Monologue

Ulysses Monologue from Troilus and Cressida

From Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare

male · philosophical · 1:06 min

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Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet composure. Praise him that gat thee, she that gave thee suck; Fam’d be thy tutor, and thy parts of nature Thrice fam’d beyond, beyond all erudition; But he that disciplin’d thine arms to fight— Let Mars divide eternity in twain And give him half; and, for thy vigour, Bull-bearing Milo his addition yield To sinewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom, Which, like a bourn, a pale, a shore, confines Thy spacious and dilated parts. Here’s Nestor, Instructed by the antiquary times— He must, he is, he cannot but be wise; But pardon, father Nestor, were your days As green as Ajax’ and your brain so temper’d, You should not have the eminence of him, But be as Ajax.

About this piece

Ulysses reflects on the qualities of his fellow warriors, contrasting their strengths and wisdom, while acknowledging the limitations of experience and age in the face of youthful vigor.

40s · trust · honor · wisdom · power · identity

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