| ACT IV SCENE V | The Grecian camp. Lists set out. | |
| [
Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILLES, PATROCLUS,
MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others
] |
| AGAMEMNON | Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair, |
| Anticipating time with starting courage. |
| Give with thy trumpet a loud note to Troy, |
| Thou dreadful Ajax; that the appalled air |
| May pierce the head of the great combatant | 5 |
| And hale him hither. |
| AJAX | Thou, trumpet, there's my purse. |
| Now crack thy lungs, and split thy brazen pipe: |
| Blow, villain, till thy sphered bias cheek |
| Outswell the colic of puff'd Aquilon: | 10 |
| Come, stretch thy chest and let thy eyes spout blood; |
| Thou blow'st for Hector. |
| [Trumpet sounds] |
| ULYSSES | No trumpet answers. |
| ACHILLES | 'Tis but early days. |
| AGAMEMNON | Is not yond Diomed, with Calchas' daughter? | 15 |
| ULYSSES | 'Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait; |
| He rises on the toe: that spirit of his |
| In aspiration lifts him from the earth. |
| [Enter DIOMEDES, with CRESSIDA] |
| AGAMEMNON | Is this the Lady Cressid? |
| DIOMEDES | Even she. | 20 |
| AGAMEMNON | Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady. |
| NESTOR | Our general doth salute you with a kiss. |
| ULYSSES | Yet is the kindness but particular; |
| 'Twere better she were kiss'd in general. |
| NESTOR | And very courtly counsel: I'll begin. | 25 |
| So much for Nestor. |
| ACHILLES | I'll take what winter from your lips, fair lady: |
| Achilles bids you welcome. |
| MENELAUS | I had good argument for kissing once. |
| PATROCLUS | But that's no argument for kissing now; | 30 |
| For this popp'd Paris in his hardiment, |
| And parted thus you and your argument. |
| ULYSSES | O deadly gall, and theme of all our scorns! |
| For which we lose our heads to gild his horns. |
| PATROCLUS | The first was Menelaus' kiss; this, mine: | 35 |
| Patroclus kisses you. |
| MENELAUS | O, this is trim! |
| PATROCLUS | Paris and I kiss evermore for him. |
| MENELAUS | I'll have my kiss, sir. Lady, by your leave. |
| CRESSIDA | In kissing, do you render or receive? | 40 |
| PATROCLUS | Both take and give. |
| CRESSIDA | I'll make my match to live, |
| The kiss you take is better than you give; |
| Therefore no kiss. |
| MENELAUS | I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one. | 45 |
| CRESSIDA | You're an odd man; give even or give none. |
| MENELAUS | An odd man, lady! every man is odd. |
| CRESSIDA | No, Paris is not; for you know 'tis true, |
| That you are odd, and he is even with you. |
| MENELAUS | You fillip me o' the head. | 50 |
| CRESSIDA | No, I'll be sworn. |
| ULYSSES | It were no match, your nail against his horn. |
| May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you? |
| CRESSIDA | You may. |
| ULYSSES | I do desire it. | 55 |
| CRESSIDA | Why, beg, then. |
| ULYSSES | Why then for Venus' sake, give me a kiss, |
| When Helen is a maid again, and his. |
| CRESSIDA | I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due. |
| ULYSSES | Never's my day, and then a kiss of you. | 60 |
| DIOMEDES | Lady, a word: I'll bring you to your father. |
| [Exit with CRESSIDA] |
| NESTOR | A woman of quick sense. |
| ULYSSES | Fie, fie upon her! |
| There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip, |
| Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out | 65 |
| At every joint and motive of her body. |
| O, these encounterers, so glib of tongue, |
| That give accosting welcome ere it comes, |
| And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts |
| To every ticklish reader! set them down | 70 |
| For sluttish spoils of opportunity |
| And daughters of the game. |
| [Trumpet within] |
| ALL | The Trojans' trumpet. |
| AGAMEMNON | Yonder comes the troop. |
| [
Enter HECTOR, armed; AENEAS, TROILUS, and other
Trojans, with Attendants
] |
| AENEAS | Hail, all you state of Greece! what shall be done | 75 |
| To him that victory commands? or do you purpose |
| A victor shall be known? will you the knights |
