Troilus and Cressida Love Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)

Quote #7

Come, come, what need you blush? Shame's a baby. Here she is now, swear the oaths now to her that you have sworn to me. [...] So, so, rub on and kiss the mistress [...] Go to, go to. (3.2.40-53)

Hey, cool it Pandarus! This guy is always reducing Troilus and Cressida's relationship to nothing more than sex. Here, he tries to rush them to the bedroom instead of allowing them to talk for even a few moments. It's no wonder Cressida calls her uncle a "bawd" (a.k.a. "pimp").

Quote #8

Will you walk in, my lord? (3.2.60)

When Cressida invites Troilus inside her house, she uses a phrase commonly associated with Elizabethan prostitutes—not once, but twice. This reinforces the idea that the relationship between the famous lovebirds isn't actually about love.

Quote #9

This is the most despiteful gentle greeting, The noblest hateful love, that e'er I heard of. (4.2.33-34)

This isn't the first time we've seen the play emphasize the relationship between love and conflict, right? Here, Paris describes the relationship between opposing warriors as "noblest hateful love." Translation? Total frenemies, except the good kind. (We guess?) Guys like Aeneas and Diomedes may be on opposite sides of the war, but they've got a lot of "love" and respect for each other as warriors. Most of the guys in this play seem to value this kind of male bonding more than other "love" based relationships.