The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1111 page)

to get a willing tart as a parrot will for an almond. Lechery,

lechery! Still wars and lechery! Nothing else is in fashion.

May the devil take them off to hell!

Enter HECTOR and ANDROMACHE

ANDROMACHE.

When was my lord so much ungently temper'd

To stop his ears against admonishment?

Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to-day.

Since when has my lord become so impolite

now he won't listen to advice?

Take your armour off, and do not fight today.

HECTOR.

You train me to offend you; get you in.

By all the everlasting gods, I'll go.

You're asking me to offend you; go inside.

By all the eternal gods, I'll go.

ANDROMACHE.

My dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the day.

I'm sure my dreams will prove prophetic about this day.

HECTOR.

No more, I say.

I'm telling you, no more.

Enter CASSANDRA

CASSANDRA.

Where is my brother Hector?

Where is my brother Hector?

ANDROMACHE.

Here, sister, arm'd, and bloody in intent.

Consort with me in loud and dear petition,

Pursue we him on knees; for I have dreamt

Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night

Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.

Here, sister, armed, and with bloody intentions.

Join me in a loud and passionate petition;

let's follow him on our knees; for I have dreamt

of bloody disturbances, and all night long

I have seen nothing but visions of slaughter.

CASSANDRA.

O, 'tis true!

Oh, it's true!

HECTOR.

Ho! bid my trumpet sound.

Ho! Tell them to blow my trumpet.

CASSANDRA.

No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother!

No orders to attack, for heaven's sake, sweet brother!

HECTOR.

Be gone, I say. The gods have heard me swear.

I'm telling you, go away. I have sworn to the gods.

CASSANDRA.

The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows;

They are polluted off'rings, more abhorr'd

Than spotted livers in the sacrifice.

The gods don't listen to angry and foolish vows;

they are polluted offerings, more hated

than offering diseased animals for sacrifice.

ANDROMACHE.

O, be persuaded! Do not count it holy

To hurt by being just. It is as lawful,

For we would give much, to use violent thefts

And rob in the behalf of charity.

Oh, listen to her! Don't think that it's holy

to cause hurt by sticking to a vow. It would be just as lawful

to commit violent thefts just because

we wanted to give lots of charity.

CASSANDRA.

It is the purpose that makes strong the vow;

But vows to every purpose must not hold.

Unarm, sweet Hector.

The reason for the vow is what makes it sacred;

but not every reason makes every vow sacred.

Disarm, sweet Hector.

HECTOR.

Hold you still, I say.

Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate.

Life every man holds dear; but the dear man

Holds honour far more precious dear than life.

Enter TROILUS

How now, young man! Mean'st thou to fight to-day?

Keep quiet, I say.

My honour is superior to my life.

Every man thinks life is good; but the good man

think honour is far more good than life.

Hello there, young man! Do you mean to fight today?

ANDROMACHE.

Cassandra, call my father to persuade.

Cassandra, call my father to reason with him.

Exit CASSANDRA

HECTOR.

No, faith, young Troilus; doff thy harness, youth;

I am to-day i' th' vein of chivalry.

Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong,

And tempt not yet the brushes of the war.

Unarm thee, go; and doubt thou not, brave boy,

I'll stand to-day for thee and me and Troy.

No, indeed, young Troilus; take off your armour, young man;

today I am in the mood for knightly deeds.

Let your muscles grow until they are stronger,

and don't yet attempt the dangers of war.

Disarm yourself, go; and do not doubt, brave boy,

today I will represent you and me and Troy.

TROILUS.

Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you

Which better fits a lion than a man.

Brother, you have a weakness of mercy in you

which is more suited to a lion than a man.

HECTOR.

What vice is that, good Troilus?

Chide me for it.

What weaknesses is that, good Troilus?

Tell me off for it.

TROILUS.

When many times the captive Grecian falls,

Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword,

You bid them rise and live.

Often when the miserable Greek falls,

right within the reach of your great sword,

you tell them to get up and live.

HECTOR.

O, 'tis fair play!

Oh, that's fair play!

TROILUS.

Fool's play, by heaven, Hector.

Fool's play, I swear, Hector.

HECTOR.

How now! how now!

What! What!

TROILUS.

For th' love of all the gods,

Let's leave the hermit Pity with our mother;

And when we have our armours buckled on,

The venom'd vengeance ride upon our swords,

Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth!

For the love of all gods,

let's leave the holy pity at home with our mother;

and when we have strapped on our armour,

let poisonous vengeance drive our swords onwards

to terrible work, don't let them show pity!

HECTOR.

Fie, savage, fie!

Enough, savage, enough!

TROILUS.

Hector, then 'tis wars.

Hector, this is war.

HECTOR.

Troilus, I would not have you fight to-day.

Troilus, I don't want you to fight today.

TROILUS.

Who should withhold me?

Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars

Beck'ning with fiery truncheon my retire;

Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees,

Their eyes o'ergalled with recourse of tears;

Nor you, my brother, with your true sword drawn,

Oppos'd to hinder me, should stop my way,

But by my ruin.

Who's going to stop me?

Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars

ordering me to retreat with his fiery staff;

not Priam or Hecuba on their knees,

their eyes sore with tears;

nor you, my brother, with your true sword drawn,

poised to stop me, will block my way,

except by killing me.

Re-enter CASSANDRA, with PRIAM

CASSANDRA.

Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him fast;

He is thy crutch; now if thou lose thy stay,

Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee,

Fall all together.

Get hold of him, Priam, hold him fast;

he is your crutch; now if you let go of your support,

leaning on him, with all Troy leaning on you,

you will all fall down together.

PRIAM.

Come, Hector, come, go back.

Thy wife hath dreamt; thy mother hath had visions;

Cassandra doth foresee; and I myself

Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt

To tell thee that this day is ominous.

Therefore, come back.

Come, Hector, go back.

Your wife has dreamt, your mother has had visions,

Cassandra has predicted, and I myself

am like a prophet suddenly overcome with foresight,

telling you that this day is dangerous.

So, come back inside.

HECTOR.

Aeneas is a-field;

And I do stand engag'd to many Greeks,

Even in the faith of valour, to appear

This morning to them.

Aeneas is on the battlefield;

and I have a commitment to many Greeks,

having pledged my valour, to appear

to them this morning.

PRIAM.

Ay, but thou shalt not go.

Yes, but you shan't go.

HECTOR.

I must not break my faith.

You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir,

Let me not shame respect; but give me leave

To take that course by your consent and voice

Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam.

I must not break my promise.

You know that I am obedient; therefore, dear sir,

don't make me disrespect you; give me permission

with your agreement and words to do the thing

which you are forbidding me, royal Priam.

CASSANDRA.

O Priam, yield not to him!

O Priam, don't give in to him!

ANDROMACHE.

Do not, dear father.

Do not, dear father.

HECTOR.

Andromache, I am offended with you.

Upon the love you bear me, get you in.

Andromache, I'm angry with you.

By the love you have for me, go inside.

Exit ANDROMACHE

TROILUS.

This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl

Makes all these bodements.

This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl

makes all these predictions.