And bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame.

  There is a thousand Hectors in the field:

  Now here he fights on Galathe his horse,

  And there lacks work: anon22 he’s there afoot,

  And there they fly or die, like scalèd sculls23

  Before the belching24 whale; then is he yonder,

  And there the straying Greeks, ripe for his edge25,

  Fall down before him, like the mower26’s swathe.

  Here, there, and everywhere, he leaves and takes27,

  Dexterity so obeying appetite28

  That what he will he does, and does so much

  That proof is called impossibility30.

  Enter Ulysses

  ULYSSES O, courage, courage, princes! Great Achilles

  Is arming, weeping, cursing, vowing vengeance:

  Patroclus’ wounds have roused his drowsy blood,

  Together with his manglèd Myrmidons34,

  That noseless, handless, hacked and chipped, come to him,

  Crying on36 Hector. Ajax hath lost a friend

  And foams at mouth, and he is armed and at it,

  Roaring for Troilus, who hath done today

  Mad39 and fantastic execution,

  Engaging and redeeming of himself40

  With such a care41less force and forceless care

  As if that luck42, in very spite of cunning,

  Bade him win all.

  Enter Ajax

  AJAX Troilus, thou coward Troilus!

  Exit

  DIOMEDES Ay, there, there.

  NESTOR So, so, we draw together46.

  Exit

  Enter Achilles

  ACHILLES Where is this Hector?

  Come, come, thou boy-queller48, show thy face:

  Know what it is to meet Achilles angry.

  Hector? Where’s Hector? I will none50 but Hector.

  Exit

  [Act 5 Scene 6]

  running scene 17 continues

  Enter Ajax

  AJAX Troilus, thou coward Troilus, show thy head!

  Enter Diomedes

  DIOMEDES Troilus, I say! Where’s Troilus?

  AJAX What wouldst thou?

  DIOMEDES I would correct4 him.

  AJAX Were I the general, thou shouldst have my office5

  Ere that correction6.— Troilus, I say! What, Troilus!

  Enter Troilus

  TROILUS O traitor Diomed! Turn thy false face, thou traitor,

  And pay thy life thou owest me for my horse!

  DIOMEDES Ha, art thou there?

  AJAX I’ll fight with him alone: stand10, Diomed.

  DIOMEDES He is my prize11: I will not look upon.

  TROILUS Come, both you cogging12 Greeks, have at you both!

  Exeunt Troilus [fighting Diomedes and Ajax]

  Enter Hector

  HECTOR Yea, Troilus? O, well fought, my youngest brother!

  Enter Achilles

  Pursuing Hector

  ACHILLES Now do I see thee! Have at thee, Hector!

  They fight

  HECTOR Pause, if thou wilt15.

  ACHILLES I do disdain thy courtesy, proud Trojan;

  Be happy that my arms17 are out of use:

  My rest and negligence18 befriends thee now,

  But thou anon19 shalt hear of me again:

  Till when, go seek thy fortune.

  Exit

  HECTOR Fare thee well:

  I would have been much more a fresher man,

  Had I expected thee.— How now, my brother!

  Enter Troilus

  TROILUS Ajax hath ta’en Aeneas. Shall it be?

  No, by the flame25 of yonder glorious heaven,

  He shall not carry26 him: I’ll be ta’en too,

  Or bring him off27. Fate, hear me what I say:

  I reck28 not though thou end my life today.

  Exit

  Enter one in armour

  HECTOR Stand, stand, thou Greek: thou art a goodly mark29.

  No? Wilt thou not? I like thy armour well:

  I’ll frush31 it and unlock the rivets all,

  But I’ll be master of it. Wilt thou not, beast, abide?

  Why then fly on, I’ll hunt thee for thy hide33.

  Exeunt

  [Act 5 Scene 7]

  running scene 17 continues

  Enter Achilles with Myrmidons

  ACHILLES Come here about me, you my Myrmidons.

  Mark what I say: attend2 me where I wheel,

  Strike not a stroke, but keep yourselves in breath3,

  And when I have the bloody Hector found,

  Empale5 him with your weapons round about,

  In fellest6 manner execute your arm.

  Follow me, sirs, and my proceedings7 eye:

  It is decreed Hector the great must die.

