# Result number

Work The work is either a play, poem, or sonnet. The sonnets are treated as single work with 154 parts.

Character Indicates who said the line. If it's a play or sonnet, the character name is "Poet."

Line Shows where the line falls within the work.

The numbering is not keyed to any copyrighted numbering system found in a volume of collected works (Arden, Oxford, etc.) The numbering starts at the beginning of the work, and does not restart for each scene.

Text The line's full text, with keywords highlighted within it, unless highlighting has been disabled by the user.

1

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

(stage directions)

449

[Sennet. Enter AGAMEMNON, NESTOR, ULYSSES,]
MENELAUS, and others]

2

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

Ulysses

505

Agamemnon,
Thou great commander, nerve and bone of Greece,
Heart of our numbers, soul and only spirit.
In whom the tempers and the minds of all
Should be shut up, hear what Ulysses speaks.
Besides the applause and approbation To which,
[To AGAMEMNON]
most mighty for thy place and sway,
[To NESTOR]
And thou most reverend for thy stretch'd-out life
I give to both your speeches, which were such
As Agamemnon and the hand of Greece
Should hold up high in brass, and such again
As venerable Nestor, hatch'd in silver,
Should with a bond of air, strong as the axle-tree
On which heaven rides, knit all the Greekish ears
To his experienced tongue, yet let it please both,
Thou great, and wise, to hear Ulysses speak.

3

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

Nestor

591

Most wisely hath Ulysses here discover'd
The fever whereof all our power is sick.

4

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

Agamemnon

593

The nature of the sickness found, Ulysses,
What is the remedy?

5

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

Nestor

638

And in the imitation of these twain—
Who, as Ulysses says, opinion crowns
With an imperial voice—many are infect.
Ajax is grown self-will'd, and bears his head
In such a rein, in full as proud a place
As broad Achilles; keeps his tent like him;
Makes factious feasts; rails on our state of war,
Bold as an oracle, and sets Thersites,
A slave whose gall coins slanders like a mint,
To match us in comparisons with dirt,
To weaken and discredit our exposure,
How rank soever rounded in with danger.

6

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

(stage directions)

771

[Exeunt all but ULYSSES and NESTOR]

7

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

Nestor

773

What says Ulysses?

8

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

Nestor

796

Yes, 'tis most meet: whom may you else oppose,
That can from Hector bring his honour off,
If not Achilles? Though't be a sportful combat,
Yet in the trial much opinion dwells;
For here the Trojans taste our dear'st repute
With their finest palate: and trust to me, Ulysses,
Our imputation shall be oddly poised
In this wild action; for the success,
Although particular, shall give a scantling
Of good or bad unto the general;
And in such indexes, although small pricks
To their subsequent volumes, there is seen
The baby figure of the giant mass
Of things to come at large. It is supposed
He that meets Hector issues from our choice
And choice, being mutual act of all our souls,
Makes merit her election, and doth boil,
As 'twere from us all, a man distill'd
Out of our virtues; who miscarrying,
What heart receives from hence the conquering part,
To steel a strong opinion to themselves?
Which entertain'd, limbs are his instruments,
In no less working than are swords and bows
Directive by the limbs.

9

Troilus and Cressida
[I, 3]

Nestor

850

Ulysses,
Now I begin to relish thy advice;
And I will give a taste of it forthwith
To Agamemnon: go we to him straight.
Two curs shall tame each other: pride alone
Must tarre the mastiffs on, as 'twere their bone.

10

Troilus and Cressida
[II, 1]

Thersites

962

There's Ulysses and old Nestor, whose wit was mouldy
ere your grandsires had nails on their toes, yoke you
like draught-oxen and make you plough up the wars.

11

Troilus and Cressida
[II, 3]

(stage directions)

1290

[Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, DIOMEDES, and AJAX]

12

Troilus and Cressida
[II, 3]

Agamemnon

1360

In second voice we'll not be satisfied;
We come to speak with him. Ulysses, enter you.

13

Troilus and Cressida
[II, 3]

(stage directions)

1362

[Exit ULYSSES]

14

Troilus and Cressida
[II, 3]

(stage directions)

1382

[Re-enter ULYSSES]

15

Troilus and Cressida
[III, 3]

(stage directions)

1864

[Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, DIOMEDES, NESTOR, AJAX,]
MENELAUS, and CALCHAS]

16

Troilus and Cressida
[III, 3]

Achilles

1946

What, am I poor of late?
'Tis certain, greatness, once fall'n out with fortune,
Must fall out with men too: what the declined is
He shall as soon read in the eyes of others
As feel in his own fall; for men, like butterflies,
Show not their mealy wings but to the summer,
And not a man, for being simply man,
Hath any honour, but honour for those honours
That are without him, as place, riches, favour,
Prizes of accident as oft as merit:
Which when they fall, as being slippery standers,
The love that lean'd on them as slippery too,
Do one pluck down another and together
Die in the fall. But 'tis not so with me:
Fortune and I are friends: I do enjoy
At ample point all that I did possess,
Save these men's looks; who do, methinks, find out
Something not worth in me such rich beholding
As they have often given. Here is Ulysses;
I'll interrupt his reading.
How now Ulysses!

17

Troilus and Cressida
[III, 3]

Achilles

1977

This is not strange, Ulysses.
The beauty that is borne here in the face
The bearer knows not, but commends itself
To others' eyes; nor doth the eye itself,
That most pure spirit of sense, behold itself,
Not going from itself; but eye to eye opposed
Salutes each other with each other's form;
For speculation turns not to itself,
Till it hath travell'd and is mirror'd there
Where it may see itself. This is not strange at all.

18

Troilus and Cressida
[IV, 5]

(stage directions)

2593

[Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILLES, PATROCLUS,]
MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others]

19

Troilus and Cressida
[IV, 5]

Hector

2837

I know your favour, Lord Ulysses, well.
Ah, sir, there's many a Greek and Trojan dead,
Since first I saw yourself and Diomed
In Ilion, on your Greekish embassy.

20

Troilus and Cressida
[IV, 5]

Achilles

2856

I shall forestall thee, Lord Ulysses, thou!
Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee;
I have with exact view perused thee, Hector,
And quoted joint by joint.