Original: Troy, yet upon his basis, had been down,
Modern: Troy would have already been defeated and fallen,

Original: And the great Hector’s sword had lack’d a master,
Modern: And great Hector’s sword would have no one to wield it,

Original: But for these instances.
Modern: Except for these problems I’m about to describe.

Original: The specialty of rule hath been neglected:
Modern: The special importance of order and authority has been ignored:

Original: And, look, how many Grecian tents do stand
Modern: And look at how many Greek tents are standing

Original: Hollow upon this plain, so many hollow factions.
Modern: Empty on this field—just as many empty, divided groups exist among us.

Original: When that the general is not like the hive
Modern: When the general is not like a beehive

Original: To whom the foragers shall all repair,
Modern: To which all the worker bees return,

Original: What honey is expected? Degree being vizarded,
Modern: What results can we expect? When rank is masked over,

Original: The unworthiest shows as fairly in the mask.
Modern: The least worthy person looks just as good behind the disguise.

Original: The heavens themselves, the planets and this centre
Modern: The heavens themselves, the planets and the earth

Original: Observe degree, priority and place,
Modern: Follow hierarchy, priority, and proper position,

Original: Insisture, course, proportion, season, form,
Modern: Constancy, orbit, balance, timing, structure,

Original: Office and custom, in all line of order;
Modern: Function and tradition, in every aspect of order;

Original: And therefore is the glorious planet Sol
Modern: And that’s why the glorious sun

Original: In noble eminence enthroned and sphered
Modern: Is nobly elevated, enthroned and placed in its sphere

Original: Amidst the other; whose medicinable eye
Modern: Among the other planets; whose healing gaze

Original: Corrects the ill aspects of planets evil,
Modern: Corrects the harmful influences of evil planets,

Original: And posts, like the commandment of a king,
Modern: And travels swiftly, like a king’s command,

Original: Sans cheque to good and bad: but when the planets
Modern: Without obstruction to both good and bad: but when the planets

Original: In evil mixture to disorder wander,
Modern: In a bad combination wander into disorder,

Original: What plagues and what portents! what mutiny!
Modern: What diseases and what omens! What rebellion!

Original: What raging of the sea! shaking of earth!
Modern: What raging seas! What earthquakes!

Original: Commotion in the winds! frights, changes, horrors,
Modern: Storms in the winds! Terrors, upheavals, horrors,

Original: Divert and crack, rend and deracinate
Modern: Turn aside and shatter, tear apart and uproot

Original: The unity and married calm of states
Modern: The unity and peaceful harmony of nations

Original: Quite from their fixure! O, when degree is shaked,
Modern: Completely from their foundation! Oh, when order is shaken,

Original: Which is the ladder to all high designs,
Modern: Which is the ladder to all great achievements,

Original: Then enterprise is sick! How could communities,
Modern: Then all ambition becomes diseased! How could communities,

Original: Degrees in schools and brotherhoods in cities,
Modern: Academic ranks in schools and guilds in cities,

Original: Peaceful commerce from dividable shores,
Modern: Peaceful trade between separate coastlines,

Original: The primogenitive and due of birth,
Modern: The rights of the firstborn and inheritance by birth,

Original: Prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, laurels,
Modern: The privileges of elders, crowns, royal staffs, honors,

Original: But by degree, stand in authentic place?
Modern: Exist in their rightful place except through order and hierarchy?

Original: Take but degree away, untune that string,
Modern: Just remove order, break that one string on the instrument,

Original: And, hark, what discord follows! each thing meets
Modern: And listen to what chaos follows! Everything clashes

Original: In mere oppugnancy: the bounded waters
Modern: In pure conflict: the contained oceans

Original: Should lift their bosoms higher than the shores
Modern: Would rise higher than the shores

Original: And make a sop of all this solid globe:
Modern: And turn this entire solid earth into a soggy mess:

Original: Strength should be lord of imbecility,
Modern: Strength would rule over weakness,

Original: And the rude son should strike his father dead:
Modern: And the violent son would kill his own father:

Original: Force should be right; or rather, right and wrong,
Modern: Might would make right; or rather, right and wrong,

Original: Between whose endless jar justice resides,
Modern: Between whose constant conflict justice exists,

Original: Should lose their names, and so should justice too.
Modern: Would lose their meaning, and justice would disappear too.

