Shakespeare from the Ground contributor Christopher C. Gibbs has shared a special monologue for us. From Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cresida, this is Ulysses' advice to Achilles. “I did a Zoom monologue for a friend who is slowly dying of cancer,” Gibbs said. “The message is, don't give up; keep striving.”

Troilus and Cressida takes place against the backdrop of the seventh year of the Trojan War and follows several of the complex relationships therein. The Trojan prince Troilus falls in love with Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan priest who has defected to the Greek side. Troilus engages her voyeuristic Uncle Pandarus to arrange a meeting with her. However, Cressida pretends indifference, thinking that doing so keeps Troilus's interest active.