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Troilus and Cressida - Act 5, scene 3
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Troilus and Cressida - Act 5, scene 3Act 5, scene 3
⌜Scene 3⌝
Synopsis:
Andromache and Cassandra enlist Priam in their efforts to persuade Hector to refrain from battle. He, in turn, futilely attempts to keep Troilus from the fight. With Priam’s reluctant blessing on Hector, both young men leave to fight, with Troilus delayed a moment by Pandarus, who gives him a letter from Cressida that Troilus reads and then tears up.
Enter Hector, ⌜armed,⌝ and Andromache.ANDROMACHE
3216 When was my lord so much ungently tempered
3217 To stop his ears against admonishment?
3218 Unarm, unarm, and do not fight today.
HECTOR
3219 You train me to offend you. Get you in.
3220 5 By all the everlasting gods, I’ll go!
ANDROMACHE
3221 My dreams will sure prove ominous to the day.
HECTOR
3222 No more, I say.
Enter Cassandra.
CASSANDRA 3223 Where is my brother Hector?
ANDROMACHE
3224 Here, sister, armed and bloody in intent.
3225 10 Consort with me in loud and dear petition;
3226 Pursue we him on knees. For I have dreamt
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3227
Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night3228 Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.
CASSANDRA
3229 O, ’tis true!
HECTOR, ⌜calling out⌝ 3230 15 Ho! Bid my trumpet sound!
⟨CASSANDRA⟩
3231 No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother!
HECTOR
3232 Begone, I say. The gods have heard me swear.
CASSANDRA
3233 The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows.
3234 They are polluted off’rings more abhorred
3235 20 Than spotted livers in the sacrifice.
ANDROMACHE, ⌜to Hector⌝
3236 O, be persuaded! Do not count it holy
3237 ⟨To hurt by being just. It is as lawful,
3238 For we would give much, to ⌜use⌝ violent thefts
3239 And rob in the behalf of charity.
CASSANDRA⟩
3240 25 It is the purpose that makes strong the vow,
3241 But vows to every purpose must not hold.
3242 Unarm, sweet Hector.
HECTOR 3243 Hold you still, I say.
3244 Mine honor keeps the weather of my fate.
3245 30 Life every man holds dear, but the dear man
3246 Holds honor far more precious-dear than life.
Enter Troilus, ⌜armed.⌝
3247 How now, young man? Meanest thou to fight today?
ANDROMACHE
3248 Cassandra, call my father to persuade.
Cassandra exits.
HECTOR
3249 No, faith, young Troilus, doff thy harness, youth.
3250 35 I am today i’ th’ vein of chivalry.
3251 Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong,
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3252
And tempt not yet the brushes of the war.3253 Unarm thee, go, and doubt thou not, brave boy,
3254 I’ll stand today for thee and me and Troy.
TROILUS
3255 40 Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you
3256 Which better fits a lion than a man.
HECTOR
3257 What vice is that? Good Troilus, chide me for it.
TROILUS
3258 When many times the captive Grecian falls,
3259 Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword,
3260 45 You bid them rise and live.
HECTOR
3261 O, ’tis fair play.
TROILUS 3262 Fool’s play, by heaven. Hector.
HECTOR
3263 How now? How now?
TROILUS 3264 For th’ love of all the gods,
3265 50 Let’s leave the hermit Pity with our mother,
3266 And when we have our armors buckled on,
3267 The venomed Vengeance ride upon our swords,
3268 Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth.
HECTOR
3269 Fie, savage, fie!
TROILUS 3270 55 Hector, then ’tis wars.
HECTOR
3271 Troilus, I would not have you fight today.
TROILUS 3272 Who should withhold me?
3273 Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars,
3274 Beck’ning with fiery truncheon my retire;
3275 60 Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees,
3276 Their eyes o’er-gallèd with recourse of tears;
3277 Nor you, my brother, with your true sword drawn
3278 Opposed to hinder me, should stop my way,
3279 ⟨But by my ruin.⟩
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Enter Priam and Cassandra.CASSANDRA, ⌜indicating Hector⌝
3280 65 Lay hold upon him, Priam; hold him fast.
3281 He is thy crutch. Now if thou loose thy stay,
3282 Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee,
3283 Fall all together.
PRIAM 3284 Come, Hector, come. Go back.
3285 70 Thy wife hath dreamt, thy mother hath had visions,
3286 Cassandra doth foresee, and I myself
3287 Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt
3288 To tell thee that this day is ominous.
3289 Therefore, come back.
HECTOR 3290 75 Aeneas is afield,
3291 And I do stand engaged to many Greeks,
3292 Even in the faith of valor, to appear
3293 This morning to them.
PRIAM 3294 Ay, but thou shalt not go.
HECTOR 3295 80I must not break my faith.
3296 You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir,
3297 Let me not shame respect, but give me leave
3298 To take that course by your consent and voice
3299 Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam.
CASSANDRA
3300 85 O Priam, yield not to him!
ANDROMACHE 3301 Do not, dear father.
HECTOR
3302 Andromache, I am offended with you.
3303 Upon the love you bear me, get you in.
Andromache exits.
TROILUS
3304 This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl
3305 90 Makes all these bodements.
CASSANDRA 3306 O farewell, dear Hector.
3307 Look how thou diest! Look how thy eye turns pale!
3308 Look how thy wounds do bleed at many vents!
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3309
Hark, how Troy roars, how Hecuba cries out,3310 95 How poor Andromache shrills her ⟨dolor⟩ forth!
3311 Behold, ⟨distraction,⟩ frenzy, and amazement,
3312 Like witless antics, one another meet,
3313 And all cry “Hector! Hector’s dead! O, Hector!”
TROILUS 3314 Away, away!
CASSANDRA
3315 100 Farewell.—Yet soft! Hector, I take my leave.
3316 Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive.⟨She exits.⟩
HECTOR
3317 You are amazed, my liege, at her exclaim.
3318 Go in and cheer the town. We’ll forth and fight,
3319 Do deeds worth praise, and tell you them at night.
PRIAM
3320 105 Farewell. The gods with safety stand about thee!
⌜Hector and Priam exit at separate doors.⌝
Alarum.
TROILUS
3321 They are at it, hark! Proud Diomed, believe,
3322 I come to lose my arm or win my sleeve.
Enter Pandarus, ⌜with a paper.⌝
PANDARUS 3323 Do you hear, my lord? Do you hear?
TROILUS 3324 What now?
PANDARUS 3325 110Here’s a letter come from yond poor girl.
TROILUS 3326 Let me read.⌜He reads.⌝
PANDARUS 3327 A whoreson phthisic, a whoreson rascally
3328 phthisic so troubles me, and the foolish fortune of
3329 this girl, and what one thing, what another, that I
3330 115 shall leave you one o’ ⌜these⌝ days. And I have a
3331 rheum in mine eyes too, and such an ache in my
3332 bones that, unless a man were cursed, I cannot tell
3333 what to think on ’t.—What says she there?
TROILUS
3334 Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart.
3335 120 Th’ effect doth operate another way.
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3336
Go, wind, to wind! There turn and change together.⌜He tears up the paper and throws the pieces in the air.⌝
3337 My love with words and errors still she feeds,
3338 But edifies another with her deeds.
They exit.