributes of characters. In the play, Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare uses speeches by two Greek leaders to further their characterizations. This story takes place during the Trojan War, in which the Greeks fought the Trojans over the theft of Menelaus’ wife, Helen. While the main story of the play revolves around the two lovers, Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare incorporates many aspects of the war as well. In Act I Scene III, Agamemnon, the general of the Greek army, encourages the Greek army by motivating them to persevere through the long lasting war. He believes that the Gods are trying to test them, and Troy will eventually crumble if they show constancy. On the other hand, Ulysses, one of the Greek leaders, responds to Agamemnon with another speech emphasizing that the reason for the failures of their camp is the absence of hierarchy. This exchange exhibits Agamemnon’s imperfect character and Ulysses’ intelligence through their rhetoric, which also relates to their roles in the Greek army. Throughout his speech, Agamemnon is unnecessarily verbose in sharing his predictable point, and the repetitive structure of his speech displays incompetence in leadership. At the start of his address, he poses a rhetorical question, “What grief hath set the jaundice on your cheeks?” (1.3.2), asking his soldiers about why they look so downhearted. He replies to this by stating that all people have their “checks and disasters,” (1.3.5), referring to obstacles and setbacks, and that they should continue to be persistent. He uses the imagery of a knot that diverts the course of growth and how the growth of the Greek army will be prevented with the lack of determination. As the speech continues, he presents another rhetorical question:“Why then, you princes,/Do you with cheeks abashed behold our works/And call them shames,” (3.1.17-19) which was essentially the identical as the opening question. It also has the same word choice of “cheeks,” and

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