TPTT The History of Troilus and Cressida: ACT V
Introduction
PROLOGUE
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
ACT V
SCENE I. The Grecian camp. Before Achilles' tent.
SCENE II. The same. Before Calchas' tent.
SCENE III. Troy. Before Priam's palace.
SCENE IV. Plains between Troy and the Grecian camp.
SCENE V. Another part of the plains.
SCENE VI. Another part of the plains.
SCENE VII. Another part of the plains.
SCENE VIII. Another part of the plains.
SCENE IX. Another part of the plains.
SCENE X. Another part of the plains.
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SCENE III. Troy. Before Priam's palace.
Enter HECTOR and ANDROMACHE
ANDROMACHE
      When was my lord so much ungently temper'd,
      To stop his ears against admonishment?
      Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to-day.
HECTOR
      You train me to offend you; get you in:
5     By all the everlasting gods, I'll go!
ANDROMACHE
      My dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the day.
HECTOR
      No more, I say.
Enter CASSANDRA
CASSANDRA
      Where is my brother Hector?
ANDROMACHE
      Here, sister; arm'd, and bloody in intent.
10    Consort with me in loud and dear petition,
      Pursue we him on knees; for I have dream'd
      Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night
      Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.
CASSANDRA
      O, 'tis true.
HECTOR
15    Ho! bid my trumpet sound!
CASSANDRA
      No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother.
HECTOR
      Be gone, I say: the gods have heard me swear.
CASSANDRA
      The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows:
      They are polluted offerings, more abhorr'd
20    Than spotted livers in the sacrifice.
ANDROMACHE
      O, be persuaded! do not count it holy
      To hurt by being just: it is as lawful,
      For we would give much, to use violent thefts,
      And rob in the behalf of charity.
CASSANDRA
25    It is the purpose that makes strong the vow;
      But vows to every purpose must not hold:
      Unarm, sweet Hector.
HECTOR
      Hold you still, I say;
      Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate:
30    Lie every man holds dear; but the brave man
      Holds honour far more precious-dear than life.

Enter TROILUS

      How now, young man! mean'st thou to fight to-day?
ANDROMACHE
      Cassandra, call my father to persuade.
Exit CASSANDRA
HECTOR
      No, faith, young Troilus; doff thy harness, youth;
35    I am to-day i' the vein of chivalry:
      Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong,
      And tempt not yet the brushes of the war.
      Unarm thee, go, and doubt thou not, brave boy,
      I'll stand to-day for thee and me and Troy.
TROILUS
40    Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you,
      Which better fits a lion than a man.
HECTOR
      What vice is that, good Troilus? chide me for it.
TROILUS
      When many times the captive Grecian falls,
      Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword,
45    You bid them rise, and live.
HECTOR
      O,'tis fair play.
TROILUS
      Fool's play, by heaven, Hector.
HECTOR
      How now! how now!
TROILUS
      For the love of all the gods,
50    Let's leave the hermit pity with our mothers,
      And when we have our armours buckled on,
      The venom'd vengeance ride upon our swords,
      Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth.
HECTOR
      Fie, savage, fie!
TROILUS
55    Hector, then 'tis wars.
HECTOR
      Troilus, I would not have you fight to-day.
TROILUS
      Who should withhold me?
      Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars
      Beckoning with fiery truncheon my retire;
60    Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees,
      Their eyes o'ergalled with recourse of tears;
      Not you, my brother, with your true sword drawn,
      Opposed to hinder me, should stop my way,
      But by my ruin.
Re-enter CASSANDRA, with PRIAM
CASSANDRA
65    Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him fast:
      He is thy crutch; now if thou lose thy stay,
      Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee,
      Fall all together.
PRIAM
      Come, Hector, come, go back:
70    Thy wife hath dream'd; thy mother hath had visions;
      Cassandra doth foresee; and I myself
      Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt
      To tell thee that this day is ominous:
      Therefore, come back.
HECTOR
75    AEneas is a-field;
      And I do stand engaged to many Greeks,
      Even in the faith of valour, to appear
      This morning to them.
PRIAM
      Ay, but thou shalt not go.
HECTOR
80    I must not break my faith.
      You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir,
      Let me not shame respect; but give me leave
      To take that course by your consent and voice,
      Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam.
CASSANDRA
85    O Priam, yield not to him!
ANDROMACHE
      Do not, dear father.
HECTOR
      Andromache, I am offended with you:
      Upon the love you bear me, get you in.
Exit ANDROMACHE
TROILUS
      This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl
90    Makes all these bodements.
CASSANDRA
      O, farewell, dear Hector!
      Look, how thou diest! look, how thy eye turns pale!
      Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents!
      Hark, how Troy roars! how Hecuba cries out!
95    How poor Andromache shrills her dolours forth!
      Behold, distraction, frenzy and amazement,
      Like witless antics, one another meet,
      And all cry, Hector! Hector's dead! O Hector!
TROILUS
      Away! away!
CASSANDRA
100   Farewell: yet, soft! Hector! take my leave:
      Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive.
Exit
HECTOR
      You are amazed, my liege, at her exclaim:
      Go in and cheer the town: we'll forth and fight,
      Do deeds worth praise and tell you them at night.
PRIAM
105   Farewell: the gods with safety stand about thee!
Exeunt severally PRIAM and HECTOR. Alarums
TROILUS
      They are at it, hark! Proud Diomed, believe,
      I come to lose my arm, or win my sleeve.
Enter PANDARUS
PANDARUS
      Do you hear, my lord? do you hear?
TROILUS
      What now?
PANDARUS
110   Here's a letter come from yond poor girl.
TROILUS
      Let me read.
PANDARUS
      A whoreson tisick, a whoreson rascally tisick so
      troubles me, and the foolish fortune of this girl;
      and what one thing, what another, that I shall
115   leave you one o' these days: and I have a rheum
      in mine eyes too, and such an ache in my bones
      that, unless a man were cursed, I cannot tell what
      to think on't. What says she there?
TROILUS
      Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart:
120   The effect doth operate another way.

Tearing the letter

      Go, wind, to wind, there turn and change together.
      My love with words and errors still she feeds;
      But edifies another with her deeds.
Exeunt severally
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