A trumpet is sounded and Hector, Aeneas, Troilus, Paris, Deiphobus and attendants enter. Aeneas says that Hector wants to know whether victory should be determined by a battle to the death or whether the combatants should be judged on ‘points.’ Aeneas says Hector will obey whatever conditions are set down. Agamemnon says that the fact that the opponents are related, checks their strife even before the battle begins. Ajax and Hector enter and take their positions.

Ulysses tells Agamemnon that Troilus is the youngest son of Priam and describes him as a liberal, blameless and generous man of judgement. Troilus is even compared favorably to Hector. Hector and Ajax fight. Both sides cheer on their respective heroes. When the fighting ceases, Ajax wants to continue but Hector refuses. Since he cannot divide Ajax’s Greek and Trojan blood, he does not want to continue to battle him. Ajax invites Hector to the Grecian tents where he is warmly welcomed. Achilles interrupts Hector’s conversation with Ulysses and tells him that he has now fed his eyes on him and examined him ‘joint by joint.’ When Hector learns that it is Achilles who is addressing him he asks him to stand open to view as he wants to look at him. That done, Achilles objects that Hector has been too brief in his study of him and says that he will observe him a second time and ‘view thee limb by limb.’

Ajax tells Achilles to stop issuing threats until he met Hector in the battlefield. Achilles says he will meet Hector in battle on the following day but ‘Tonight, all friends.’

Ulysses tells Troilus that Calchas lives in MenelausÂ’ tent, and adds that Diomedes who now trained his gaze on Cressida, is feasting with him that night. Ulysses agrees to lead Troilus to MenelausÂ’ tent after they leave AgamemnonÂ’s tent. Ulysses inquires if Cressida had no lover in Troy. Troilus lets on that he himself is her lover. Then clearly overcome he asks Ulysses to walk on.

In the first scene of Act V, Achilles tells Patroclus that he will get Hector drunk that night which would make him easier to kill on the following day. Thersites enters with a letter from Queen Hecuba of Troy accompanied by a love token from Polyxena. They bind him to keep his promise to Hecuba that if he won Polyxena, he would make the Greeks raise the siege and retire. Achilles says the Greeks might do as they please as his major vow lay with Polyxena and Hecuba and he would obey it. After he exits, Thersites comments on the characters of Achilles and Patroclus, Agamemnon, and Menelaus ‘the bull.’ He then spots the torches of the approaching party of Hector, Troilus, Ajax, Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor, Menelaus and Diomedes and the scene shifts to them. Hector and the Greek princes are welcomed, and Nestor and Diomedes are enjoined to keep Hector Company, but Diomedes says he cannot as he has important business to attend to. Ulysses knows Diomedes is going to Calchas’ tent and tells Troilus to follow his torch. Diomedes exits followed by Ulysses and Troilus. Achilles invites the remaining party into his tent and they all exit except for Thersites. Thersites’ brief sketch of Diomedes paints him as a ‘false-hearted rogue, a most unjust knave.’ He says that it is known that Diomedes keeps ‘a Trojan drab, and uses the traitor Calchas’ tent.’, and decides to follow Diomedes.

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