SEARCH TEXTS  

Plays  +  Sonnets  +  Poems  +  Concordance  +  Advanced Search  +  About OSS

Speeches (Lines) for Paris
in "Troilus and Cressida"

Total: 27

---
# Act, Scene, Line
(Click to see in context)
Speech text

1

II,2,1127

Troilus. Why, brother Hector,
We may not think the justness of each act
Such and no other than event doth form it,
Nor once deject the courage of our minds,
Because Cassandra's mad: her brain-sick raptures
Cannot distaste the goodness of a quarrel
Which hath our several honours all engaged
To make it gracious. For my private part,
I am no more touch'd than all Priam's sons:
And Jove forbid there should be done amongst us
Such things as might offend the weakest spleen
To fight for and maintain!

Paris. Else might the world convince of levity
As well my undertakings as your counsels:
But I attest the gods, your full consent
Gave wings to my propension and cut off
All fears attending on so dire a project.
For what, alas, can these my single arms?
What Propugnation is in one man's valour,
To stand the push and enmity of those
This quarrel would excite? Yet, I protest,
Were I alone to pass the difficulties
And had as ample power as I have will,
Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done,
Nor faint in the pursuit.


2

II,2,1144

Priam. Paris, you speak
Like one besotted on your sweet delights:
You have the honey still, but these the gall;
So to be valiant is no praise at all.

Paris. Sir, I propose not merely to myself
The pleasures such a beauty brings with it;
But I would have the soil of her fair rape
Wiped off, in honourable keeping her.
What treason were it to the ransack'd queen,
Disgrace to your great worths and shame to me,
Now to deliver her possession up
On terms of base compulsion! Can it be
That so degenerate a strain as this
Should once set footing in your generous bosoms?
There's not the meanest spirit on our party
Without a heart to dare or sword to draw
When Helen is defended, nor none so noble
Whose life were ill bestow'd or death unfamed
Where Helen is the subject; then, I say,
Well may we fight for her whom, we know well,
The world's large spaces cannot parallel.


3

III,1,1542

Pandarus. You speak your fair pleasure, sweet queen. Fair
prince, here is good broken music.

Paris. You have broke it, cousin: and, by my life, you
shall make it whole again; you shall piece it out
with a piece of your performance. Nell, he is full
of harmony.


4

III,1,1549

Pandarus. Rude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude.

Paris. Well said, my lord! well, you say so in fits.


5

III,1,1570

Pandarus. What says my sweet queen, my very very sweet queen?

Paris. What exploit's in hand? where sups he to-night?


6

III,1,1574

Pandarus. What says my sweet queen? My cousin will fall out
with you. You must not know where he sups.

Paris. I'll lay my life, with my disposer Cressida.


7

III,1,1577

Pandarus. No, no, no such matter; you are wide: come, your
disposer is sick.

Paris. Well, I'll make excuse.


8

III,1,1580

Pandarus. Ay, good my lord. Why should you say Cressida? no,
your poor disposer's sick.

Paris. I spy.


9

III,1,1597

Pandarus. Love! ay, that it shall, i' faith.

Paris. Ay, good now, love, love, nothing but love.


10

III,1,1614

Helen. In love, i' faith, to the very tip of the nose.

Paris. He eats nothing but doves, love, and that breeds hot
blood, and hot blood begets hot thoughts, and hot
thoughts beget hot deeds, and hot deeds is love.


11

III,1,1621

Pandarus. Is this the generation of love? hot blood, hot
thoughts, and hot deeds? Why, they are vipers:
is love a generation of vipers? Sweet lord, who's
a-field to-day?

Paris. Hector, Deiphobus, Helenus, Antenor, and all the
gallantry of Troy: I would fain have armed to-day,
but my Nell would not have it so. How chance my
brother Troilus went not?


12

III,1,1628

Pandarus. Not I, honey-sweet queen. I long to hear how they
sped to-day. You'll remember your brother's excuse?

Paris. To a hair.


13

III,1,1634

(stage directions). [A retreat sounded]

Paris. They're come from field: let us to Priam's hall,
To greet the warriors. Sweet Helen, I must woo you
To help unarm our Hector: his stubborn buckles,
With these your white enchanting fingers touch'd,
Shall more obey than to the edge of steel
Or force of Greekish sinews; you shall do more
Than all the island kings,—disarm great Hector.