| Shall to the edge of all extremity |
| Pursue each other, or shall be divided |
| By any voice or order of the field? | 80 |
| Hector bade ask. |
| AGAMEMNON | Which way would Hector have it? |
| AENEAS | He cares not; he'll obey conditions. |
| ACHILLES | 'Tis done like Hector; but securely done, |
| A little proudly, and great deal misprizing | 85 |
| The knight opposed. |
| AENEAS | If not Achilles, sir, |
| What is your name? |
| ACHILLES | If not Achilles, nothing. |
| AENEAS | Therefore Achilles: but, whate'er, know this: | 90 |
| In the extremity of great and little, |
| Valour and pride excel themselves in Hector; |
| The one almost as infinite as all, |
| The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well, |
| And that which looks like pride is courtesy. | 95 |
| This Ajax is half made of Hector's blood: |
| In love whereof, half Hector stays at home; |
| Half heart, half hand, half Hector comes to seek |
| This blended knight, half Trojan and half Greek. |
| ACHILLES | A maiden battle, then? O, I perceive you. | 100 |
| [Re-enter DIOMEDES] |
| AGAMEMNON | Here is Sir Diomed. Go, gentle knight, |
| Stand by our Ajax: as you and Lord AEneas |
| Consent upon the order of their fight, |
| So be it; either to the uttermost, |
| Or else a breath: the combatants being kin | 105 |
| Half stints their strife before their strokes begin. |
| [AJAX and HECTOR enter the lists] |
| ULYSSES | They are opposed already. |
| AGAMEMNON | What Trojan is that same that looks so heavy? |
| ULYSSES | The youngest son of Priam, a true knight, |
| Not yet mature, yet matchless, firm of word, | 110 |
| Speaking in deeds and deedless in his tongue; |
| Not soon provoked nor being provoked soon calm'd: |
| His heart and hand both open and both free; |
| For what he has he gives, what thinks he shows; |
| Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty, | 115 |
| Nor dignifies an impure thought with breath; |
| Manly as Hector, but more dangerous; |
| For Hector in his blaze of wrath subscribes |
| To tender objects, but he in heat of action |
| Is more vindicative than jealous love: | 120 |
| They call him Troilus, and on him erect |
| A second hope, as fairly built as Hector. |
| Thus says AEneas; one that knows the youth |
| Even to his inches, and with private soul |
| Did in great Ilion thus translate him to me. | 125 |
| [Alarum. Hector and Ajax fight] |
| AGAMEMNON | They are in action. |
| NESTOR | Now, Ajax, hold thine own! |
| TROILUS | Hector, thou sleep'st; |
| Awake thee! |
| AGAMEMNON | His blows are well disposed: there, Ajax! | 130 |
| DIOMEDES | You must no more. |
| [Trumpets cease] |
| AENEAS | Princes, enough, so please you. |
| AJAX | I am not warm yet; let us fight again. |
| DIOMEDES | As Hector pleases. |
| HECTOR | Why, then will I no more: | 135 |
| Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son, |
| A cousin-german to great Priam's seed; |
| The obligation of our blood forbids |
| A gory emulation 'twixt us twain: |
| Were thy commixtion Greek and Trojan so | 140 |
| That thou couldst say 'This hand is Grecian all, |
| And this is Trojan; the sinews of this leg |
| All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood |
| Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister |
| Bounds in my father's;' by Jove multipotent, | 145 |
| Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member |
| Wherein my sword had not impressure made |
| Of our rank feud: but the just gods gainsay |
| That any drop thou borrow'dst from thy mother, |
| My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword | 150 |
| Be drain'd! Let me embrace thee, Ajax: |
| By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms; |
| Hector would have them fall upon him thus: |
| Cousin, all honour to thee! |
| AJAX | I thank thee, Hector | 155 |
| Thou art too gentle and too free a man: |
| I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence |
| A great addition earned in thy death. |
| HECTOR | Not Neoptolemus so mirable, |
| On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st Oyes | 160 |
