Troilus and Cressida

Waiting to meet Paris, Pandarus bandies words with a servant. Helen and Paris appear with their attendants. Pandarus flatters Helen, repeatedly calling her “fair” (56) and “sweet” (56). He requests some time alone with Paris, but Helen refuses to leave, requesting Pandarus sing a song. Pandarus makes vulgar jokes, insinuating that Cressida is jealous of something Helen has, which is a sexual relationship. When Helen claims Cressida can have anything that belongs to Helen, except for Paris, Pandarus lewdly insinuates Cressida could (sexually) have Paris too. 

Pandarus finally asks Paris for the favor he intended: to excuse Troilus from dinner. Paris jokes Troilus will be unavailable anyway, as he will be pining for Cressida. Paris and Helen leave to meet Hector and the other warriors returned from the day’s battle.

Pandarus meets Troilus’s attendant in an orchard and asks him if Troilus is at Cressida’s house. The servant says Troilus is here, waiting for Pandarus’s instructions on how to approach Cressida. A lovestruck Troilus enters the stage, stating he has been circling the door to Cressida’s house like a lost soul waiting to be ferried across the river of death.