Troilus and Cressida: Act 4, Scene 2

    tragedy

    The same. Court of Pandarus' house.

    Scene Summary

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    Troilus and Cressida wake together at dawn in Pandarus's house. The mood is tender. Pandarus teases them about the night they have shared. Then Aeneas arrives and Paris sends word: the exchange has been arranged. Cressida will go to the Greeks today. Troilus is stunned.

    Enter TROILUS and CRESSIDA
    TROILUS
    Dear, trouble not yourself: the morn is cold.
    CRESSIDA
    Then, sweet my lord, I'll call mine uncle down;
    He shall unbolt the gates.
    TROILUS
    Trouble him not;
    To bed, to bed: sleep kill those pretty eyes,
    And give as soft attachment to thy senses
    As infants' empty of all thought!
    CRESSIDA
    Good morrow, then.
    TROILUS
    I prithee now, to bed.
    CRESSIDA
    Are you a-weary of me?
    TROILUS
    O Cressida! but that the busy day,
    Waked by the lark, hath roused the ribald crows,
    And dreaming night will hide our joys no longer,
    I would not from thee.
    CRESSIDA
    Night hath been too brief.
    TROILUS
    Beshrew the witch! with venomous wights she stays
    As tediously as hell, but flies the grasps of love
    With wings more momentary-swift than thought.
    You will catch cold, and curse me.
    CRESSIDA
    Prithee, tarry:
    You men will never tarry.
    O foolish Cressid! I might have still held off,
    And then you would have tarried. Hark!
    there's one up.
    PANDARUS
    [Within] What, 's all the doors open here?
    TROILUS
    It is your uncle.
    CRESSIDA
    A pestilence on him! now will he be mocking:
    I shall have such a life!
    Enter PANDARUS
    PANDARUS
    How now, how now! how go maidenheads? Here, you
    maid! where's my cousin Cressid?
    CRESSIDA
    Go hang yourself, you naughty mocking uncle!
    You bring me to do, and then you flout me too.
    PANDARUS
    To do what? to do what? let her say
    what: what have I brought you to do?
    CRESSIDA
    Come, come, beshrew your heart! you'll ne'er be good,
    Nor suffer others.
    PANDARUS
    Ha! ha! Alas, poor wretch! ah, poor capocchia!
    hast not slept to-night? would he not, a naughty
    man, let it sleep? a bugbear take him!
    CRESSIDA
    Did not I tell you? Would he were knock'd i' the head!
    Knocking within
    Who's that at door? good uncle, go and see.
    My lord, come you again into my chamber:
    You smile and mock me, as if I meant naughtily.
    TROILUS
    Ha, ha!
    CRESSIDA
    Come, you are deceived, I think of no such thing.
    Knocking within
    How earnestly they knock! Pray you, come in:
    I would not for half Troy have you seen here.
    Exeunt TROILUS and CRESSIDA
    PANDARUS
    Who's there? what's the matter? will you beat
    down the door? How now! what's the matter?
    Enter AENEAS
    AENEAS
    Good morrow, lord, good morrow.
    PANDARUS
    Who's there? my Lord AEneas! By my troth,
    I knew you not: what news with you so early?
    AENEAS
    Is not Prince Troilus here?
    PANDARUS
    Here! what should he do here?
    AENEAS
    Come, he is here, my lord; do not deny him:
    It doth import him much to speak with me.
    PANDARUS
    Is he here, say you? 'tis more than I know, I'll
    be sworn: for my own part, I came in late. What
    should he do here?
    AENEAS
    Who!--nay, then: come, come, you'll do him wrong
    ere you're ware: you'll be so true to him, to be
    false to him: do not you know of him, but yet go
    fetch him hither; go.
    Re-enter TROILUS
    TROILUS
    How now! what's the matter?
    AENEAS
    My lord, I scarce have leisure to salute you,
    My matter is so rash: there is at hand
    Paris your brother, and Deiphobus,
    The Grecian Diomed, and our Antenor
    Deliver'd to us; and for him forthwith,
    Ere the first sacrifice, within this hour,
    We must give up to Diomedes' hand
    The Lady Cressida.
    TROILUS
    Is it so concluded?
    AENEAS
    By Priam and the general state of Troy:
    They are at hand and ready to effect it.
    TROILUS
    How my achievements mock me!
    I will go meet them: and, my Lord AEneas,
    We met by chance; you did not find me here.
    AENEAS
    Good, good, my lord; the secrets of nature
    Have not more gift in taciturnity.
    Exeunt TROILUS and AENEAS
    PANDARUS
    Is't possible? no sooner got but lost? The devil
    take Antenor! the young prince will go mad: a
    plague upon Antenor! I would they had broke 's neck!
    Re-enter CRESSIDA
    CRESSIDA
    How now! what's the matter? who was here?
    PANDARUS
    Ah, ah!
    CRESSIDA
    Why sigh you so profoundly? where's my lord? gone!
    Tell me, sweet uncle, what's the matter?
    PANDARUS
    Would I were as deep under the earth as I am above!
    CRESSIDA
    O the gods! what's the matter?
    PANDARUS
    Prithee, get thee in: would thou hadst ne'er been
    born! I knew thou wouldst be his death. O, poor
    gentleman! A plague upon Antenor!
    CRESSIDA
    Good uncle, I beseech you, on my knees! beseech you,
    what's the matter?
    PANDARUS
    Thou must be gone, wench, thou must be gone; thou
    art changed for Antenor: thou must to thy father,
    and be gone from Troilus: 'twill be his death;
    'twill be his bane; he cannot bear it.
    CRESSIDA
    O you immortal gods! I will not go.
    PANDARUS
    Thou must.
    CRESSIDA
    I will not, uncle: I have forgot my father;
    I know no touch of consanguinity;
    No kin no love, no blood, no soul so near me
    As the sweet Troilus. O you gods divine!
    Make Cressid's name the very crown of falsehood,
    If ever she leave Troilus! Time, force, and death,
    Do to this body what extremes you can;
    But the strong base and building of my love
    Is as the very centre of the earth,
    Drawing all things to it. I'll go in and weep,--
    PANDARUS
    Do, do.
    CRESSIDA
    Tear my bright hair and scratch my praised cheeks,
    Crack my clear voice with sobs and break my heart
    With sounding Troilus. I will not go from Troy.
    Exeunt