Troy. Before Priam's Palace.
 Enter HECTOR and ANDROMACHE.

Andromache	When was my lord so much ungently tempered
	To stop his ears against admonishment?
	Unarm, unarm, and do not fight today.

Hector	You train me to offend you; get you gone.
	By all the everlasting gods, I'll go.

Andromache	My dreams will sure prove ominous to the day.

Hector	No more, I say.

                             Enter CASSANDRA.

Cassandra							Where is my brother Hector?

Andromache	Here, sister; armed, and bloody in intent.
	Consort with me in loud and dear petition;
	Pursue we him on knees; for I have dreamed
	Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night
	Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.

Cassandra	O 'tis true.

Hector					Ho! Bid my trumpet sound.

Cassandra	No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother.

Hector	Be gone, I say; the gods have heard me swear.

Cassandra	The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows;
	They are polluted off'rings, more abhorred
	Than spotted livers in the 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.

Cassandra	It is the purpose that makes strong the vow;
	But vows to every purpose must not hold.
	Unarm, 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 today?

Andromache	Cassandra, call my father to persuade.
												[Exit CASSANDRA.

Hector	No, faith, young Troilus; doff thy harness, youth.
	I am today 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 today for thee and me and Troy.

Troilus	Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you,
	Which better fits a lion than a man.

Hector	What vice is that? Good Troilus, chide me 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.

Hector								O, 'tis fair play.

Troilus	Fool's play, by heaven, Hector.

Hector										How now, how now?

Troilus	For th' love of all the gods,
	Let's leave the hermit pity with our mothers;
	And when we have our armours buckled on,
	The venomed vengeance ride upon our swords,
	Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth.

Hector	Fie, savage, fie!

Troilus							Hector, then 'tis wars.

Hector	Troilus, I would not have you 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'ergalld with recourse of tears;
	Nor you, my brother, with your true sword drawn,
	Opposed to hinder me, should stop my way
	But by my ruin.

                        Enter PRIAM and CASSANDRA.

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.

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.

Hector								Aeneas is afield,
	And I do stand engaged to many Greeks,
	Even in the faith of valour, to appear
	This morning to them.

Priam							Ay, but thou shalt not 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

Cassandra	O Priam, yield not to him.

Andromache									Do not, dear father.

Hector	Andromache, I am offended with you.
	Upon the love you bear me, get you in.
												[Exit ANDROMACHE.
Troilus	This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl
	Makes all these bodements.

Cassandra								O farewell, dear Hector!
	Look how thou diest! Look how thy eye turns pale!
	Look how thy wounds do bleed at many vents!
	Hark how Troy roars; how Hecuba cries out!
	How poor Andromache shrills her dolours forth!
	Behold distraction, frenzy, and amazement
	Like witless antics one another meet,
	And all cry "Hector! Hector's dead! O, Hector!"

Troilus	Away, away!

Cassandra	Farewell. Yet soft, Hector, I take my leave;
	Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive.
												[Exit.
Hector	You are amazed, my liege, at her exclaim.
	Go in and cheer the town; we'll forth and fight,
	Do deeds worth praise, and tell you them at night.

Priam	Farewell; the gods with safety stand about thee.
								  [Exeunt PRIAM and HECTOR severally.
												[Alarum.
Troilus	They are at it, hark! Proud Diomed, believe
	I come to lose my arm or win my sleeve.

                             Enter PANDARUS.

Pandarus	Do you hear, my lord, do you hear?

Troilus	What now?

Pandarus	Here's a letter come from yond poor girl.

Troilus	Let me read.

Pandarus	A whoreson tisick, a whoreson rascally tisick so troubles me 
	- and the foolish fortune of this girl, and what one thing, 
	what another - that I shall leave you one o'th's days; and I 
	have a rheum in mine eyes too, and such an ache in my bones 
	that unless a man were cursed I cannot tell what to think 
	on't. What says she there?

Troilus	Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart;
	Th' effect doth operate another way.
												[Tears the letter.
	Go, wind, to wind; there turn and change together.
	My love with words and errors still she feeds,
	But edifies another with her deeds.
												[Exeunt.
