Character in Troilus and Cressida
Cressida ♀ female
295Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
5.2Last Scene
8.5%Of Play Dialogue
Cressida is the #4 largest role in Troilus and Cressida, speaking 295 lines (8.5% of the play) across 6 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Cressida shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Cressida’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Troilus | 537 | 15.5% |
| 2 | Ulysses | 488 | 14.1% |
| 3 | Pandarus | 394 | 11.4% |
| 4 | Cressida (this role) | 295 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Thersites | 284 | 8.2% |
| 6 | Hector | 213 | 6.2% |
| 7 | Agamemnon | 195 | 5.6% |
| 8 | Achilles | 190 | 5.5% |
| 9 | Nestor | 158 | 4.6% |
| 10 | Aeneas | 145 | 4.2% |
How Cressida’s dialogue distributes across the play
Cressida’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 103 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 2): “So do all men, unless they are drunk, sick, or have no legs.”
Representative speech (Act 1, Scene 2): “There is among the Greeks Achilles, a better man than Troilus.”
Who Cressida shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Troilus | 5 |
| Pandarus | 4 |
| Aeneas | 4 |
| Diomedes | 3 |
| Ulysses | 2 |
| Boy | 2 |
| Hector | 1 |
| Ajax | 1 |
| Nestor | 1 |
| All | 1 |
Questions about Cressida
Is Cressida the lead role in Troilus and Cressida?
Cressida is ranked #4 by line count among 28 speaking characters in Troilus and Cressida — a major role carrying 8.5% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Cressida’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 2, where Cressida speaks 103 lines.
Who does Cressida speak to the most?
Cressida shares the most scenes with Troilus — 5 scenes together across Troilus and Cressida.