Original: I take to-day a wife, and my election
Modern: I’m taking a wife today, and my choice

Original: Is led on in the conduct of my will;
Modern: Is guided by what I desire;

Original: My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears,
Modern: My desire is fired up by what I see and hear,

Original: Two traded pilots ‘twixt the dangerous shores
Modern: Two experienced guides sailing between the dangerous coasts

Original: Of will and judgment: how may I avoid,
Modern: Of desire and good sense: how can I escape,

Original: Although my will distaste what it elected,
Modern: Even though my desire now dislikes what it chose,

Original: The wife I chose? there can be no evasion
Modern: The wife I picked? There’s no way to avoid this

Original: To blench from this and to stand firm by honour:
Modern: To back away from this and still keep my honor:

Original: We turn not back the silks upon the merchant,
Modern: We don’t return silks to the merchant

Original: When we have soil’d them, nor the remainder viands
Modern: Once we’ve stained them, and we don’t throw away leftover food

Original: We do not throw in unrespective sieve,
Modern: In a careless manner

Original: Because we now are full. It was thought meet
Modern: Just because we’re now satisfied. It seemed right that

Original: Paris should do some vengeance on the Greeks:
Modern: Paris should get some revenge on the Greeks:

Original: Your breath of full consent bellied his sails;
Modern: Your complete approval filled his sails with wind;

Original: The seas and winds, old wranglers, took a truce
Modern: The seas and winds, those old enemies, called a truce

Original: And did him service: he touch’d the ports desired,
Modern: And helped him out: he reached the ports he wanted,

Original: And for an old aunt whom the Greeks held captive,
Modern: And in exchange for an old aunt the Greeks held prisoner,

Original: He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and freshness
Modern: He brought back a Greek queen, whose youth and beauty

Original: Wrinkles Apollo’s, and makes stale the morning.
Modern: Makes even the sun god look old and makes dawn seem dull.

Original: Why keep we her? the Grecians keep our aunt:
Modern: Why do we keep her? The Greeks are keeping our aunt:

Original: Is she worth keeping? why, she is a pearl,
Modern: Is she worth keeping? Well, she’s like a precious pearl,

Original: Whose price hath launch’d above a thousand ships,
Modern: Whose value has sent more than a thousand ships to war,

Original: And turn’d crown’d kings to merchants.
Modern: And turned crowned kings into traders.

Original: If you’ll avouch ‘twas wisdom Paris went—
Modern: If you’ll swear it was wise for Paris to go—

Original: As you must needs, for you all cried ‘Go, go,’—
Modern: As you have to, since you all shouted ‘Go, go!’—

Original: If you’ll confess he brought home noble prize—
Modern: If you’ll admit he brought home a worthy prize—

Original: As you must needs, for you all clapp’d your hands
Modern: As you have to, since you all clapped your hands

Original: And cried ‘Inestimable!’—why do you now
Modern: And shouted ‘Priceless!’—why do you now

Original: The issue of your proper wisdoms rate,
Modern: Judge the results of your own wise decisions,

Original: And do a deed that fortune never did,
Modern: And do something that fate never did,

Original: Beggar the estimation which you prized
Modern: Cheapen the value of what you once treasured

Original: Richer than sea and land? O, theft most base,
Modern: More than all the sea and land? Oh, what a shameful theft,

Original: That we have stol’n what we do fear to keep!
Modern: That we have stolen what we’re now afraid to keep!

Original: But, thieves, unworthy of a thing so stol’n,
Modern: But we’re thieves, unworthy of something so stolen,

Original: That in their country did them that disgrace,
Modern: That disgraced them in their own country,

Original: We fear to warrant in our native place!
Modern: Yet we’re afraid to defend it in our own homeland!

In Act II, scene ii of “Troilus and Cressida,” the Trojan royal family and their counselors gather to debate whether to continue the war with the Greeks or return Helen to end the conflict. Hector argues pragmatically that Helen is not worth the enormous cost in Trojan lives, asserting that they should return her to the Greeks and seek peace. He contends that the moral law demands they give back what was wrongfully taken, regardless of personal honor or pride.

Troilus and Paris vehemently oppose Hector’s position, arguing that Troy’s honor and reputation are at stake. Troilus maintains that they cannot simply discard Helen after so much blood has been shed, while Paris naturally defends keeping his prize. When Cassandra enters with her prophetic warnings of Troy’s destruction, the brothers dismiss her ravings. Young Helenus supports Hector’s reasonable counsel, but ultimately Hector himself reverses his position, declaring that despite his logical arguments, he will continue to fight for honor’s sake. The council ends with the Trojans committed to continuing the war, having chosen honor over wisdom.

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.