About this episode

The episode explores the lovesick Trojan prince Troilus and his infatuation with Cressida amidst the backdrop of the Trojan War.

***⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete our⁠ listener survey⁠ for a chance to win a $50 gift card!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** The lovesick Trojan prince Troilus is so consumed by his infatuation with Cressida that he refuses to fight in the endless Trojan war with the Greeks, lamenting his woes to Cressida’s uncle, Pandarus, who serves as the go-between for the lovers. Aeneas arrives with news that Troilus’s brother, Paris, has been wounded by Menalaeus in battle, persuading Troilus to rejoin the fight. Inside the Trojan Citadel, Cressida gets the gossip from her friend Alexandra before Pandarus arrives to sing Troilus’s praises. Together, Pandarus and Cressida watch the Trojan warriors return from battle. Pandarus keeps heaping praise on Troilus as Cressida remains aloof, but once alone, she confesses she’s only playing “hard to get” in order to keep Troilus interested. Meanwhile, in the Greek encampment outside Troy, the Generals Agamemnon, Nestor and Ulysses lament that the war has dragged on for years without victory. Ulysses blames it on a breakdown of hierarchy and order brought on by Achilles’ mocking their leadership, whipping the Greeks into a frenzy of anger and frustration. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES…

Topics covered

• Trojan War
• love story
• betrayal
• friendship
• Greek mythology
• Shakespeare adaptation

More episodes of Play On Podcasts

• Troilus and Cressida - Episode 3 - The Rising · July 20, 2026 · 33 min
• Troilus and Cressida - Episode 2 - The Sifting · July 13, 2026 · 34 min
• Troilus and Cressida - Bonus Content Episode 1 - Theatermaker Lillian Groag · July 6, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Introducing...Troilus and Cressida · June 22, 2026 · 1 min
• Bonus Content - Actor Randall Duk Kim & Director Annie Occhiogrosso - Pt. 2 · June 15, 2026 · 49 min

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