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Troilus and Cressida: Act 5 Scene 3

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:

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.

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

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

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

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:

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;

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

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,

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,

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

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;

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

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:

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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:

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]