William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (352 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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AGAMEMNON Good night.
Exeunt Agamemnon and Menelaus
ACHILLES
Old Nestor tarries, and you too, Diomed.
Keep Hector company an hour or two.
Keep Hector company an hour or two.
DIOMEDES
I cannot, lord. I have important business
The tide whereof is now.—Good night, great Hector.
The tide whereof is now.—Good night, great Hector.
HECTOR Give me your hand.
ULYSSES (
aside to Troilus
)
aside to Troilus
)
Follow his torch, he goes to Calchas’ tent.
I’ll keep you company.
I’ll keep you company.
TROILUS (
aside
) Sweet sir, you honour me.
aside
) Sweet sir, you honour me.
HECTOR (
to Diomedes
)
to Diomedes
)
And so good night.
ACHILLES
Come, come, enter my tent
.
Come, come, enter my tent
.
Exeunt Diomedes, followed by Ulysses and
Troilus, at one door; and Achilles, Hector,
Ajax, and Nestor at another door
Troilus, at one door; and Achilles, Hector,
Ajax, and Nestor at another door
THERSITES That same Diomed’s a false-hearted rogue, a most unjust knave. I will no more trust him when he leers than I will a serpent when he hisses. He will spend his mouth and promise like Brabbler the hound, but when he performs astronomers foretell it: that is prodigious, there will come some change. The sun borrows of the moon when Diomed keeps his word. I will rather leave to see Hector than not to dog him. They say he keeps a Trojan drab, and uses the traitor Calchas his tent. I’ll after.—Nothing but lechery! All incontinent varlets! Exit
5.2
Enter Diomedes
Enter Diomedes
DIOMEDES What, are you up here? Ho! Speak!
CALCHAS ⌈
at the door⌉
Who calls?
at the door⌉
Who calls?
DIOMEDES Diomed. Calchas, I think. Where’s your daughter?
CALCHAS ⌈
at the door⌉
She comes to you.
at the door⌉
She comes to you.
Enter Troilus and Ulysses, unseen
ULYSSES (aside)
Stand where the torch may not discover us.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
Cressid comes forth to him.
Enter Cressida
DIOMEDES How now, my charge?
CRESSIDA
Now, my sweet guardian. Hark, a word with you.
She whispers to him.⌈
Enter Thersites, unseen⌉
TROILUS (
aside
) Yea, so familiar?
aside
) Yea, so familiar?
ULYSSES (
aside
) She will sing any man at first sight.
aside
) She will sing any man at first sight.
THERSITES (aside) And any man may sing her, if he can take her clef. She’s noted.
DIOMEDES Will you remember?
CRESSIDA Remember? Yes.
DIOMEDES Nay, but do then, And let your mind be coupled with your words.
TROILUS (aside) What should she remember?
ULYSSES (aside) List!
CRESSIDA
Sweet honey Greek, tempt me no more to folly.
THERSITES (aside) Roguery.
DIOMEDES Nay, then!
CRESSIDA I’ll tell you what—
DIOMEDES
Fo, fo! Come, tell a pin. You are forsworn.
CRESSIDA
In faith, I cannot. What would you have me do?
THERSITES (aside) A juggling trick: to be secretly open.
DIOMEDES
What did you swear you would bestow on me?
CRESSIDA
I prithee, do not hold me to mine oath.
Bid me do anything but that, sweet Greek.
Bid me do anything but that, sweet Greek.
DIOMEDES Good night.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
Hold, patience!
ULYSSES (
aside
) How now, Trojan?
aside
) How now, Trojan?
CRESSIDA Diomed.
DIOMEDES
No, no, good night. I’ll be your fool no more.
TROILUS (
aside
) Thy better must.
aside
) Thy better must.
CRESSIDA Hark, one word in your ear.
She whispers to him
TROILUS (
aside
) O plague and madness!
aside
) O plague and madness!
ULYSSES (
aside
)
aside
)
You are moved, Prince. Let us depart, I pray you,
Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself
To wrathful terms. This place is dangerous,
The time right deadly. I beseech you go.
Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself
To wrathful terms. This place is dangerous,
The time right deadly. I beseech you go.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
Behold, I pray you.
ULYSSES (
aside
) Nay, good my lord, go off.
aside
) Nay, good my lord, go off.
You flow to great distraction. Come, my lord.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
I prithee, stay.
ULYSSES (aside) You have not patience. Come.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
I pray you, stay. By hell and all hell’s torments,
I will not speak a word.
I will not speak a word.
DIOMEDES And so good night.
CRESSIDA
Nay, but you part in anger.
TROILUS (
aside
) Doth that grieve thee?
aside
) Doth that grieve thee?
