The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  How do I look? Am I fall’n much away?

  Thank you, Arcite.

  How do I look? Have I lost too much weight?

  ARCITE

  Faith, very little. Love has us’d you kindly.

  I swear, very little. Love has treated you well.

  PALAMON

  I’ll warrant thee, I’ll strike home.

  I promise you, I shall thrust home.

  ARCITE

  Do, and spare not.

  I’ll give you cause, sweet cousin.

  Do, and don't spare me.

  I'll do the same for you, sweet cousin.

  PALAMON

  Now to you, sir.

  Methinks this armor’s very like that, Arcite,

  Thou wor’st that day the three kings fell, but lighter.

  Now for you, sir.

  This armour seems very similar to me, Arcite,

  to the one you wore the day the three kings fell, but lighter.

  ARCITE

  That was a very good one, and that day,

  I well remember, you outdid me, cousin;

  I never saw such valor. When you charg’d

  Upon the left wing of the enemy,

  I spurr’d hard to come up, and under me

  I had a right good horse.

  That was a very good suit, and that day,

  I remember it well, you beat me, cousin;

  I never saw such bravery. When you charged

  the enemy's left wing,

  I had to gallop hard to keep up, and I had

  a very good horse under me.

  PALAMON

  You had indeed,

  A bright bay, I remember.

  You had indeed,

  a glossy bay, I remember.

  ARCITE

  Yes, but all

  Was vainly labor’d in me; you outwent me,

  Nor could my wishes reach you. Yet a little

  I did by imitation.

  Yes, but all

  my labours were in vain; you outstripped me,

  and try as I might I couldn't get to you. But I did

  some good things by copying you.

  PALAMON

  More by virtue.

  You are modest, cousin.

  More through your own virtue.

  You are modest, cousin.

  ARCITE

  When I saw you charge first,

  Methought I heard a dreadful clap of thunder

  Break from the troop.

  When I first saw you charge,

  I thought I heard a terrible clap of thunder

  come from the ranks of your opponents.

  PALAMON

  But still before that flew

  The lightning of your valor. Stay a little;

  Is not this piece too strait?

  But the lightning of your bravery

  preceded that. Wait a moment;

  isn't this piece too tight?

  ARCITE

  No, no, ’tis well.

  No, no, it's fine.

  PALAMON

  I would have nothing hurt thee but my sword,

  A bruise would be dishonor.

  I don't want anything to hurt you except my sword,

  a bruise would be dishonourable.

  ARCITE

  Now I am perfect.

  Now that's perfect.

  PALAMON

  Stand off then.

  Stand away then.

  ARCITE

  Take my sword, I hold it better.

  Take my sword, I think it's the better one.

  PALAMON

  I thank ye. No, keep it, your life lies on it.

  Here’s one, if it but hold, I ask no more

  For all my hopes. My cause and honor guard me!

  Thank you. No, keep it, your life depends on it.

  If this one doesn't break, that's all I ask

  for my purposes. May my cause and my honour protect me!

  ARCITE

  And me my love!

  They bow several ways; then advance and stand.

  Is there aught else to say?

  And may my love protect me!

  Is there anything else to say?

  PALAMON

  This only, and no more: thou art mine aunt’s son,

  And that blood we desire to shed is mutual,

  In me, thine, and in thee, mine. My sword

  Is in my hand, and if thou kill’st me,

  The gods and I forgive thee. If there be

  A place prepar’d for those that sleep in honor,

  I wish his weary soul that falls may win it.

  Fight bravely, cousin. Give me thy noble hand.

  Only this: you are my aunt's son,

  and the blood we want to spill is shared,

  I have yours in me and mine is in you. My sword

  is in my hand, and if you kill me,

  the gods and I will forgive you. If there is

  a place set aside for the honoured dead,

  I hope the weary soul of the one who falls goes there.

  Fight bravely, cousin. Give me your noble hand.

  ARCITE

  Here, Palamon: this hand shall never more

  Come near thee with such friendship.

  Here, Palamon: this is the last time this hand

  will be near you in friendship.

  PALAMON

  I commend thee.

  I praise you.

  ARCITE

  If I fall, curse me, and say I was a coward,

  For none but such dare die in these just trials.

  Once more farewell, my cousin.

  If I fall, curse me, and say I was a coward,

  for they are the only sort who will die in these tests.

  Goodbye again, my cousin.

  PALAMON

  Farewell, Arcite.

  Farewell, Arcite.

  Fight. Horns within; they stand.

