Original: Words, vows, gifts, tears, and love’s full sacrifice,
Modern: He offers words, promises, gifts, tears, and complete devotion,

Original: He offers in another’s enterprise;
Modern: All in pursuit of someone else’s love affair;

Original: But more in Troilus thousand fold I see
Modern: But I see a thousand times more worth in Troilus

Original: Than in the glass of Pandar’s praise may be;
Modern: Than what Pandarus’s flattering words could ever reflect;

Original: Yet hold I off. Women are angels, wooing:
Modern: Yet I keep my distance. Women are like angels when men are courting them:

Original: Things won are done; joy’s soul lies in the doing.
Modern: Once they’re won over, it’s finished; the real joy is in the chase itself.

Original: That she beloved knows nought that knows not this:
Modern: Any woman who is loved but doesn’t understand this truth knows nothing:

Original: Men prize the thing ungain’d more than it is:
Modern: Men value what they can’t have more than it’s actually worth:

Original: That she was never yet that ever knew
Modern: There was never a woman who truly understood

Original: Love got so sweet as when desire did sue.
Modern: That love feels sweetest when desire is still pleading for it.

Original: Therefore this maxim out of love I teach:
Modern: So I teach this rule that comes from understanding love:

Original: Achievement is command; ungain’d, beseech:
Modern: Once you’ve won someone, you can command them; while they’re still unwon, they hold the power:

Original: Then though my heart’s content firm love doth bear,
Modern: So even though my heart is filled with steady, true love,

Original: Nothing of that shall from mine eyes appear.
Modern: I won’t let any of those feelings show in my eyes.

Looking at Act I, Scene 2 of “Troilus and Cressida,” this scene takes place in Troy and centers on Cressida and her uncle Pandarus as they observe Trojan warriors returning from battle. Pandarus attempts to promote his nephew Troilus to Cressida, praising his qualities as a warrior and lover while pointing out various Trojan heroes as they pass by. Cressida listens to Pandarus’s commentary about the warriors, including Aeneas, Antenor, Hector, and Paris, but she remains skeptical of his excessive praise of Troilus, often responding with wit and apparent indifference to Pandarus’s matchmaking efforts.

The scene serves to establish the relationship dynamics between the three characters while showcasing the ongoing Trojan War as background. Pandarus persistently advocates for Troilus, describing his superior qualities compared to other Trojan warriors, while Cressida maintains a facade of disinterest even as she reveals through asides to the audience that she does indeed have feelings for Troilus. The scene concludes with Pandarus’s continued attempts to arrange a meeting between the two young people, setting up the central romantic plot of the play. Throughout their dialogue, the characters discuss the various Trojan heroes and their roles in the war, providing context for the military conflict that frames the love story.

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.