Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1602 [1602-1603] (Annals) tragedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its afterma typicality 0.73 · 488 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
Then Wife is to the Husband? If this law Of Nature be corrupted through affection, And that great minds of partial indulgence, To their benumbed wills resist the same, There is a Law in each well-ordred Nation, To curb those raging appetites that are Most disobedient and refracturie. If Helen then be wife to Sparta's King (As it is known she is) these Moral Laws Of Nature, and of Nation, speak aloud To have her back returned. Thus to persist In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong, But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion Is this in way of truth: yet ne'er the less, My sprightly brethren, I propend to you In resolution to keep Helen still; For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependence, Upon our joint and several dignities. Why? there you touched the life of our design: Were it not glory that we more affected, Then the performance of our heaving spleens, I would not wish a drop of Trojan blood, Spent more in her defence. But worthy Hector, She is a theme of honour and renown, A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds, Whose present courage may beat down our foes, And fame in time to come canonize us. For I presume brave Hector would not lose So rich advantage of a promised glory, As smiles upon the forehead of this action, For the wide world's revenue. I am yours, You valiant offspring of great Priamus, I have a roisting challenge sent amongst The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks, Will strike amazement to their drowsy spirits, I was aduertized, their Great general slept, Whilst emulation in the army crept: This I presume will wake him. How now Thersites? what lost in the Labyrinth of thy fury? shall the Elephant Aiax carry it thus? he beats me, and I rail at him: O worthy satisfaction, would it were otherwise: that I could beat him, whilst he railed at me: 'Sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raise Devils, but I'll see some issue of my spiteful execrations. Then there's Achilles, a rare Engineer. If Troy be not taken till these two undermine it, the walls will stand till they fall of themselves. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Ioue the King of gods: and Mercury, lose all the Serpentine craft of thy Caduceus, if thou take not that little little less than little wit from them that they have, which short-armed ignorance itself knows, is so abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a Fly from a Spider, without drawing the massy Irons and cutting the web: after this, the vengeance on the whole Camp, or rather the bone-ache, for that me thinks is the curse dependant on those that war for a placket. I have said my prayers and devil, envy, say Amen: What ho? my Lord Achilles? Who's there? Thersites. Good Thersites come in and rail.
seed 43: T12 · seed 44: T11 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Then Wife is to the Husband? If this law Of Nature be corrupted through affection, And that great mindes of partiall indulgence, To their benummed wills reſiſt the ſame, There is a Law in each well-ordred Nation, To curbe thoſe raging appetites that are Moſt diſobedient and refracturie. If Helen then be wife to Sparta's King (As it is knowne ſhe is) theſe Morall Lawes Of Nature, and of Nation, ſpeake alowd To haue her backe return'd. Thus to perſiſt In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong, But makes it much more heauie. Hectors opinion Is this in way of truth: yet nere the leſſe, My ſpritely brethren, I propend to you In reſolution to keepe Helen ſtill; For 'tis a cauſe that hath no meane dependance, Vpon our ioynt and ſeuerall dignities. Why? there you toucht the life of our deſigne: Were it not glory that we more affected, Then the performance of our heauing ſpleenes, I would not wiſh a drop of Troian blood, Spent more in her defence. But worthy Hector, She is a theame of honour and renowne, A ſpurre to valiant and magnanimous deeds, Whoſe preſent courage may beate downe our foes, And fame in time to come canonize vs. For I preſume braue Hector would not looſe So rich aduantage of a promiſ'd glory, As ſmiles vpon the fore-head of this action, For the wide worlds reuenew. I am yours, You valiant off-ſpring of great Priamus, I haue a roiſting challenge ſent among'ſt The dull and factious nobles of the Greekes, Will ſtrike amazement to their drowſie ſpirits, I was aduertiz'd, their Great generall ſlept, Whil'ſt emulation in the armie crept: This I preſume will wake him. How now Therſites? what loſt in the Labyrinth of thy furie? ſhall the Elephant Aiax carry it thus? he beates me, and I raile at him: O worthy ſatisfaction, would it were otherwiſe: that I could beate him, whil'ſt he rail'd at me: Sfoote, Ile learne to coniure and raiſe Diuels, but Ile ſee ſome iſſue of my ſpitefull execrations. Then ther's Achilles, a rare Enginer. If Troy be not taken till theſe two vndermine it, the wals will ſtand till they fall of themſelues. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Ioue the King of gods: and Mercury, looſe all the Serpentine craft of thy Caduceus, if thou take not that little little leſſe then little wit from them that they haue, which ſhort-arm'd ignorance it ſelfe knowes, is ſo abundant ſcarſe, it will not in circumuention deliuer a Flye from a Spider, without drawing the maſſie Irons and cutting the web: after this, the vengeance on the whole Camp, or rather the bone-ach, for that me thinkes is the curſe dependant on thoſe that warre for a placket. I haue ſaid my prayers and diuell, enuie, ſay Amen: What ho? my Lord Achilles? Who's there? Therſites. Good Therſites come in and raile.