PLOTS

ACTION SEQUENCES

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METATHEATRE

PLAY-IN-PLAY:

•(2126,2164)

Type: Scene-extempore (blue)

Title: The Pageant of Ajax

ACTS by Rowe. The traditional subdivisions (established, as a whole, by Alexander Dyce in 1857) are based on either CLEARED STAGES and/or changes in LOCATION. Though there is “literary” logic to Dyce’s subdivisions, there probably was a great deal more “theatrical” liaisons and continuity than these indicate.

T & C is an extremely complex piece of stage work (almost as complex as ANTHONY & CLEOPATRA (which is, to my eyes, an “exercise” in complexity), there are THREE intermixed plots.

Though it opens the TRAGEDIES section of the FOLIO, T & C (like CYMBELINE) isn’t really a tragedy. It is a tragicomedy and nowadays is listed with the COMEDIES. But it is a rarity in being a tragicomedy that ends “really badly” (HECTOR is murdered and TROILUS has been dumped & cuckolded by CRESSIDA). Thus T & C is a very strange play, wherein antique heroism is turned on its ear. (For further information on T & C’s particular placement in the First Folio see my notes to TIMON OF ATHENS)

THE TRAGEDIE OF TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (ca. 1600–02)

The First Folio’s text of T & C appears to have been set from a copy of the 1609 Quarto that had been extensively annotated from a promptbook (Q was probably set from Shakespeare’s foul papers). Q has 125 stage directions, while F has 159.

Though is opens the TRAGEDIES section of the FOLIO, T & C (like CYMBELINE) isn’t really a tragedy. It is a tragicomedy and nowadays is listed with the COMEDIES. But it is a rarity in being a tragicomedy that ends “really badly” (HECTOR is murdered and TROILUS has been dumped & cuckolded by CRESSIDA). Thus T & C is a very strange play, wherein antique heroism is turned on its ear.

X AXIS (abscisses): 3592 lines

Subdivisions of ACTS & SCENES are NOT in the FOLIO.

The traditional subdivisions (established by Alexander Dyce in 1857) are based on either CLEARED STAGES and/or changes in LOCATION. Though there is “literary” logic to Dyce’s subdivisions, there probably was a great deal more “theatrical” liaisons and continuity than these indicate.

Prologue: line 1 (reads “Act 1 scene 1 begins at line 1″)

1.1: line 33 — Troy, palace

1.2: line 155 — Troy, a street

1.3: line 454 — Greek camp,

2.1: line 859 — Greek camp,

2.2: line 983 — Troy, palace

2.3: line 1205 — Greek camp,

3.1: line 1471 — Troy, palace

3.2: line 1632 — Troy, @ Calchas

3.3: line 1847 — Greek camp,

4.1: line 2168 — Troy, a street

4.2: line 2256 — Troy, @ Calchas

4.3: line 2373 — Troy, @ Calchas

4.4: line 2388 — Troy, @ Calchas

4.5: line 2547 — Greek camp

NOTE: Oxford (& Norton) editors — opting for straight “clearings” — have added two new scenes to Act 4 (Oxford’s 4.3 thus begins at the traditional 4.2.74 / TLN 2336, and its 4.7 at the traditional 4.5.117 / TLN 2679)

5.1: line 2870 — Greek camp,

5.2: line 2973 — Greek camp,

5.3: line 3197 — Troy, palace

5.4: line 3332 — Battlefield

5.5: line 3371 — Battlefield

5.6: line 3425 — Battlefield

5.7: line 3469 — Battlefield

5.8: line 3496 — Battlefield

5.9: line 3521 — Battlefield

5.10: line 3534 — Battlefield

The two first Greek camp scenes (1.3 & 2.1) were probably meant to be continuous, as were scenes 3.1 & 3.2 (provided Pandarus doesn’t exit) as well as 4.5 & 5.1 (in Oxford / Norton: 4.6, 4.7 & 5.1), which occur in and around two Greek tents. Also — as the early HISTORIES show — it appears almost certain that Shakespeare (unlike most modern editors) saw a “battle” as a continuous stage unit (in spite of the occasional “cleared stage”).

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Y AXIS: ENTRANCES & EXITS

Entrances & exits of Characters

According to their order of appearance.

• (1,32) reads “enters at line 1, exits at line 32″.

• (3216 [rip 3283] 3302)

reads “character enters at line 3216, dies at line 3283, corpse exits on line 3302”. RIP at the end a character’s list indicates (or confirms) his/her decease.

• PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS are capitalized.

