Shakespeare's Monologues
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Ulysses — “I do not strain at the position” — Troilus and Cressida, Act 3, Scene 3, line 121
Troilus and Cressida
·III iii 121 ·
Verse
Ulysses Ulysses. I do not strain at the position,— It is familiar,—but at the author's drift; Who, in his circumstance, expressly proves That no man is the lord of any thing, Though in and of him there be much consisting, Till he communicate his parts to others: Nor doth he of himself know them for aught Till he behold them form'd in the applause Where they're extended; who, like an arch, reverberates The voice again, or, like a gate of steel Fronting the sun, receives and renders back His figure and his heat. I was much wrapt in this; And apprehended here immediately The unknown Ajax. Heavens, what a man is there! a very horse, That has he knows not what. Nature, what things there are Most abject in regard and dear in use! What things again most dear in the esteem And poor in worth! Now shall we see to-morrow— An act that very chance doth throw upon him— Ajax renown'd. O heavens, what some men do, While some men leave to do! How some men creep in skittish fortune's hall, Whiles others play the idiots in her eyes! How one man eats into another's pride, While pride is fasting in his wantonness! To see these Grecian lords!—why, even already They clap the lubber Ajax on the shoulder, As if his foot were on brave Hector's breast And great Troy shrieking. As misers do by beggars, neither gave to me Good word nor look: what, are my deeds forgot? Ulysses. Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, Wherein he puts alms for oblivion, A great-sized monster of ingratitudes: Those scraps are good deeds past; which are devour'd As fast as they are made, forgot as soon As done: perseverance, dear my lord, Keeps honour bright: to have done is to hang Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail In monumental mockery. Take the instant way; For honour travels in a strait so narrow, Where one but goes abreast: keep then the path; For emulation hath a thousand sons That one by one pursue: if you give way, Or hedge aside from the direct forthright, Like to an enter'd tide, they all rush by And leave you hindmost; Or like a gallant horse fall'n in first rank, Lie there for pavement to the abject rear, O'er-run and trampled on: then what they do in present, Though less than yours in past, must o'ertop yours; For time is like a fashionable host That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand, And with his arms outstretch'd, as he would fly, Grasps in the comer: welcome ever smiles, And farewell goes out sighing. O, let not virtue seek Remuneration for the thing it was; For beauty, wit, High birth, vigour of bone, desert in service, Love, friendship, charity, are subjects all To envious and calumniating time. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin, That all with one consent praise new-born gawds, Though they are made and moulded of things past, And give to dust that is a little gilt More laud than gilt o'er-dusted. The present eye praises the present object. Then marvel not, thou great and complete man, That all the Greeks begin to worship Ajax; Since things in motion sooner catch the eye Than what not stirs. The cry went once on thee, And still it might, and yet it may again, If thou wouldst not entomb thyself alive And case thy reputation in thy tent; Whose glorious deeds, but in these fields of late, Made emulous missions 'mongst the gods themselves And drave great Mars to faction. 
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ULYSSES’S SPEECH TO ACHILLES - LINE-BY-LINE PARAPHRASE
Original: I do not strain at the position,—It is familiar,—but at the author’s drift;
Modern: I’m not struggling with the basic idea—that’s easy enough to understand—but with what the writer is really getting at;
Original: Who, in his circumstance, expressly proves
Modern: Who, through his detailed arguments, clearly demonstrates
Original: That no man is the lord of any thing,
Modern: That no one truly possesses anything,
Original: Though in and of him there be much consisting,
Modern: Even though he may have many talents and qualities within himself,
Original: Till he communicate his parts to others:
Modern: Until he shares those talents with other people:
Original: Nor doth he of himself know them for aught
Modern: And he doesn’t even know his own worth
Original: Till he behold them form’d in the applause
Modern: Until he sees them reflected back in others’ praise
Original: Where they’re extended; who, like an arch, reverberates
Modern: When they’re displayed; which, like an archway, echoes back
Original: The voice again, or, like a gate of steel
Modern: The sound, or, like a steel gate
Original: Fronting the sun, receives and renders back
Modern: Facing the sun, takes in and reflects back
Original: His figure and his heat. I was much wrapt in this;
Modern: Its image and warmth. I was deeply absorbed in these thoughts;
Original: And apprehended here immediately The unknown Ajax.
Modern: And suddenly understood the case of the obscure Ajax.
Original: Heavens, what a man is there! a very horse,
Modern: My God, what a specimen he is! A complete brute,
Original: That has he knows not what. Nature, what things there are
Modern: Who has qualities he doesn’t even recognize. Nature, there are such things
Original: Most abject in regard and dear in use!
Modern: That are looked down upon but actually very useful!
Original: What things again most dear in the esteem
Modern: And what things, on the other hand, are highly valued
Original: And poor in worth! Now shall we see to-morrow—
Modern: But actually worthless! Now we’ll see tomorrow—
Original: An act that very chance doth throw upon him—
Modern: Through an opportunity that pure luck tosses his way—
Original: Ajax renown’d. O heavens, what some men do,
Modern: Ajax become famous. Oh God, what some men accomplish,
Original: While some men leave to do!
Modern: While other men fail to act!
Original: How some men creep in skittish fortune’s hall,
Modern: How some men sneak into the palace of unpredictable fortune,
Original: Whiles others play the idiots in her eyes!
Modern: While others act like fools right in front of her!
Original: How one man eats into another’s pride,
Modern: How one man feeds off another man’s reputation,
Original: While pride is fasting in his wantonness!
Modern: While that pride goes hungry because of its own recklessness!
