Troilus and Cressida: some random questions

Just a couple of random questions that have popped up this week re: Troilus and Cressida (mostly rhetorical, but you want to venture an opinion, please feel free to comment…):

Is it just me or did anyone else get a weird King Arthur/Merlin vibe when in the not-quite-meet-cute of Troilus and Cressida, Pandarus says to Cressida, “If my lord (Troilus) get a boy of you, you’ll give him me” (III.ii.100-01)? I mean, just what the heck was that about?

In terms of tokens and symbolism: should we have known Cressida would be untrue by the lovers’ respective choices of love token? Troilus give her a sleeve, an article of clothing that fits only one body part (an arm), while Cressida gives him a glove, into which five fingers fit. Does this imply that Troilus will be monogamous, and Cressida, not so much? Or am I reading way too much into this? (a real danger)

and finally…

What does it say about Patroclus when Thersites states, “Patroclus will give me anything for the intelligence of this whore (Cressida)” (V.ii.195-6)? Why would he care? For gossip sake? Or does Patroclus swing both ways, sexually speaking? We know Achilles is betrothed to Polyxena in Troy, but that could be just for political purposes. Are they both bi? Are there some wild times in Achilles’ tent? Is that why he doesn’t want to leave the tent and fight, because he’s having too much fun?

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