The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1113 page)

is desperately wounded.The dreadful Centaur

is terrifying our forces. Let's hurry, Diomedes,

to bring up reinforcements, or we shall all die.

Enter NESTOR

NESTOR.

Go, bear Patroclus' body to Achilles,

And bid the snail-pac'd Ajax arm for shame.

There is a thousand Hectors in the field;

Now here he fights on Galathe his horse,

And there lacks work; anon he's there afoot,

And there they fly or die, like scaled sculls

Before the belching whale; then is he yonder,

And there the strawy Greeks, ripe for his edge,

Fall down before him like the mower's swath.

Here, there, and everywhere, he leaves and takes;

Dexterity so obeying appetite

That what he will he does, and does so much

That proof is call'd impossibility.

Go, carry Patroclus' body to Achilles,

and tell the sluggardly Ajax to be ashamed and arm himself.

There seem to be a thousand Hectors on the field;

now here his fighting on Galathe his horse,

then doesn't have enough to do; so soon he's there on foot,

and their they flee or die like schools of fish

fleeing from a whale; then he’s over there,

and there the Greeks are like grass, ready to be mown,

and they fall down before him like scythed wheat.

Here, there and everywhere he chops and slices,

his skill so matching his desire

that he does exactly what he wants, and what he does

seems almost impossible.

Enter ULYSSES

ULYSSES.

O, courage, courage, courage, Princes! Great

Achilles Is arming, weeping, cursing, vowing vengeance.

Patroclus' wounds have rous'd his drowsy blood,

Together with his mangled Myrmidons,

That noseless, handless, hack'd and chipp'd, come to

him, Crying on Hector. Ajax hath lost a friend

And foams at mouth, and he is arm'd and at it,

Roaring for Troilus; who hath done to-day

Mad and fantastic execution,

Engaging and redeeming of himself

With such a careless force and forceless care

As if that luck, in very spite of cunning,

Bade him win all.

Oh, courage, courage, courage, Princes! Great

Achilles is arming, weeping, cursing, vowing vengeance.

Patroclus' wounds have awoken his lazy passion,

together with his bastard Myrmidons,

who, noseless, handless, hacked and chopped, come to

him, crying out against Hector. Ajax has lost a friend

and foams at the mouth, and he is armed and fighting,

roaring for Troilus; he today has committed

incredible angry slaughter,

throwing himself in and then freeing himself

with such cool use of strength and effortless defence

it seemed that luck, in spite of the skill of his enemies,

had told him he would win everything.

Enter AJAX

AJAX.

Troilus! thou coward Troilus!

Exit

Troilus! You coward Troilus!

DIOMEDES.

Ay, there, there.

Yes, there, there.

NESTOR.

So, so, we draw together.

Exit

So, so, we all come together.

Enter ACHILLES

ACHILLES.

Where is this Hector?

Come, come, thou boy-queller, show thy face;

Know what it is to meet Achilles angry.

Hector! where's Hector? I will none but Hector.

Exeunt

Where is this Hector?

Come, come, you child killer, show your face;

learn what it is to fight Achilles when he is angry.

Hector! Where's Hector? I will fight nobody but Hector.

Enter AJAX

AJAX.

Troilus, thou coward Troilus, show thy head.

Troilus, you coward Troilus, show your face.

Enter DIOMEDES

DIOMEDES.

Troilus, I say! Where's Troilus?

Troilus, I say! Where's Troilus?

AJAX.

What wouldst thou?

What do you want?

DIOMEDES.

I would correct him.

I want to punish him.

AJAX.

Were I the general, thou shouldst have my office

Ere that correction. Troilus, I say! What, Troilus!

If I were the general, I would give you my job

rather than let you have that pleasure. 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.

Oh you traitor Diomedes! Turn and face me, you traitor,

and pay the life you owe me for my horse.

DIOMEDES.

Ha! art thou there?

Ha! Is that you?

AJAX.

I'll fight with him alone. Stand, Diomed.

I'll fight him single-handed. Stand aside, Diomedes.

DIOMEDES.

He is my prize. I will not look upon.

He's my prize. I won't stand by and watch.

TROILUS.

Come, both, you cogging Greeks; have at you!

Come on, both of you, you deceitful Greeks. Take that!

Exeunt fighting

Enter HECTOR

HECTOR.

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

Is that Troilus? Oh, well fought, my youngest brother!

Enter ACHILLES

ACHILLES.

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

Now I see you! Take that, Hector!

HECTOR.

Pause, if thou wilt.

Wait, if you will.

ACHILLES.

I do disdain thy courtesy, proud Troyan.

Be happy that my arms are out of use;

My rest and negligence befriends thee now,

But thou anon shalt hear of me again;

Till when, go seek thy fortune.

Exit

I refuse you politeness, arrogant Trojan.

Be glad that I'm out of training;

my rest and laziness is in your favour,

but soon you will hear from me again;

until then, good luck.

HECTOR.

Fare thee well.

I would have been much more a fresher man,

Had I expected thee.

Farewell.

I would have kept myself fresher,

if I'd known you were coming.

Re-enter TROILUS

How now, my brother!

Hello, 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,

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

I reck not though thou end my life to-day.

Exit

Ajax has captured Aeneas.Shall this happen?

No, I swear by the sun,

he shan't take him, either I'll be captured too

or I'll rescue him.Fate, hear what I say;

I don't care if you take my life today.

Enter one in armour

HECTOR.

Stand, stand, thou Greek; thou art a goodly mark.

No? wilt thou not? I like thy armour well;

I'll frush 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 hide.

Exeunt

Stand and fight, Greek; you are a good target.

No? You won't?I like your armour.

I'll smash it and burst all its rivets,

but I shall own it.Won't you wait, you animal?

Well then, run away; I'll seek you out in your den.

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 arms.

Follow me, sirs, and my proceedings eye.

It is decreed Hector the great must die.

Exeunt

Gather round me, my Myrmidons;

pay attention.Follow my actions;

don't strike any blows, save your breath;

and when I have found bloody Hector,

make a fence around him with your spears;

use your weapons in the cruellest manner.

Follow me sirs, watch what I do.

The great Hector is fated to die.

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-horn'd Spartan! 'loo,

Paris, 'loo! The bull has the game. Ware horns, ho!

Exeunt PARIS and MENELAUS

The cuckold and the one who made him one are fighting.Now, bull!

Go, dog!Go to it, Paris!Now, my cuckolded Spartan!Go on, Paris!

The bull is winning.Watch out for the horns!

Enter MARGARELON