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Ulysses is one of leaders of the Greek army. Widely respected for his intelligence, he is a gifted military strategist who also exhibits great cunning when it comes to subtler forms of psychological manipulation. For many readers and critics, Troilus and Cressida is best known for two remarkable speeches Ulysses delivers over the course of the play. The first occurs in act 1, scene 3, where he gives his famous speech on “degree” to diagnose the true problem facing the Greek army: that is, a lack of respect for hierarchy. The second set piece comes in act 3, scene 3, where he discourses on the fleeting nature of fame. Yet as impressive as these speeches are, in the context of the play, both are shown to do little more than express high-minded ideas from which Ulysses himself diverges. For instance, despite claiming a need to reassert firm hierarchies, Ulysses doesn’t simply command the obstinate Achilles to return to the battlefield. Instead, he concocts a multilayered plan that functions through subtlety and manipulation. In this way, Shakespeare shows Ulysses to be both shrewd and opportunistic, but it remains unclear how “good” this great hero is meant to be.