  Exeunt

  [Act 5 Scene 8]

  running scene 17 continues

  Enter Thersites [at a distance], Menelaus and Paris, [fighting]

  THERSITES The cuckold and the cuckold-maker are at it. Now,

  bull2! Now, dog! ’Loo, Paris, ’loo! Now my double-henned

  sparrow! ’Loo, Paris, ’loo! The bull has the game3: ’ware

  horns, ho!

  Exeunt Paris and Menelaus

  Enter Bastard [Margarelon]

  MARGARELON Turn, slave5, and fight.

  THERSITES What6 art thou?

  MARGARELON A bastard son of Priam’s.

  THERSITES I am a bastard too: I love bastards. I am a bastard

  begot9, bastard instructed, bastard in mind, bastard in valour,

  in everything illegitimate. One bear will not bite another,

  and wherefore11 should one bastard? Take heed, the quarrel’s

  most ominous to us: if the son of a whore fight for a whore,

  he tempts judgement13. Farewell, bastard.

  [Exit]

  MARGARELON The devil take thee, coward!

  Exit

  [Act 5 Scene 9]

  running scene 17 continues

  Enter Hector

  HECTOR Most putrefied core1, so fair without,

  Thy goodly armour thus hath cost thy life.

  Now is my day’s work done; I’ll take good breath.

  Rest, sword, thou hast thy fill of blood and death.

  Takes off his helmet and hangs his shield behind him

  Enter Achilles and his Myrmidons

  ACHILLES Look, Hector, how the sun begins to set;

  How ugly night comes breathing at his heels:

  Even with the vail7 and darking of the sun,

  To close the day up, Hector’s life is done.

  HECTOR I am unarmed: forgo this vantage9, Greek.

  ACHILLES Strike, fellows, strike: this is the man I seek.

  They attack and Hector falls

  So, Ilium, fall thou! Now, Troy, sink down!

  Here lies thy heart, thy sinews and thy bone.

  On, Myrmidons, cry you all amain13,

  ‘Achilles hath the mighty Hector slain.’

  Retreat [sounded]

  Hark! A retreat upon our Grecian part.

  A MYRMIDON The Trojan trumpet sounds the like, my lord.

  ACHILLES The dragon wing of night o’erspreads the earth,

  And, stickler-like18, the armies separates.

  My half-supped sword, that frankly19 would have fed,

  Pleased with this dainty bait20, thus goes to bed.

  Sheathes his sword

  Come, tie his body to my horse’s tail;

  Along the field I will the Trojan trail.

  Exeunt

  [Act 5 Scene 10]

  running scene 17 continues

  Sound retreat. Shout. Enter Agamemnon, Ajax, Menelaus, Nestor, Diomedes and the rest, marching

  AGAMEMNON Hark, hark! What shout is that?

  NESTOR Peace, drums!

  SOLDIER Achilles! Achilles! Hector’s slain! Achilles!

  Within?

  DIOMEDES The bruit4 is, Hector’s slain, and by Achilles.

  AJAX If it be so, yet bragless5 let it be:

  Great Hector was a man as good as he.

  AGAMEMNON March patiently7 along. Let one be sent

  To pray Achilles see us at our tent.

  If in his9 death the gods have us befriended,

  Great Troy is ours, and our sharp10 wars are ended.

  Exeunt

  [Act 5 Scene 11]

  running scene 17 continues

  Enter Aeneas, Paris, Antenor and Deiphobus

  AENEAS Stand, ho! Yet1 are we masters of the field:

  Never go home; here starve we out2 the night.

  Enter Troilus

  TROILUS Hector is slain.

  ALL Hector? The gods forbid!

  TROILUS He’s dead, and at the murderer’s horse’s tail,

  In beastly sort6, dragged through the shameful field.

  Frown on, you heavens, effect your rage with speed!

  Sit, gods, upon your thrones, and smile at8 Troy!

  I say, at once let your brief plagues be mercy9,

  And linger not our sure destructions on!

  AENEAS My lord, you do discomfort11 all the host!

  TROILUS You understand me not that tell me so:

  I do not speak of flight, of fear, of death,

  But dare all immin14ence that gods and men

  Address their dangers in. Hector is gone:

  Who shall tell Priam so? Or Hecuba?

  Let him that will a screech-owl17 aye be called

  Go in to Troy and say there ‘Hector’s dead.’

  There is a word will Priam turn19 to stone;

  Make wells and Niobes20 of the maids and wives,

  Cool statues21 of the youth, and, in a word,

  Scare Troy out of itself. But, march away:

  Hector is dead, there is no more to say.

