Troilus and Cressida, in Modern English
The full play, original text on one side, plain modern English on the other — every scene, free.
- Year
- 1602
- Genre
- Comedy
- Setting
- Troy and the Greek camp
- Acts & scenes
- 5 acts · 24 scenes
- Reading time
- ~3 hours
- Audio runtime
- ~2h 45m (in app)
What it's about
In this play, Shakespeare presents a complex and cynical portrayal of the Trojan War, intertwining themes of love, honor, and political disillusionment as the fates of the Trojan prince Troilus, the Trojan heroine Cressida, and the Greek warriors unfold in a world where loyalty is tested and moral ambiguity prevails.
In this play, Shakespeare presents a complex and cynical portrayal of the Trojan War, intertwining themes of love, honor, and political disillusionment as the fates of the Trojan prince Troilus, the Trojan heroine Cressida, and the Greek warriors unfold in a world where loyalty is tested and moral ambiguity prevails.
Study guide
Everything we have for Troilus and Cressida, all on one page.
Read
The full play, scene by scene, original beside modern English.
Characters
Who's who — and what each one wants.
Themes
What the play is about, beneath the plot.
Motifs & Symbols
Patterns Shakespeare keeps returning to.
Famous Quotes
The lines you know, paraphrased and explained.
Scene Summaries
What happens in each scene, and why it matters.
Quiz
Fifteen questions. No login.
About this Play
Year, setting, length, why people read it.
Read by scene
Tap any scene below to start reading.
Act I
- Scene 1. Troy. Before Priam's palace
- Scene 2. The same. A street
- Scene 3. The Greccian camp. Before Achilles' tent
Act II
- Scene 1. A part of the Greccian camp
- Scene 2. Troy. A room in Priam's palace
- Scene 3. The Greccian camp. Before Achilles' tent
Act III
Act IV
- Scene 1. Troy. A street
- Scene 2. The same. Court of Pandarus' house
- Scene 3. The same. Street before Pandarus' house
- Scene 4. The same. Pandarus' house
- Scene 5. The Greccian camp
Act V
- Scene 1. The Greccian camp. Before Achilles' tent
- Scene 2. The same. Before Calchas' tent
- Scene 3. Troy, Before Priam's palace
- Scene 4. Plains between Troy and the Greccian camp
- Scene 5. Another part of the plains
- Scene 6. Another part of the plains
- Scene 7. Another part of the plains
- Scene 8. Another part of the plains
- Scene 9. Another part of the plains
- Scene 10. Another part of the plains
Hear every line of Troilus and Cressida, narrated.
Common questions
Is the modern English translation accurate?
Yes — every line is matched to its original. Our translations preserve meaning over cleverness: where Shakespeare uses a metaphor, we keep it; where the wordplay turns on a sound that no longer exists, we explain rather than fake it. This is a translation, not a summary.
How long does Troilus and Cressida take to read?
About 3 hours at a steady pace. With synced narration in the app, the runtime is roughly 2h 45m — and you can pause anywhere without losing your place.
Is the original text complete and unabridged?
Yes. We use the full public-domain First Folio text, with no cuts. The simplified column runs in parallel — every line of original Shakespeare has its modern English match.
Where can I listen to it?
Synced read-along narration is in the Fluid Shakespeare app on iOS and Android. Tap a line; press play; the words highlight as they're read. Get the app →