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| Character | Troilus?Pandarus??? | |
|---|---|---|
| Scene type / Who are | Friends | |
| Type | Serio-comic | |
| Period | Renaissance | |
| Genre | Comedy | |
| Description | Troilus tells Pandarus about his love for his niece Cressida | |
| Location | ACT I, Scene 1 | |
Summary
The prologue introduces us to the story. The play is about the Trojan War, the mythological war between Troy and several Greek kings led by Menelaus of Sparta. The war starts when Paris of Troy steals the beautiful Helen from Menelaus. In response, the Spartan king gathers 69 princes from several cities in Greece and attacks Troy in order to rescue Helen. The play starts in the middle of the war, that is 7 years after the war started.
In the first scene of the play we find Troilus, a prince of Troy and Paris' younger brother, with Pandarus, who is the uncle of Troilus' love interest, Cressida. Right at the beginning of the play Troilus asks Pandarus about Cressida's wherabouts. When Pandarus replies that he saw her the night before and that she looked beautiful, Troilus confesses how much he loves her and how he is suffering because of it. Pandarus tells Troilus that he has done the best he could to help him but doesn't want to have anything to do with it anymore..
In the first scene of the play we find Troilus, a prince of Troy and Paris' younger brother, with Pandarus, who is the uncle of Troilus' love interest, Cressida. Right at the beginning of the play Troilus asks Pandarus about Cressida's wherabouts. When Pandarus replies that he saw her the night before and that she looked beautiful, Troilus confesses how much he loves her and how he is suffering because of it. Pandarus tells Troilus that he has done the best he could to help him but doesn't want to have anything to do with it anymore..
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
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| [SCENE I. Troy. Before Priam's palace.] [Enter TROILUS armed, and PANDARUS] TROILUS Call here my varlet; I'll unarm again: Why should I war without the walls of Troy, That find such cruel battle here within? Each Trojan that is master of his heart, Let him to field; Troilus, alas! hath none. PANDARUS Will this gear ne'er be mended? TROILUS The Greeks are strong and skilful to their strength, Fierce to their skill and to their fierceness valiant; But I am weaker than a woman's tear, Tamer than sleep, fonder than ignorance, Less valiant than the virgin in the night And skilless as unpractised infancy. PANDARUS Well, I have told you enough of this: for my part, I'll not meddle nor make no further. He that will have a cake out of the wheat must needs tarry the grinding. TROILUS Have I not tarried? PANDARUS Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the bolting. TROILUS Have I not tarried? PANDARUS Ay, the bolting, but you must tarry the leavening. TROILUS Still have I tarried. PANDARUS Ay, to the leavening; but here's yet in the word 'hereafter' the kneading, the making of the cake, the heating of the oven and the baking; nay, you must stay the cooling too, or you may chance to burn your lips. TROILUS Patience herself, what goddess e'er she be, Doth lesser blench at sufferance than I do. At Priam's royal table do I sit; And when fair Cressid comes into my thoughts,-- So, traitor! 'When she comes!' When is she thence? PANDARUS Well, she looked yesternight fairer than ever I saw her look, or any woman else. TROILUS I was about to tell thee:--when my heart, As wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain, Lest Hector or my father should perceive me, I have, as when the sun doth light a storm, Buried this sigh in wrinkle of a smile: But sorrow, that is couch'd in seeming gladness, Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness. PANDARUS An her hair were not somewhat darker than Helen's-- well, go to--there were no more comparison between the women: but, for my part, she is my kinswoman; I would not, as they term it, praise her: but I would somebody had heard her talk yesterday, as I did. I will not dispraise your sister Cassandra's wit, but-- TROILUS O Pandarus! I tell thee, Pandarus,-- When I do tell thee, there my hopes lie drown'd, Reply not in how many fathoms deep They lie indrench'd. I tell thee I am mad In Cressid's love: thou answer'st 'she is fair;' Pour'st in the open ulcer of my heart Her eyes, her hair, her cheek, her gait, her voice, Handlest in thy discourse, O, that her hand, In whose comparison all whites are ink, Writing their own reproach, to whose soft seizure The cygnet's down is harsh and spirit of sense Hard as the palm of ploughman: this thou tell'st me, As true thou tell'st me, when I say I love her; But, saying thus, instead of oil and balm, Thou lay'st in every gash that love hath given me The knife that made it. PANDARUS I speak no more than truth. TROILUS Thou dost not speak so much. PANDARUS Faith, I'll not meddle in't. Let her be as she is: if she be fair, 'tis the better for her; an she be not, she has the mends in her own hands. TROILUS Good Pandarus, how now, Pandarus! PANDARUS I have had my labour for my travail; ill-thought on of her and ill-thought on of you; gone between and between, but small thanks for my labour. TROILUS What, art thou angry, Pandarus? what, with me? PANDARUS Because she's kin to me, therefore she's not so fair as Helen: an she were not kin to me, she would be as fair on Friday as Helen is on Sunday. But what care I? I care not an she were a black-a-moor; 'tis all one to me. TROILUS Say I she is not fair? PANDARUS I do not care whether you do or no. She's a fool to stay behind her father; let her to the Greeks; and so I'll tell her the next time I see her: for my part, I'll meddle nor make no more i' the matter. TROILUS Pandarus,-- PANDARUS Not I. TROILUS Sweet Pandarus,-- PANDARUS Pray you, speak no more to me: I will leave all as I found it, and there an end. [Exit PANDARUS. An alarum] |