  Stay yet. You vile abominable tents,

  Thus proudly pight25 upon our Phrygian plains,

  Let Titan26 rise as early as he dare,

  I’ll through and through27 you! And, thou great-sized coward,

  No space of earth shall sunder28 our two hates:

  I’ll haunt29 thee like a wicked conscience still,

  That mouldeth goblins30 swift as frenzy’s thoughts.

  Strike a free31 march to Troy! With comfort go:

  Hope of revenge shall hide our inward woe.

  Enter Pandarus

  PANDARUS But hear you, hear you!

  TROILUS Hence, broker-lackey34! Ignomy and shame

  Pursue thy life, and live aye with thy name!

  Exeunt. [Pandarus remains]

  PANDARUS A goodly med’cine for mine aching bones36! O world,

  world, world! Thus is the poor agent despised! O traitors and

  bawds, how earnestly are you set a-work, and how ill requited38!

  Why should our endeavour39 be so desired and the performance

  so loathed? What verse40 for it? What instance for it? Let me see:

  Full merrily the humble-bee41 doth sing,

  Till he hath lost his honey42 and his sting.

  And being once subdued in armèd tail43,

  Sweet honey and sweet notes together fail.

  Good traders in the flesh45, set this in your painted cloths:

  As many as be here of panders’ hall46,

  Your eyes, half out47, weep out at Pandar’s fall;

  Or if you cannot weep, yet give some groans,

  Though not for me, yet for your aching bones49.

  Brethren and sisters of the hold-door50 trade,

  Some two months hence my will shall here be made:

  It should be now, but that my fear is this,

  Some gallèd53 goose of Winchester would hiss.

  Till then I’ll sweat54 and seek about for eases,

  And at that time bequeath you my diseases.

  Exit

  TEXTUAL NOTES

  Q = First Quarto text of 1609

  F = First Folio text of 1623

  F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

  F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663/64

  F4 = a correction introduced in the Fourth Folio text of 1685

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  SD = stage direction

  SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)

  List of parts = Ed

  Prologue 12 barks = F2. F = Barke 17 Antenorides = Ed. F = Antenonidus

  1.1.29 when … thence = Ed. F = then she comes, when she is thence 42 her = Q. F = it 76 SH PANDARUS = F (uncorrected). F (corrected) = Troy.

  1.2.2 SH ALEXANDER = Ed. F = Man. 35 disdain = Q. F = disdaind 67 nor = Q. F = not 81 wit = Ed. F = will 112 he so = Q. F = he is so 129 marvellous spelled maruel’s in F 160 for it = Q. F = for is 162 do = Q. F = does 176 tell = Q. Not in F 194 there’s = Q. Not in F 195 will = Q. F = ill 203 shall see = Q. F = shall 216 note = Q. F = not

  1.3.2 jaundice spelled Iaundies in F 119 their = Q. F = her 157 scaffoldage spelled Scaffolage in F 203 calls = Q. F = call 243 Trojan spelled Troyan throughout F 245 the praised = Q. F = he prais’d

  2.1.2 boils spelled Biles and Byles in F 19 o’thy = F3. F = o’th thy 25 porcupine spelled Porpentine in F 86 bade the = Q. F = bade thee tenor = Q. F = tenure 100 your = Ed. F = their 107 peace = Q. Not in F 108 brach = Ed. F = Brooch

  2.2.46–47 And … reason = Q. Line 47 printed after line 48 in F 58 mad = Q (madde). F = made 73 sieve = Q. F = same 112 Ilium = Ed. F = Illion (throughout)

  2.3.7 engineer spelled Enginer in F 67 serpigo spelled Suppeago in F 72 shent = Ed. F = sent 81 if you = Q. F = if 95 knits not, = Q. F = knits, not 99 his legs = Q. F = his legge 125 lunes = Ed. F = lines 166 worth = Q. F = wroth 215 SH NESTOR = Ed. Printed after “warm” in F

  3.1.148 SH PARIS = Q. Not in F

  3.2.20 repurèd = Q. F = reputed 21 Swooning spelled Sounding in F 22 tuned = Q. F = and 61 fears = Ed. F = teares 63 safer = Q. F = safe 68 Nor = Q. F = Not 109 grown = Q. F = grow 119 Cunning = Ed. F = Comming 194 with a bed = Ed. Not in F or Q

