Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: William Godshalk
Peer Reviewed

Troilus and Cressida (Modern)

3424.1[5.6]
3425Enter Ajax.
Troilus, thou coward Troilus. Show thy head.
Enter Diomed.
Diomed
Troilus, I say. Where's Troilus?
Ajax
What wouldst thou?
3430Diomed
I would correct him.
Were I the general, thou shouldst have my office
Ere that correction. -- Troilus, I say. What, Troilus?
Enter Troilus.
3435Troilus
O traitor Diomed. Turn thy false face, thou traitor,
And pay thy life thou ow'st me for my horse.
Diomed
Ha? Art thou there?
I'll fight with him alone. Stand, Diomed.
3440Diomed
He is my prize; I will not look upon.
Troilus
Come, both you cogging Greeks. Have at you both.
Exit Troilus [with Ajax and Diomed, fighting].
Enter Hector.
Hector
Yea, Troilus. Oh, well fought, my youngest brother.
3445Enter Achilles.
Achilles
Now do I see thee. Have at thee, Hector.
[They fight; Achilles drops his sword?]
Hector
Pause, if thou wilt.
Achilles
I do disdain thy courtesy, proud Trojan.
Be happy that my arms are out of use.
3450My rest and negligence befriends thee now,
But thou anon shalt hear of me again.
Till when, go seek thy fortune.
Exit [Achilles].
Hector
Fare thee well.
I would have been much more a fresher man,
3455Had I expected thee. --
Enter Troilus.
How now, my brother?
Troilus
Ajax hath ta'en Aeneas; shall it be?
No, by the flame of yonder glorious heaven,
He shall not carry him. I'll be ta'en too,
3460Or bring him off. Fate, hear me what I say:
I reck not, though thou end my life today.
Exit [Troilus].
Enter one [Greek] in armor.
Hector
Stand, stand, thou Greek. Thou art a goodly mark.
3465No? Wilt thou not? I like thy armor well;
I'll frush it, and unlock the rivets all,
But I'll be master of it. Wilt thou not, beast, abide?
[Exit Greek in armor.]
Why then, fly on; I'll hunt thee for thy hide.
Exeunt [Hector and the Greek in armor.]