14

III,1,1645

Helen. 'Twill make us proud to be his servant, Paris;
Yea, what he shall receive of us in duty
Gives us more palm in beauty than we have,
Yea, overshines ourself.

Paris. Sweet, above thought I love thee.


15

IV,1,2199

(stage directions). [Enter, from one side, AENEAS, and Servant with a]
torch; from the other, PARIS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR,
DIOMEDES, and others, with torches]

Paris. See, ho! who is that there?


16

IV,1,2206

Diomedes. That's my mind too. Good morrow, Lord AEneas.

Paris. A valiant Greek, AEneas,—take his hand,—
Witness the process of your speech, wherein
You told how Diomed, a whole week by days,
Did haunt you in the field.


17

IV,1,2232

Diomedes. We do; and long to know each other worse.

Paris. This is the most despiteful gentle greeting,
The noblest hateful love, that e'er I heard of.
What business, lord, so early?


18

IV,1,2236

Aeneas. I was sent for to the king; but why, I know not.

Paris. His purpose meets you: 'twas to bring this Greek
To Calchas' house, and there to render him,
For the enfreed Antenor, the fair Cressid:
Let's have your company, or, if you please,
Haste there before us: I constantly do think—
Or rather, call my thought a certain knowledge—
My brother Troilus lodges there to-night:
Rouse him and give him note of our approach.
With the whole quality wherefore: I fear
We shall be much unwelcome.


19

IV,1,2249

Aeneas. That I assure you:
Troilus had rather Troy were borne to Greece
Than Cressid borne from Troy.

Paris. There is no help;
The bitter disposition of the time
Will have it so. On, lord; we'll follow you.


20

IV,1,2254

(stage directions). [Exit with Servant]

Paris. And tell me, noble Diomed, faith, tell me true,
Even in the soul of sound good-fellowship,
Who, in your thoughts, merits fair Helen best,
Myself or Menelaus?


21

IV,1,2271

Diomedes. Both alike:
He merits well to have her, that doth seek her,
Not making any scruple of her soilure,
With such a hell of pain and world of charge,
And you as well to keep her, that defend her,
Not palating the taste of her dishonour,
With such a costly loss of wealth and friends:
He, like a puling cuckold, would drink up
The lees and dregs of a flat tamed piece;
You, like a lecher, out of whorish loins
Are pleased to breed out your inheritors:
Both merits poised, each weighs nor less nor more;
But he as he, the heavier for a whore.

Paris. You are too bitter to your countrywoman.


22

IV,1,2279

Diomedes. She's bitter to her country: hear me, Paris:
For every false drop in her bawdy veins
A Grecian's life hath sunk; for every scruple
Of her contaminated carrion weight,
A Trojan hath been slain: since she could speak,
She hath not given so many good words breath
As for her Greeks and Trojans suffer'd death.

Paris. Fair Diomed, you do as chapmen do,
Dispraise the thing that you desire to buy:
But we in silence hold this virtue well,
We'll but commend what we intend to sell.
Here lies our way.


23

IV,3,2411

(stage directions). [Enter PARIS, TROILUS, AENEAS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR,]
and DIOMEDES]

Paris. It is great morning, and the hour prefix'd
Of her delivery to this valiant Greek
Comes fast upon. Good my brother Troilus,
Tell you the lady what she is to do,
And haste her to the purpose.


24

IV,3,2422

(stage directions). [Exit]

Paris. I know what 'tis to love;
And would, as I shall pity, I could help!
Please you walk in, my lords.


25

IV,4,2534

Troilus. Come, kiss; and let us part.

Paris. [Within] Brother Troilus!


26

IV,4,2582

(stage directions). [Trumpet within]

Paris. Hark! Hector's trumpet.


27

IV,4,2586

Aeneas. How have we spent this morning!
The prince must think me tardy and remiss,
That sore to ride before him to the field.

Paris. 'Tis Troilus' fault: come, come, to field with him.


Return to the "Troilus and Cressida" menu