Original: Then every thing includes itself in power,
Modern: Then everything concentrates itself into power,

Original: Power into will, will into appetite;
Modern: Power turns into selfish desire, desire into greed;

Original: And appetite, an universal wolf,
Modern: And greed, like a universal wolf,

Original: So doubly seconded with will and power,
Modern: So doubly supported by desire and power,

Original: Must make perforce an universal prey,
Modern: Must inevitably devour everything,

Original: And last eat up himself. Great Agamemnon,
Modern: And finally consume itself. Great Agamemnon,

Original: This chaos, when degree is suffocate,
Modern: This chaos, when order is suffocated,

Original: Follows the choking.
Modern: Follows that strangling of order.

Original: And this neglection of degree it is
Modern: And this neglect of hierarchy is what

Original: That by a pace goes backward, with a purpose
Modern: Makes us go backward one step at a time, even though we intend

Original: It hath to climb. The general’s disdain’d
Modern: To move forward. The general is disrespected

Original: By him one step below, he by the next,
Modern: By the officer one rank below him, who’s disrespected by the next,

Original: That next by him beneath; so every step,
Modern: Who’s disrespected by the one beneath him; so at every level,

Original: Exampled by the first pace that is sick
Modern: Following the example of that first step who is sick

Original: Of his superior, grows to an envious fever
Modern: Of his superior, it grows into an envious fever

Original: Of pale and bloodless emulation:
Modern: Of weak and lifeless rivalry:

Original: And ‘tis this fever that keeps Troy on foot,
Modern: And it’s this fever that keeps Troy standing,

Original: Not her own sinews. To end a tale of length,
Modern: Not her own strength. To make a long story short,

Original: Troy in our weakness stands, not in her strength.
Modern: Troy survives because of our weakness, not because of her strength.

In Act I, Scene 3, line 78 and following of “Troilus and Cressida,” Agamemnon addresses the Greek commanders who have assembled in their camp before Troy. He acknowledges that the seven-year siege has proven difficult and that their efforts have not yet succeeded in breaching Troy’s walls or achieving their military objective. Agamemnon argues that these trials and setbacks serve to test the mettle of true warriors, comparing the challenging situation to how rough winds reveal the strength of sturdy trees while toppling weaker ones. He maintains that prolonged difficulty separates genuine valor from mere fortune, suggesting that their struggles demonstrate rather than diminish their worth as soldiers.

Nestor supports Agamemnon’s perspective, elaborating on the theme that adversity reveals true quality. He uses extended metaphors to illustrate how easy success can make even fools appear capable, while genuine excellence only emerges through sustained challenge. Ulysses then requests permission to speak, and after receiving it, delivers a lengthy diagnosis of what ails the Greek campaign. He argues that the Greeks are suffering from a breakdown in degree, priority, and hierarchy—the natural order that should govern their military structure. Ulysses specifically criticizes Achilles for remaining in his tent with Patroclus, where they spend their time mocking the Greek leaders through crude theatrical performances, which encourages disrespect and insubordination throughout the ranks.

Troilus and Cressida is set during the Trojan War and follows two interconnected storylines. The first centers on the tragic love affair between Troilus, a young Trojan prince, and Cressida, daughter of the Trojan priest Calchas who has defected to the Greeks. With the help of Cressida’s uncle Pandarus, the lovers are brought together and consummate their relationship, pledging eternal fidelity to one another.

Meanwhile, the Greek camp is plagued by dissension and a breakdown in military hierarchy. The war has dragged on for seven years with little progress. Agamemnon and Nestor struggle to maintain order while Achilles sulks in his tent, refusing to fight. The Greeks attempt to provoke Achilles by having Ajax challenge the Trojan hero Hector to single combat, but this strategy fails to rouse Achilles to action.

The two plots converge when the Greeks and Trojans arrange a prisoner exchange: Cressida is to be traded to the Greek camp in return for the Trojan commander Antenor. Despite their vows of love, Cressida is forced to leave Troy. Once in the Greek camp, she quickly becomes involved with the Greek warrior Diomedes. Troilus witnesses her apparent betrayal during a nighttime encounter and is devastated by her inconstancy.

The play concludes with renewed fighting between the two armies. Hector, despite ominous warnings, enters battle and is treacherously killed by Achilles and his Myrmidons. Troilus, consumed with grief and rage over both Cressida’s betrayal and Hector’s death, vows revenge against the Greeks. The play ends without resolution, as the war continues with both sides having suffered significant losses.