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Act 2, Scene 3
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Troilus and Cressida, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War
Love and Selfishness
Honor
Commodification of Women
Fate and Fortune
Summary
Analysis
In Troy, Pandarus visits Paris’s home, where he must make his way past a dim-witted servant to speak to the prince and Helen. Both are happy to see Pandarus, whom they ask to sing a song about love. But first, he has a favor to ask: will Paris make excuses for Troilus at King Priam’s feast that evening? Paris agrees, assuming that his brother will be dining with Cressida instead. Pandarus denies this and demands to know where Paris got that idea. Paris replies that he made an educated guess after observing his brother.
Pandarus’s frustrating exchange with the servant is typical for the ways in which communication goes awry in this play. Words don’t always have singular meanings, and it is hard—if not impossible—to truly understand what another person thinks or means. This doesn’t bode well in high-stakes circumstances like love and war. If anyone in this play should understand the power of love, it’s Paris, whose feelings for Helen caused a war. So, it’s not necessarily surprising that he’s able to see what others aren’t when it comes to Troilus.
Active
Themes
To change the conversation, which is getting too close to the truth for Pandarus’s comfort, he sings a little ditty about the power of love. He knows a lot about it, Helen observes. Paris says it’s because Pandarus’s rich diet heats up his blood and encourages “hot” emotions like love. Looking to change the topic, Pandarus asks Paris who went out to battle that day. All the lords and warriors and all his brothers except Troilus (who stayed back for reasons unknown to him), Paris reports. He would have gone himself, if Helen hadn’t detained him. The sound of trumpets announces the return of the warriors for the night. Paris prepares to go to see his brothers at the palace, bringing Helen along to help them remove their armor.
Active
Themes
