ARKCODEX
Act V, Scene 3
1Troy. Before Priam’s palace.
2Enter Hector and Andromache.
3AndromacheWhen was my lord so much ungently temper’d,
To stop his ears against admonishment?
Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to-day.
4HectorYou train me to offend you; get you in:
By all the everlasting gods, I’ll go!
5AndromacheMy dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the day.
6HectorNo more, I say.
7Enter Cassandra.
8CassandraWhere is my brother Hector?
9AndromacheHere, 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.
10CassandraO, ’tis true.
11HectorHo! bid my trumpet sound.
12CassandraNo notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother.
13HectorBe gone, I say: the gods have heard me swear.
14CassandraThe gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows:
They are polluted offerings, more abhorr’d
Than spotted livers in the sacrifice.
15AndromacheO, 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.
16CassandraIt is the purpose that makes strong the vow;
But vows to every purpose must not hold:
Unarm, sweet Hector.
17HectorHold 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.
18Enter Troilus.
19How now, young man! mean’st thou to fight to-day?
20AndromacheCassandra, call my father to persuade. Exit Cassandra.
21HectorNo, 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.
22TroilusBrother, you have a vice of mercy in you,
Which better fits a lion than a man.
23HectorWhat vice is that, good Troilus? chide me for it.
24TroilusWhen many times the captive Grecian falls,
Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword,
You bid them rise, and live.
25HectorO, ’tis fair play.
26TroilusFool’s play, by heaven, Hector.
27HectorHow now! how now!
28TroilusFor 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.
29HectorFie, savage, fie!
30TroilusHector, then ’tis wars.
31HectorTroilus, I would not have you fight to-day.
32TroilusWho 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.
33Reenter Cassandra, with Priam.
34CassandraLay 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.
35PriamCome, 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.
36HectorAeneas is afield;
And I do stand engaged to many Greeks,
Even in the faith of valour, to appear
This morning to them.
37PriamAy, but thou shalt not go.
38HectorI 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.
39CassandraO Priam, yield not to him!
40AndromacheDo not, dear father.
41HectorAndromache, I am offended with you:
Upon the love you bear me, get you in. Exit Andromache.
42TroilusThis foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl
Makes all these bodements.
43CassandraO, 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!
44TroilusAway! away!
45CassandraFarewell: yet, soft! Hector, I take my leave:
Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive. Exit.
46HectorYou 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.
47PriamFarewell: the gods with safety stand about thee! Exeunt severally Priam and Hector. Alarums.
48TroilusThey are at it, hark! Proud Diomed, believe,
I come to lose my arm, or win my sleeve.
49Enter Pandarus.
50PandarusDo you hear, my lord? do you hear?
51TroilusWhat now?
52PandarusHere’s a letter come from yond poor girl.
53TroilusLet me read.
54PandarusA 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?
55TroilusWords, 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.