Prologue (which, I believe, may have been delivered by the “armed” Troilus)

(1,32)

PANDARUS (uncle of Cressida)

(34,121) (193,439) (1478,1619) (1632,1649) (1661,1666) (1672,1685) (1730,1846) (2279,2317) (2336,2372) (2388,2440) (3310,3331) (3568,3592)

TROILUS (son of Priam)

(34,154) (383,392) (984,1204) (1636,1846) (2256,2301) (2318,2335) (2373,2387) (2397,2541) (2621,2869) (2978,3189) (3229,3331) (3349,3357) (3434,3442) (3456,3461) (3537,3571)

AENEAS (Son of Priam

(139,154) (338,342) (674,774) (2168,2225) (2304,2335) (2373,2387) (2499,2546) (2621,2851) (3180,3189) (3534,3571)

CRESSIDA

(155,453) (1672,1846) (2256,2301) (2336,2372) (2388,2541) (2563,2609) (2980,3043) (3047,3104)

Cressid’s Man (Alexander)

(155,453)

Antenor

(344,348) (2169,2255) (2374,2387) (2499,2541) (3534,3571)

HECTOR (Trojan hero, son of Priam)

(353,362) (984,1204) (2621,2851) (2933,2961) (3197,3307) (3359,3370) (3443,3468) (3496 [rip 3507] 3519) RIP

PARIS (son of Priam, lover of Helena)

(364,369) (984,1204) (1519,1631) (2169,2255) (2373,2387) (2499,2541) (2621,2851) (3478,3483) (3534,3571)

Helenus (son of Priam)

(374,379) (984,1204) (2621,2851)

AGAMEMNON (Leader of the Greeks)

(454,774) (1268,1477) (1847,1920) (2547,2851) (2933,2951) (3377,3388) (3521,3533)

Nestor (Greek commander)

(454,858) (1268,1477) (1847,1920) (2548,2851) (2934,2961) (3389,3419) (3521,3533)

ULYSSES (Greek commander)

(454,858) (1268,1347) (1364,1477) (1847,2070) (2548,2869) (2933,2961) (2978,3189) (3403,3415)

DIOMEDES (Greek commander)

(454,774) (1268,1477) (1847,1887) (2169,2255) (2374,2387) (2499,2546) (2563,2609) (2649,2851) (2934,2961) (2973,3097) (3349,3357) (3371,3419) (3427,3442) (3522,3533)

Menalaus (brother of Agamemnon, husband of Helena)

(455,774) (1847,1920) (2548,2851) (2933,2951) (3478,3483) (3521,3533)

AJAX (Greek commander)

(859,983) (1269,1920) (2547,2851) (2933,2961) (3416,3417) (3425,3442) (3521,3533)

THERSITES (a deformed and scurrilous Greek))

(859,972) (1205,1278) (2096,2167) (2874,2972) (2978,3196) (3332,3370) (3478,3495)

ACHILLES (Greek commander)

(909,983) (1240,1273) (1888,2164) (2547,2851) (2870,2914) (2939,2961) (3420,3424) (3445,3452) (3469,3477) (3501,3519)

Patroclus (Achilles’ friend)

(909,983) (1226,1287) (1306,1344) (1888,2164) (2547,2851) (2870,2914)

Priam (King of Troy)

(984,1204) (3264,3307)

Cassandra (Soothsayer, daughter of Priam)

(1082,1100) (3204,3232) (3264,3302)

Calchas (Soothsayer, father of Cressida)

(1269,1477) (1847,1920) (2975,2977)

Helena (estranged wife of Menelaus, lover of Paris)

(1519,1631)

Troilus’ Man

(1632,1638)

Deiphobus (son of Priam)

(2169,2255) (2373,2387) (2499,2541) (3534,3571)

Andromache (wife of Hector)

(3197,3289)

Myrmidons (Achilles’ Men)

(3469,3477) (3501,3519)

Bastard (son of Priam)

(3484,3495)

___________

PLOTS & COLOURING

T & C has two clear groups.

The TROJANS:

TROILUS & his Man

PANDARUS

AENEAS

CRESSIDA & her Man

ANTENOR

HECTOR

PARIS

HELENUS

PRIAM

CASSANDRA

DEIPHOBUS

ANDROMACHE

BASTARD.

& the GREEKS:

AGAMEMNON

NESTOR

ULYSSES

DIOMEDES

MENELAUS

AJAX

THERSITES

ACHILLES

PATROCLUS.

HELENA is a Greek but she sides with the Trojans;

And CALCHAS (father of Cressida) is a Trojan who sides with the Greeks.

T & C is an extremely complex piece of stage work (almost as complex as ANTHONY & CLEOPATRA which is, to my eyes, an “exercise” in complexity), there are THREE intermixed plots.

PLOT#1 is the so-called LOVE plot, which involves:

TROILUS

CRESSIDA

PANDARUS

DIOMEDES

PLOT#2 which concerns an internecine struggle within the Greek camp whereby the Greek leaders (Agamemnon, Ulysses et al) pit the unwitting AJAX against the proud ACHILLES. It regards which of the two is best able to take on HECTOR. This second plot involves:

AGAMEMNON

NESTOR

ULYSSES

MENELAUS

AJAX

THERSITES

ACHILLES

PATROCLUS

Plot#3 concerns the fate & death of HECTOR (who, in this play, is dishonourably killed by the opportunistic ACHILLES & his Myrmidons):

HECTOR

PRIAM

CASSANDRA

ANDROMACHE

ACHILLES & his Myrmidons

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ACTION SEQUENCES

• The single combat between AJAX & HECTOR: (2674,2680)

• The battle between the GREEKS & TROJANS: (3332,3520)