  ARCITE

  Lo, cousin, lo, our folly has undone us.

  Look, cousin, look, our stupidity is our downfall.

  PALAMON

  Why?

  Why?

  ARCITE

  This is the Duke, a-hunting as I told you.

  If we be found, we are wretched. O, retire

  For honor’s sake, and safely presently

  Into your bush again, sir. We shall find

  Too many hours to die in, gentle cousin.

  If you be seen, you perish instantly

  For breaking prison, and I, if you reveal me,

  For my contempt. Then all the world will scorn us,

  And say we had a noble difference,

  But base disposers of it.

  This is the Duke, hunting like I told you.

  If we are found, we are ruined. Oh, retreat

  for the sake of honour, and go back into

  the safety of your bush at once, sir.

  There is plenty of time for us to die, gentle cousin.

  If you are seen, you will be killed at once

  for escaping prison, and I, if you expose me,

  will get the same for my disobedience. Then all the world will mock us,

  and say we had a noble disagreement,

  but dealt with it like peasants.

  PALAMON

  No, no, cousin,

  I will no more be hidden, nor put off

  This great adventure to a second trial.

  I know your cunning, and I know your cause.

  He that faints now, shame take him! Put thyself

  Upon thy present guard—

  No, no, cousin,

  I won't hide any longer, nor postpone

  our great test until another time.

  I know what you are up to.

  Anyone who pulls out now, may he die of shame!

  Get on guard–

  ARCITE

  You are not mad?

  Are you mad?

  PALAMON

  Or I will make th’ advantage of this hour

  Mine own; and what to come sha
ll threaten me

  I fear less than my fortune. Know, weak cousin,

  I love Emilia, and in that I’ll bury

  Thee and all crosses else.

  Or I will turn these events to my

  advantage; and whatever is coming my way

  frightens me less than my fate. You should know, weak cousin,

  that I love Emilia, and for that I shall bury

  you and anyone else who tries to stop me.

  ARCITE

  Then come what can come,

  Thou shalt know, Palamon, I dare as well

  Die as discourse or sleep. Only this fears me,

  The law will have the honor of our ends.

  Have at thy life!

  Then whatever happens

  you shall discover, Palamon, it is as easy for me

  to die as to talk or sleep. The only thing that worries me

  is that the law will have the honour of taking our lives.

  I attack your life!

  PALAMON

  Look to thine own well, Arcite.

  Guard your own well, Arcite.

  Fight again. Horns.

  Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Emilia, Pirithous, and Train.

  THESEUS

  What ignorant and mad malicious traitors

  Are you, that ’gainst the tenor of my laws

  Are making battle, thus like knights appointed,

  Without my leave and officers of arms?

  By Castor, both shall die.

  What ignorant, mad and evil traitors

  are you, fighting with each other against

  the laws I have laid down, dressed like knights,

  without my permission and without my officials?

  By Castor, you shall both die.

  PALAMON

  Hold thy word, Theseus.

  We are certainly both traitors, both despisers

  Of thee and of thy goodness. I am Palamon,

  That cannot love thee, he that broke thy prison—

  Think well what that deserves; and this is Arcite,

  A bolder traitor never trod thy ground,

  A falser nev’r seem’d friend. This is the man

  Was begg’d and banish’d, this is he contemns thee

  And what thou dar’st do; and in this disguise,

  Against thy own edict, follows thy sister,

  That fortunate bright star, the fair Emilia,

  Whose servant (if there be a right in seeing,

  And first bequeathing of the soul to) justly

  I am, and which is more, dares think her his.

  This treachery, like a most trusty lover,

  I call’d him now to answer. If thou be’st,

  As thou art spoken, great and virtuous,

  The true decider of all injuries,

  Say, “Fight again!” and thou shalt see me, Theseus,

  Do such a justice thou thyself wilt envy.

  Then take my life, I’ll woo thee to’t.

  Save your speeches, Theseus.

  We are certainly both traitors, we both hate

  you and your goodness. I am Palamon,

  and I can't love you, I broke out of your prison–

  think what punishment that deserves; and this is Arcite,

  a bolder traitor never walked in your country,

  there was never such a false friend. This is the man

  who was disgraced and banished, showing contempt

  for you and everything you do; and in this disguise,

  against your own ruling, he's following your sister,

  that wonderful bright star, the fair Emilia,

  whose servant (if the one who saw her first and

  first fell in love with her) I am by rights,

  and what's more he thinks that she is his.

