Troilus and Cressida: Act 5, Scene 9 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 9 of Troilus and Cressida from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Hector, with the body of the Greek in armor. HECTOR Most putrefied core, so fair without, Thy goodly armor thus hath cost thy life. Now is my day’s work done. I’ll take my breath. Rest, sword; thou hast thy fill of blood and death. He begins to disarm. Enter Achilles and his Myrmidons. ACHILLES Look, Hector, how the sun begins to set, 5 How ugly night comes breathing at his heels. Even with the vail and dark’ning of the sun To close the day up, Hector’s life is done. HECTOR I am unarmed. Forgo this vantage, Greek. ACHILLES Strike, fellows, strike! This is the man I seek. 10 The Myrmidons kill Hector. So, Ilium, fall thou next! Come, Troy, sink down! Here lies thy heart, thy sinews, and thy bone. On, Myrmidons, and cry you all amain “Achilles hath the mighty Hector slain.” Retreat sounded from both armies. Hark! A retire upon our Grecian part. 15 A MYRMIDON The Trojan trumpets sound the like, my lord. ACHILLES The dragon wing of night o’erspreads the Earth And, stickler-like, the armies separates. My half-supped sword, that frankly would have fed, Pleased with this dainty bait, thus goes to bed. 20 He sheathes his sword. Come, tie his body to my horse’s tail; Along the field I will the Trojan trail. They exit with the bodies.	Hector, having vanquished the Greek soldier he was fighting, sets down his sword and begins to take off his armor. Achilles and the Myrmidon hooligans show up and surround Hector. Achilles says something like "You're done, son." Hector points out that he's unarmed. (Translation: Every "noble" warrior knows you don't go around killing unarmed guys. It's like shooting someone in the back.) Well, so much for nobility. Achilles gives the signal to his goons and they strike Hector down. After Hector falls, Achilles celebrates over the dead body like he's just scored a game-winning touchdown. He declares that Troy is about to go down next. (BTW, in this scene, Shakespeare is seriously BEGGING you to compare how Hector and Achilles talk about their swords. Go to "Symbols" if you want our take on this.) Achilles has his gang of hoodlums tie Hector's body to his horse's tail so it can be dragged around the field. Classy guy.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter Hector, with the body of the Greek in armor.

HECTOR
Most putrefied core, so fair without,
Thy goodly armor thus hath cost thy life.
Now is my day’s work done. I’ll take my breath.
Rest, sword; thou hast thy fill of blood and death.

He begins to disarm.

Enter Achilles and his Myrmidons.

ACHILLES
Look, Hector, how the sun begins to set, 5
How ugly night comes breathing at his heels.
Even with the vail and dark’ning of the sun
To close the day up, Hector’s life is done.

HECTOR
I am unarmed. Forgo this vantage, Greek.

ACHILLES
Strike, fellows, strike! This is the man I seek. 10

The Myrmidons kill Hector.

So, Ilium, fall thou next! Come, Troy, sink down!
Here lies thy heart, thy sinews, and thy bone.
On, Myrmidons, and cry you all amain
“Achilles hath the mighty Hector slain.”

Retreat sounded from both armies.

Hark! A retire upon our Grecian part. 15

A MYRMIDON
The Trojan trumpets sound the like, my lord.

ACHILLES
The dragon wing of night o’erspreads the Earth
And, stickler-like, the armies separates.
My half-supped sword, that frankly would have fed,
Pleased with this dainty bait, thus goes to bed. 20

He sheathes his sword.

Come, tie his body to my horse’s tail;
Along the field I will the Trojan trail.

They exit with the bodies.

Hector, having vanquished the Greek soldier he was fighting, sets down his sword and begins to take off his armor.

Achilles and the Myrmidon hooligans show up and surround Hector. Achilles says something like "You're done, son."

Hector points out that he's unarmed. (Translation: Every "noble" warrior knows you don't go around killing unarmed guys. It's like shooting someone in the back.)

Well, so much for nobility. Achilles gives the signal to his goons and they strike Hector down.

After Hector falls, Achilles celebrates over the dead body like he's just scored a game-winning touchdown. He declares that Troy is about to go down next.

(BTW, in this scene, Shakespeare is seriously BEGGING you to compare how Hector and Achilles talk about their swords. Go to "Symbols" if you want our take on this.)

Achilles has his gang of hoodlums tie Hector's body to his horse's tail so it can be dragged around the field. Classy guy.

Troilus and Cressida: Act 5, Scene 9 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 9 of Troilus and Cressida from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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