Original: To see these Grecian lords!—why, even already
Modern: Just look at these Greek commanders!—why, already
Original: They clap the lubber Ajax on the shoulder,
Modern: They’re slapping that clumsy oaf Ajax on the back,
Original: As if his foot were on brave Hector’s breast
Modern: As if he’d already got his foot on brave Hector’s chest
Original: And great Troy shrieking.
Modern: And the great city of Troy was screaming in defeat.
Original: Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back,
Modern: Time carries, my lord, a beggar’s pouch on his back,
Original: Wherein he puts alms for oblivion,
Modern: Where he puts charitable donations for the sake of being forgotten,
Original: A great-sized monster of ingratitudes:
Modern: A huge monster made of people’s ungratefulness:
Original: Those scraps are good deeds past; which are devour’d
Modern: Those scraps are past good deeds; which get eaten up
Original: As fast as they are made, forgot as soon
Modern: As quickly as they’re done, and forgotten just as fast
Original: As done: perseverance, dear my lord,
Modern: As they’re finished: constant action, my dear lord,
Original: Keeps honour bright: to have done is to hang
Modern: Keeps honor shining: to have done something in the past is to hang
Original: Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail
Modern: Completely out of style, like rusty armor
Original: In monumental mockery. Take the instant way;
Modern: Displayed as a ridiculous monument. Act immediately;
Original: For honour travels in a strait so narrow,
Modern: Because the path to honor is so narrow,
Original: Where one but goes abreast: keep then the path;
Modern: That only one person can walk it at a time: so stay on that path;
Original: For emulation hath a thousand sons
Modern: Because ambition has a thousand followers
Original: That one by one pursue: if you give way,
Modern: Who chase after you one by one: if you step aside,
Original: Or hedge aside from the direct forthright,
Modern: Or move away from the straight path forward,
Original: Like to an enter’d tide, they all rush by
Modern: Like an incoming tide, they’ll all rush past you
Original: And leave you hindmost;
Modern: And leave you behind;
Original: Or like a gallant horse fall’n in first rank,
Modern: Or like a noble horse that falls in the front line,
Original: Lie there for pavement to the abject rear,
Modern: You’ll lie there as a stepping stone for the worthless troops behind,
Original: O’er-run and trampled on: then what they do in present,
Modern: Run over and trampled on: then what they accomplish now,
Original: Though less than yours in past, must o’ertop yours;
Modern: Even though it’s less than what you did in the past, will surpass yours;
Original: For time is like a fashionable host
Modern: Because time is like a trendy host at a party
Original: That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand,
Modern: Who barely shakes the hand of the guest who’s leaving,
Original: And with his arms outstretch’d, as he would fly,
Modern: But with his arms stretched out wide, as if he could fly,
Original: Grasps in the comer: welcome ever smiles,
Modern: Embraces the person arriving: greetings are always full of smiles,
Original: And farewell goes out sighing. O, let not virtue seek
Modern: While goodbyes leave with a sigh. Oh, don’t let past excellence expect
Original: Remuneration for the thing it was;
Modern: Reward for what it used to be;
Original: For beauty, wit,
Modern: Because beauty, intelligence,
Original: High birth, vigour of bone, desert in service,
Modern: Noble birth, physical strength, distinguished service,
Original: Love, friendship, charity, are subjects all
Modern: Love, friendship, generosity, are all subject
Original: To envious and calumniating time.
Modern: To jealous and slanderous time.
Original: One touch of nature makes the whole world kin,
Modern: One natural human trait makes everyone in the world alike,
Original: That all with one consent praise new-born gawds,
Modern: That everyone unanimously praises shiny new toys,
Original: Though they are made and moulded of things past,
Modern: Even though they’re made and shaped from old things,
Original: And give to dust that is a little gilt
Modern: And give to trash that has a bit of gold paint on it
Original: More laud than gilt o’er-dusted.
Modern: More praise than real gold that’s gotten dusty.
Original: The present eye praises the present object.
Modern: People’s eyes right now only praise what’s in front of them now.
Original: Then marvel not, thou great and complete man,
Modern: So don’t be surprised, you great and perfect warrior,
Original: That all the Greeks begin to worship Ajax;
Modern: That all the Greeks are starting to worship Ajax;
Original: Since things in motion sooner catch the eye
Modern: Since moving things catch the eye more quickly
Original: Than what not stirs. The cry went once on thee,
Modern: Than things that stay still.
In Act III, Scene 3 of “Troilus and Cressida,” Achilles remains in his tent while Calchas, a Trojan priest who has defected to the Greeks, approaches Agamemnon with a request. Calchas reminds the Greek leaders that he abandoned Troy to serve their cause and asks for compensation for his loyalty. His request is specific: he wants his daughter Cressida, currently in Troy, to be exchanged for the Trojan prisoner Antenor. Agamemnon agrees to this exchange, and Diomedes is tasked with carrying out the prisoner swap. The Greek commanders then pass by Achilles’ tent, deliberately ignoring him to wound his pride, which Ajax notices and comments upon.
After the commanders depart, Achilles emerges from his tent, bewildered by their cold treatment. Ulysses engages him in conversation, explaining that reputation and honor are fleeting—a man’s past achievements mean nothing if he ceases to act in the present. Ulysses argues that honor must be continually earned through current deeds, as Time destroys past glories. He suggests that Achilles’ reputation is fading because he remains idle while Ajax rises in favor. Patroclus reinforces this message, and Thersites arrives with letters for Achilles. The scene concludes with Achilles troubled by the realization that his honor is slipping away due to his continued refusal to fight, while the Greeks prepare to elevate Ajax as their new champion.
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.
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