  Like a loyal lover I have now challenged him to answer

  for this treachery. If you are as great

  and virtuous as they say,

  the proper judge of all wrongs,

  say, “Fight again!" And you shall see me, Theseus,

  give out justice that you yourself would envy.

  Then take my life, I'll beg you to do it.

  PIRITHOUS

  O heaven,

  What more than man is this!

  Oh heaven,

  who is this, greater than a man!

  THESEUS

  I have sworn.

  I have sworn you will die.

  ARCITE

  We seek not

  Thy breath of mercy, Theseus. ’Tis to me

  A thing as soon to die as thee to say it,

  And no more mov’d. Where this man calls me traitor,

  Let me say thus much: if in love be treason

  In service of so excellent a beauty,

  As I love most, and in that faith will perish,

  As I have brought my life here to confirm it,

  As I have serv’d her truest, worthiest,

  As I dare kill this cousin that denies it,

  So let me be most traitor, and ye please me.

  For scorning thy edict, Duke, ask that lady

  Why she is fair, and why her eyes command me

  Stay here to love her; and if she say “traitor,”

  I am a villain fit to lie unburied.

  We're not looking for

  your mercy, Theseus. It means as little

  to me to die as it does to you to say it,

  it doesn't bother me. This man calls me a traitor, let me

  say this about it: if it's treason

  to be in love with such a wonderful beauty

  as the one I love most, and to die for it,

  as I have risked my life coming here to prove it,

  as I have served her most loyally and worthily,

  as I am going to kill this cousin who denies it,

  so let me be a traitor and do as you please with me.

  If you want a reason for my disobedience, Duke,

  ask that lady why she is beautiful, why her eyes

  order me to stay here and love her; and if she says I'm a traitor,

  I am a villain who doesn't deserve a decent burial.

  PALAMON

  Thou shalt have pity of us both, O Theseus,

  If unto neither thou show mercy. Stop,

  As thou art just, thy noble ear against us;

  As thou art valiant, for thy cousin’s soul,

  Whose twelve strong labors crown his memory,

  Let ’s die together, at one instant, Duke.

  Only a little let him fall before me,

  That I may tell my soul he shall not have her.

  You would be showing pity for both of us, O Theseus,

  if you shown no mercy for either. If you are just

  then block your noble ears against us;

  as you are brave, for the memory of your cousin,

  whose twelve great works are still remembered,

  let us die together, Duke, instantaneously.

  Just let him die a little before me,

  so I can be certain he will not have her.

  THESEUS

  I grant your wish, for to say true, your cousin

  Has ten times more offended, for I gave him

  More mercy than you found, sir, your offenses

  Being no more than his. None here speak for ’em,

  For ere the sun set, both shall sleep forever.

  I grant your wish, because truthfully your cousin

  has offended ten times more than you, for I gave him

  more mercy than you had, sir, when your crimes

  were no worse than his. Nobody speak for them,

  for before the sun sets they shall both be sleeping eternally.

  HIPPOLYTA

  Alas, the pity! Now or never, sister,

  Speak, not to be denied. That face of yours

  Will bear the curses else of after-ages

  For these lost cousins.

  Alas, how terrible! You must speak out fearlessly,

  siste
r, now or never. Otherwise you will be

  cursed by all those who come after us

  for letting these cousins die.

  EMILIA

  In my face, dear sister,

  I find no anger to ’em, nor no ruin:

  The misadventure of their own eyes kill ’em;

  Yet that I will be woman, and have pity,

  My knees shall grow to th’ ground but I’ll get mercy.

  Help me, dear sister, in a deed so virtuous

  The powers of all women will be with us.

  Most royal brother—

  I don't have any anger for them, dear sister,

  and I don't have any desire for them to die:

  it's their own wandering eyes which will kill them;

  but because I am a woman I will show pity,

  I will go down on my knees to get mercy.

  Help me, dear sister, do something so virtuous

  that the power of all women will assist us.

  Most royal brother–

  They kneel.

  HIPPOLYTA

  Sir, by our tie of marriage—

  Sir, by the bonds of our marriage–

  EMILIA

  By your own spotless honor—

  Through your own spotless honour–

  HIPPOLYTA

  By that faith,

  That fair hand, and that honest heart you gave me—

  By the faith,

  the fair hand, and the honest heart that you gave me–

  EMILIA

  By that you would have pity in another,

  By your own virtues infinite—

  As you would wished to be pitied by another,

  by your own intimate virtue–

  HIPPOLYTA

  By valor,

  By all the chaste nights I have ever pleas’d you—