O withered truth!
ULYSSES (
aside
) Why, how now, lord?
aside
) Why, how now, lord?
TROILUS (
aside
) By Jove,
aside
) By Jove,
I will be patient.
⌈
Diomedes starts to go⌉
CRESSIDA Guardian! Why, Greek!
DIOMEDES Fo, fo! Adieu. You palter.
CRESSIDA
In faith, I do not. Come hither once again.
ULYSSES (
aside
)
aside
)
You shake, my lord, at something. Will you go?
You will break out.
You will break out.
TROILUS (
aside
) She strokes his cheek.
aside
) She strokes his cheek.
ULYSSES (
aside
) Come, come.
aside
) Come, come.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
Nay, stay. By Jove, I will not speak a word.
There is between my will and all offences
A guard of patience. Stay a little while.
There is between my will and all offences
A guard of patience. Stay a little while.
THERSITES
(aside)
How the devil Luxury with his fat rump and potato finger tickles these together! Fry, lechery, fry.
(aside)
How the devil Luxury with his fat rump and potato finger tickles these together! Fry, lechery, fry.
DIOMEDES But will you then?
CRESSIDA
In faith, I will, la. Never trust me else.
DIOMEDES
Give me some token for the surety of it.
CRESSIDA I’ll fetch you one. Exit
ULYSSES (
aside
) You have sworn patience.
aside
) You have sworn patience.
TROILUS (
aside
) Fear me not, sweet lord.
aside
) Fear me not, sweet lord.
I will not be myself, nor have cognition
Of what I feel. I am all patience.
Of what I feel. I am all patience.
Enter Cressida with Troilus’ sleeve
THERSITES (
aside
) Now the pledge! Now, now, now.
aside
) Now the pledge! Now, now, now.
CRESSIDA Here Diomed, keep this sleeve.
TROILUS (
aside
) O beauty, where is thy faith?
aside
) O beauty, where is thy faith?
ULYSSES (
aside
) My lord.
aside
) My lord.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
I will be patient; outwardly I will.
CRESSIDA
You look upon that sleeve. Behold it well.
He loved me—O false wench!—give’t me again.
He loved me—O false wench!—give’t me again.
She takes it back
DIOMEDES Whose was’t?
CRESSIDA
It is no matter, now I ha’t again.
I will not meet with you tomorrow night.
I prithee, Diomed, visit me no more.
I will not meet with you tomorrow night.
I prithee, Diomed, visit me no more.
THERSITES (
aside
) Now she sharpens. Well said, whetstone.
aside
) Now she sharpens. Well said, whetstone.
DIOMEDES I shall have it.
CRESSIDA What, this?
DIOMEDES Ay, that.
CRESSIDA
O all you gods! O pretty pretty pledge!
Thy master now lies thinking on his bed
Of thee and me, and sighs, and takes my glove
And gives memorial dainty kisses to it—
Thy master now lies thinking on his bed
Of thee and me, and sighs, and takes my glove
And gives memorial dainty kisses to it—
⌈DIOMEDES⌉
As I kiss thee.
⌈
he snatches the sieeve⌉
⌈CRESSiDA⌉ Nay, do not snatch it from me.
He that takes that doth take my heart withal.
DIOMEDES
I had your heart before; this follows it.
TROILUS (
aside
) I did swear patience.
aside
) I did swear patience.
CRESSIDA
You shall not have it, Diomed. Faith, you shall not.
I’ll give you something else.
I’ll give you something else.
DIOMEDES I will have this. Whose was it?
CRESSIDA
It is no matter.
DIOMEDES Come, tell me whose it was?
CRESSIDA
’Twas one’s that loved me better than you will.
But now you have it, take it.
But now you have it, take it.
DIOMEDES Whose was it?
CRESSIDA
By all Diana’s waiting-women yond,
And by herself, I will not tell you whose.
And by herself, I will not tell you whose.
DIOMEDES
Tomorrow will I wear it on my helm,
And grieve his spirit that dares, not challenge it.
And grieve his spirit that dares, not challenge it.
TROILUS (
aside
)
aside
)
Wert thou the devil and wor’st it on thy horn,
It should be challenged.
It should be challenged.
CRESSIDA
Well, well, ‘tis done, ’tis past—and yet it is not.
I will not keep my word.
I will not keep my word.
DIOMEDES Why then, farewell.
Thou never shalt mock Diomed again.
CRESSIDA
You shall not go. One cannot speak a word
But it straight starts you.
But it straight starts you.
DIOMEDES I do not like this fooling.
⌈TROILUS⌉ (
aside
)
aside
)
Nor I, by Pluto—but that that likes not you
Pleases me best.
