SCENE V. The Grecian camp. Lists set out. Troilus and Cressida  Shakespeare homepage  |  Troiles and Cressida  | Act 4, Scene 5 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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 

 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: 

 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? 

 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. 

 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. 

 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; 

 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: 

 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? 

 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. 

 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. 

 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. 

 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. 

 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 

 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 

 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 

 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? 

 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 

 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: 

 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. 

 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. 



 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 

 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, 

 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, 

 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: 

 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. 



 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! 

 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: 

 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 

 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, 

 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 

 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 

 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 

 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; 

 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 

 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; 

 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. 

 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; 

 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. 

 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? 

 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. 

 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, 

 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 

 '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, 

 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. 

 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, 

 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. 

 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 

 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, 

 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, 

 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 

 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. 

 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. 

 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? 

 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! 

 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? 

 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, 

 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-- 

 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, 

 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? 

 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, 

 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, 

 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 

 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. 

 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? 

 She was beloved, she loved; she is, and doth: 

 But still sweet love is food for fortune's tooth. 



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