  3.3.4 come = F4. F = loue 117 man = Q. F = may 139 fasting = Q. F = feasting 164 rear = Ed. F = neere 171 farewell = Q. F = farewels 180 give = Ed. F = goe 215 our = Q. F = her 260 this = Q. F = his

  4.1.71 the = Q. F = which

  4.2.13 joys = Ed. F = eyes 78 SD Enter Cressida = Ed. F = Enter Pandarus and Cressid 103 force = Q. F = orce

  4.4.9 dross = Q. F = crosse 42 one = Q. F = our 50 SD Within F also prints “Enter AEneas” here, possibly reflecting alternative stagings 80 gifts = Ed. F = guift 81 Flowing = Ed. F = Flawing 107 true? F mistakenly prints an Exit for Cressida here 126 usage = Q. F = visage 157 SD Exeunt placed at line 151 in F

  4.5.15 yond = Q. F = yong 103 breath = Q. F = breach 158 ‘Oyez’ = Ed. F = (O yes)

  5.1.27 sleaved spelled Sleyd in F 71 sewer = Ed. F = sure

  5.2.11 sing = Q. F = finde 12 clef = Q (Cliff). F = life 28 do = Q. F = do not 94 takes = Ed. F = rakes 188 much as = F2. F = much

  5.3.5 By all the = Q. F = By the 23 give … use = Ed. F = count giue much to as 93 do = Q. F = doth

  5.4.8 errand spelled errant in F 9 stale = Q. F = stole

  5.8.2 ’Loo = F4. F = lowe (throughout speech) 5 SH MARGARELON = Ed. F = Bast.

  5.9.16 SH A MYRMIDON = Ed. F = Gree. trumpet = Q. F = Trumpets 20 bait = Q. F = bed

  QUARTO PASSAGES THAT DO NOT APPEAR IN THE FOLIO

  Following 3.3.108:

  To others’ eyes; nor doth the eye itself,

  That most pure spirit of sense, behold itself,

  Following 4.5.31:

  And parted thus you and your argument.

  Following 5.1.19 (after “cold palsies”):

  raw eyes, dirt-rotten livers, wheezing lungs, bladders full of impostume, sciaticas, limekilns i’the palm, incurable bone-ache, and the rivelled fee-simple of the tetter,

  Some copies of the 1609 Quarto have the following prefatory epistle:

  A neuer writer, to an euer reader. Newes.

  ETernall reader, you haue heere a new play, neuer stal’d with the Stage, neuer clapper-clawd with the palmes of the vulger, and yet passing full of the palme comicall; for it is a birth of your braine, that neuer vnder-tooke any thing commicall, vainely: And were but the vaine names of commedies changde for the titles of Commodities, or of Playes for Pleas; you should see all those grand censors, that now stile them such vanities, flock to them for the maine grace of their grauities: especially this authors Commedies, that are so fram’d to the life, that they serue for the most common Commentaries, of all the actions of our liues, shewing such a dexteritie, and power of witte, that the most displeased with Playes, are pleasd with his Commedies. And all such dull and heauy-witted worldlings, as were neuer capable of the witte of a Commedie, comming by report of them to his representations, haue found that witte there, that they neuer found in them-selues, and haue parted better wittied then they came: feeling an edge of witte set vpon them, more then euer they dreamd they had braine to grinde it on. So much and such sauored salt of witte is in his Commedies, that they seeme (for their height of pleasure) to be borne in that sea that brought forth Venus. Amongst all there is none more witty then this: And had I time I would comment vpon it, though I know it needs not, (for so much as will make you thinke your testerne well bestowd) but for so much worth, as euen poore I know to be stuft in it. It deserues such a labour, as well as the best Commedy in Terence or Plautus. And beleeue this, that when hee is gone, and his Commedies out of sale, you will scramble for them, and set vp a new English Inquisition. Take this for a warning, and at the perrill of your pleasures losse, and Iudgements, refuse not, nor like this the lesse, for not being sullied, with the smoaky breath of the multitude; but thanke fortune for the scape it hath made amongst you. Since by the grand possessors wills I beleeue you should haue prayd for them rather then beene prayd. And so I leaue all such to bee prayd for (for the states of their wits healths) that will not praise it. Vale.

  pure … sense most refined, exquisite of the senses

  parted … argument separated you and the object of your love/put an end to your claim/penetrated the vagina that had been yours

  raw inflamed

  impostume abscesses

  limekilns white deposits (perhaps suggesting psoriasis)