SYNOPSIS
For seven years the Greeks and Trojans have been at war following the Trojan prince Paris' abduction of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, from her Greek husband Menelaus. The besieging Greek army is encamped under the walls of Troy and, at the point at which the play begins, the war has reached stalemate.

The Greeks are quarrelling amongst themselves. Achilles, their greatest champion, refuses to fight and has withdrawn to his tent with his lover, Patroclus. Ulysses tries to entice Achilles back to the field by arousing his jealousy against Ajax, a rival warrior, whom he acclaims as their new hero and elects to meet Hector, the Trojan champion, in single combat.

Equally at odds with themselves, the Trojans are debating the value of continuing the war merely for the sake of keeping Helen. Hector declares her not worth the lives she costs, but when his brother Troilus contends that honour demands they continue to fight for her, Hector is brought round to his point of view.
Although the single combat between Ajax and Hector ends in a show of amity, hostilities are resumed the following day.

Troilus, however, is much distracted from these military concerns by his love for Cressida, the daughter of Calchas, a Trojan who has defected to the Greek camp leaving his daughter in Troy. The young lovers are eagerly abetted by Cressida's uncle Pandarus, who acts as their go-between. However, after only one night together they are parted when, in exchange for the captured general Antenor, Cressida is sent to join her father in the Greek camp. Almost immediately she betrays Troilus with the Greek Diomedes, and discovering this, Troilus is plunged into despair.

Despite his sister Cassandra's prophecies of doom, Hector goes into battle and is treacherously murdered by Achilles, who has finally been roused to action by the death of Patroclus. With the fall of Troy certain, Troilus, disillusioned as a lover, assumes Hector's role as the Trojan champion and vows revenge on Achilles. The dying disease-ridden Pandarus is left to end the play.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Achilles
Son of Peleus, King of the Myrmidons, and the sea-goddess Thetis, who dipped him in the Styx as an infant, making him invulnerable except for the heel she held him by. Taught war and music by the centaur Chiron and fed on wild beasts' marrow to make him very strong. His parents, forewarned that he would die at Troy, dressed him as a girl but he was discovered by Ulysses and joined the expedition. His armour, forged by Vulcan, was proof against all weapons.