SHAKESPEARE AND LIMITS. My brother Elmer has always cited TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, Act III, Scene 2, ll. 87-90, as analogous to the ways an economist looks at life and love. Troilus says to Cressida, “This is the monstruosity in love, lady, that the will is infinite and the execution confined, the desire is boundless and the act a slave to limit.”
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A lot of the professors here criticize Shakespeare for the “unrealistic” or “confusing” plot devices, or lines of dialog. I feel like part of that is by tearing down the greatest you can make yourself seem impressive.
In reality, I think the lines that “don’t make sense” are either A) Cultural changes from 400 years ago B) Meant for poetic/phonic beauty or C) Overlook the fact that there was great wisdom in what he wrote years ahead of its time.