Previous
Act 5, Scene 6
Troilus and Cressida Translation Act 5, Scene 7
Enter ACHILLES, with Myrmidons
ACHILLES
Come here about me, you my Myrmidons; Mark what I say. Attend me where I wheel: Strike not a stroke, but keep yourselves in breath: And when I have the bloody Hector found, Empale him with your weapons round about; In fellest manner execute your aims. Follow me, sirs, and my proceedings eye: It is decreed Hector the great must die.
ACHILLES
Gather around me, my Myrmidons, and listen to what I say. Form up behind me and follow me as I turn, don't attack anyone but instead keep yourselves ready, and when I have found the bloodied Hector, surround him with your weapons and kill him fiercely. Follow me, men, and watch where I go. I demand that the great Hector must die.
Exeunt
Enter MENELAUS and PARIS, fighting: then THERSITES
THERSITES
The cuckold and the cuckold-maker are at it. Now, bull! now, dog! 'Loo, Paris, 'loo! now my double- henned sparrow! 'loo, Paris, 'loo! The bull has the game: ware horns, ho!
THERSITES
The cuckold and the man who made him a cuckold are fighting each other. Attack him, bull! Attack him, dog! Go, Paris, go! Fight. Go, Paris, go! The bull can fight, watch out for his horns, woah!
Exeunt PARIS and MENELAUS
Enter MARGARELON
MARGARELON
Turn, slave, and fight.
MARGARELON
Turn, slave, and fight.
THERSITES
What art thou?
THERSITES
Who are you?
MARGARELON
A bastard son of Priam's.
MARGARELON
One of Priam's bastards.
THERSITES
I am a bastard too; I love bastards: I am a bastard begot, bastard instructed, bastard in mind, bastard in valour, in every thing illegitimate. One bear will not bite another, and wherefore should one bastard? Take heed, the quarrel's most ominous to us: if the son of a whore fight for a whore, he tempts judgment: farewell, bastard.
THERSITES
I am a bastard too, I love bastards. I am a bastard by parentage, educated by a bastard, a bastard in my thoughts, when I fight I fight like a bastard, and am illegitimate in every way. Bears don't eat each other, so why would two bastards? Listen, two children with whores for mothers shouldn't fight, because we might be brothers, and then we would be guilty of killing a relative. Goodbye, bastard.
Exit
MARGARELON
The devil take thee, coward!
MARGARELON
Curse you, coward.
Exit
