Scene VII explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• War and Futility

  The senseless fighting and Thersites' refusal to engage highlights the absurdity and futility of the war.

• Deception and Manipulation

  Achilles plots to ambush Hector with his Myrmidons, using deceit to achieve his goal.

Characters to notice

• Achilles

  Commands his Myrmidons to surround and kill Hector.

• Menelaus

  Fights Paris.

• Paris

  Fights Menelaus.

• Thersites

  Mocks the fight between Menelaus and Paris, then refuses to fight Margarelon.

• Margarelon

  Challenges Thersites, who refuses.

Key passages

• “Come here about me, you my Myrmidons; Mark what I say. Attend me where I wheel: Strike not a stroke, but keep yourselves in breath: And when I have the bloody Hector found, Empale him with your weapons round about; In fellest manner execute your aims. Follow me, sirs, and my proceedings eye: It is decreed Hector the great must die.”

  Achilles orders his Myrmidons to surround and kill Hector when they find him.

  Achilles plans a coordinated attack on Hector.

• “The cuckold and the cuckold-maker are at it. Now, bull! now, dog! ’Loo, Paris, ’loo! now my double-henned sparrow! ’loo, Paris, ’loo! The bull has the game: ware horns, ho!”

  Thersites mocks Menelaus and Paris as a cuckold and a cuckold-maker fighting.

  Thersites' crude commentary on the fight.

• “I am a bastard too; I love bastards: I am a bastard begot, bastard instructed, bastard in mind, bastard in valour, in every thing illegitimate. One bear will not bite another, and wherefore should one bastard? Take heed, the quarrel’s most ominous to us: if the son of a whore fight for a whore, he tempts judgment: farewell, bastard.”

  Thersites refuses to fight Margarelon, claiming they are both bastards and should not fight each other.

  Thersites uses their shared illegitimacy to avoid combat.