| Cries 'This is he,' could promise to himself |
| A thought of added honour torn from Hector. |
| AENEAS | There is expectance here from both the sides, |
| What further you will do. |
| HECTOR | We'll answer it; | 165 |
| The issue is embracement: Ajax, farewell. |
| AJAX | If I might in entreaties find success-- |
| As seld I have the chance--I would desire |
| My famous cousin to our Grecian tents. |
| DIOMEDES | 'Tis Agamemnon's wish, and great Achilles | 170 |
| Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector. |
| HECTOR | AEneas, call my brother Troilus to me, |
| And signify this loving interview |
| To the expecters of our Trojan part; |
| Desire them home. Give me thy hand, my cousin; | 175 |
| I will go eat with thee and see your knights. |
| AJAX | Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here. |
| HECTOR | The worthiest of them tell me name by name; |
| But for Achilles, mine own searching eyes |
| Shall find him by his large and portly size. | 180 |
| AGAMEMNON | Worthy of arms! as welcome as to one |
| That would be rid of such an enemy; |
| But that's no welcome: understand more clear, |
| What's past and what's to come is strew'd with husks |
| And formless ruin of oblivion; | 185 |
| But in this extant moment, faith and troth, |
| Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing, |
| Bids thee, with most divine integrity, |
| From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome. |
| HECTOR | I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon. | 190 |
| AGAMEMNON | [To TROILUS] My well-famed lord of Troy, no
|
| less to you. |
| MENELAUS | Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting: |
| You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither. |
| HECTOR | Who must we answer? | 195 |
| AENEAS | The noble Menelaus. |
| HECTOR | O, you, my lord? by Mars his gauntlet, thanks! |
| Mock not, that I affect the untraded oath; |
| Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove: |
| She's well, but bade me not commend her to you. | 200 |
| MENELAUS | Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme. |
| HECTOR | O, pardon; I offend. |
| NESTOR | I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft |
| Labouring for destiny make cruel way |
| Through ranks of Greekish youth, and I have seen thee, | 205 |
| As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed, |
| Despising many forfeits and subduements, |
| When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i' the air, |
| Not letting it decline on the declined, |
| That I have said to some my standers by | 210 |
| 'Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!' |
| And I have seen thee pause and take thy breath, |
| When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in, |
| Like an Olympian wrestling: this have I seen; |
| But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel, | 215 |
| I never saw till now. I knew thy grandsire, |
| And once fought with him: he was a soldier good; |
| But, by great Mars, the captain of us all, |
| Never saw like thee. Let an old man embrace thee; |
| And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents. | 220 |
| AENEAS | 'Tis the old Nestor. |
| HECTOR | Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, |
| That hast so long walk'd hand in hand with time: |
| Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee. |
| NESTOR | I would my arms could match thee in contention, | 225 |
| As they contend with thee in courtesy. |
| HECTOR | I would they could. |
| NESTOR | Ha! |
| By this white beard, I'ld fight with thee to-morrow. |
| Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time. | 230 |
| ULYSSES | I wonder now how yonder city stands |
| When we have here her base and pillar by us. |
| HECTOR | I know your favour, Lord Ulysses, well. |
| Ah, sir, there's many a Greek and Trojan dead, |
| Since first I saw yourself and Diomed | 235 |
| In Ilion, on your Greekish embassy. |
| ULYSSES | Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue: |
| My prophecy is but half his journey yet; |
| For yonder walls, that pertly front your town, |
| Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds, | 240 |
| Must kiss their own feet. |
| HECTOR | I must not believe you: |
| There they stand yet, and modestly I think, |
| The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost |
| A drop of Grecian blood: the end crowns all, | 245 |
| And that old common arbitrator, Time, |
| Will one day end it. |
| ULYSSES | So to him we leave it. |
| Most gentle and most valiant Hector, welcome: |
| After the general, I beseech you next | 250 |
| To feast with me and see me at my tent. |
| ACHILLES | I shall forestall thee, Lord Ulysses, thou! |
| Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee; |
| I have with exact view perused thee, Hector, |
| And quoted joint by joint. | 255 |
| HECTOR | Is this Achilles? |
| ACHILLES | I am Achilles. |
| HECTOR | Stand fair, I pray thee: let me look on thee. |
| ACHILLES | Behold thy fill. |
| HECTOR | Nay, I have done already. | 260 |
| ACHILLES | Thou art too brief: I will the second time, |
| As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb. |
| HECTOR | O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er; |
| But there's more in me than thou understand'st. |
| Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye? | 265 |
| ACHILLES | Tell me, you heavens, in which part of his body |
| Shall I destroy him? whether there, or there, or there? |
| That I may give the local wound a name |
| And make distinct the very breach whereout |
| Hector's great spirit flew: answer me, heavens! | 270 |
| HECTOR | It would discredit the blest gods, proud man, |
| To answer such a question: stand again: |
| Think'st thou to catch my life so pleasantly |
| As to prenominate in nice conjecture |
| Where thou wilt hit me dead? | 275 |
| ACHILLES | I tell thee, yea. |
| HECTOR | Wert thou an oracle to tell me so, |
| I'd not believe thee. Henceforth guard thee well; |
| For I'll not kill thee there, nor there, nor there; |
| But, by the forge that stithied Mars his helm, | 280 |
| I'll kill thee every where, yea, o'er and o'er. |
| You wisest Grecians, pardon me this brag; |
| His insolence draws folly from my lips; |
| But I'll endeavour deeds to match these words, |
| Or may I never-- | 285 |
| AJAX | Do not chafe thee, cousin: |
| And you, Achilles, let these threats alone, |
| Till accident or purpose bring you to't: |
| You may have every day enough of Hector |
| If you have stomach; the general state, I fear, | 290 |
| Can scarce entreat you to be odd with him. |
| HECTOR | I pray you, let us see you in the field: |
| We have had pelting wars, since you refused |
| The Grecians' cause. |
| ACHILLES | Dost thou entreat me, Hector? | 295 |
| To-morrow do I meet thee, fell as death; |
| To-night all friends. |
| HECTOR | Thy hand upon that match. |
| AGAMEMNON | First, all you peers of Greece, go to my tent; |
| There in the full convive we: afterwards, | 300 |
| As Hector's leisure and your bounties shall |
| Concur together, severally entreat him. |
| Beat loud the tabourines, let the trumpets blow, |
| That this great soldier may his welcome know. |
| [Exeunt all except TROILUS and ULYSSES] |
| TROILUS | My Lord Ulysses, tell me, I beseech you, | 305 |
| In what place of the field doth Calchas keep? |
| ULYSSES | At Menelaus' tent, most princely Troilus: |
| There Diomed doth feast with him to-night; |
| Who neither looks upon the heaven nor earth, |
| But gives all gaze and bent of amorous view | 310 |
| On the fair Cressid. |
| TROILUS | Shall sweet lord, be bound to you so much, |
| After we part from Agamemnon's tent, |
| To bring me thither? |
| ULYSSES | You shall command me, sir. | 315 |
| As gentle tell me, of what honour was |
| This Cressida in Troy? Had she no lover there |
| That wails her absence? |
| TROILUS | O, sir, to such as boasting show their scars |
| A mock is due. Will you walk on, my lord? | 320 |
| She was beloved, she loved; she is, and doth: |
| But still sweet love is food for fortune's tooth. |
| [Exeunt] |
Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida: Scenes and Commentary