Pleases me best.
DIOMEDES What, shall I come? The hour—
CRESSIDA
Ay, come. O Jove, do come. I shall be plagued.
DIOMEDES
Farewell till then.
CRESSIDA Good night. I prithee, come.
Exit Diomedes
Troilus, farewell. One eye yet looks on thee,
But with my heart the other eye doth see.
Ah, poor our sex! This fault in us I find:
The error of our eye directs our mind.
What error leads must err. O then conclude:
Minds swayed by eyes are full of turpitude. Exit
But with my heart the other eye doth see.
Ah, poor our sex! This fault in us I find:
The error of our eye directs our mind.
What error leads must err. O then conclude:
Minds swayed by eyes are full of turpitude. Exit
THERSITES (
aside
)
aside
)
A proof of strength she could not publish more
Unless she said, ‘My mind is now turned whore’.
Unless she said, ‘My mind is now turned whore’.
ULYSSES
All’s done, my lord.
TROILUS It is.
ULYSSES Why stay we then?
TROILUS
To make a recordation to my soul
Of every syllable that here was spoke.
But if I tell how these two did co-act,
Shall I not lie in publishing a truth?
Sith yet there is a credence in my heart,
An esperance so obstinately strong,
That doth invert th’attest of eyes and ears,
As if those organs had deceptious functions
Created only to calumniate.
Was Cressid here?
Of every syllable that here was spoke.
But if I tell how these two did co-act,
Shall I not lie in publishing a truth?
Sith yet there is a credence in my heart,
An esperance so obstinately strong,
That doth invert th’attest of eyes and ears,
As if those organs had deceptious functions
Created only to calumniate.
Was Cressid here?
ULYSSES I cannot conjure, Trojan.
TROILUS
She was not, sure.
ULYSSES Most sure, she was.
TROILUS
Why, my negation hath no taste of madness.
ULYSSES
Nor mine, my lord. Cressid was here but now.
TROILUS
Let it not be believed, for womanhood.
Think: we had mothers. Do not give advantage
To stubborn critics, apt without a theme
For depravation to square the general sex
By Cressid’s rule. Rather, think this not Cressid.
Think: we had mothers. Do not give advantage
To stubborn critics, apt without a theme
For depravation to square the general sex
By Cressid’s rule. Rather, think this not Cressid.
ULYSSES
What hath she done, Prince, that can soil our mothers?
TROILUS
Nothing at all, unless that this were she.
THERSITES (
aside
) Will a swagger himself out on’s own eyes?
aside
) Will a swagger himself out on’s own eyes?
TROILUS
This, she? No, this is Diomed’s Cressida.
If beauty have a soul, this is not she.
If souls guide vows, if vows be sanctimonies,
If sanctimony be the gods’ delight,
If there be rule in unity itself,
This is not she. O madness of discourse,
That cause sets up with and against thyselfl
Bifold authority, where reason can revolt
Without perdition, and loss assume all reason
Without revolt! This is and is not Cressid.
Within my soul there doth conduce a fight
Of this strange nature, that a thing inseparate
Divides more wider than the sky and earth,
And yet the spacious breadth of this division
Admits no orifex for a point as subtle
As Ariachne’s broken woof to enter.
Instance, O instance, strong as Pluto’s gates:
Cressid is mine, tied with the bonds of heaven.
Instance, O instance, strong as heaven itself:
The bonds of heaven are slipped, dissolved, and loosed,
And with another knot, five-finger-tied,
The fractions of her faith, orts of her love,
The fragments, scraps, the bits and greasy relics
Of her o’er-eaten faith, are bound to Diomed.
If beauty have a soul, this is not she.
If souls guide vows, if vows be sanctimonies,
If sanctimony be the gods’ delight,
If there be rule in unity itself,
This is not she. O madness of discourse,
That cause sets up with and against thyselfl
Bifold authority, where reason can revolt
Without perdition, and loss assume all reason
Without revolt! This is and is not Cressid.
Within my soul there doth conduce a fight
Of this strange nature, that a thing inseparate
Divides more wider than the sky and earth,
And yet the spacious breadth of this division
Admits no orifex for a point as subtle
As Ariachne’s broken woof to enter.
Instance, O instance, strong as Pluto’s gates:
Cressid is mine, tied with the bonds of heaven.
Instance, O instance, strong as heaven itself:
The bonds of heaven are slipped, dissolved, and loosed,
And with another knot, five-finger-tied,
The fractions of her faith, orts of her love,
The fragments, scraps, the bits and greasy relics
Of her o’er-eaten faith, are bound to Diomed.
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