First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Prologue in armour | | TC prologue.1.1 | |
| PROLOGUE | | | |
| IN Troy there lyes the Scene: From Iles of Greece | In Troy there lies the scene. From isles of Greece | Troy (n.) ancient city of W Turkey, besieged for 10 years during the Trojan Wars; also called Ilium, Ilion | TC prologue.1 | |
| The Princes Orgillous, their high blood chaf'd | The princes orgulous, their high blood chafed, | chafe (v.)warm, inflame, rouse | TC prologue.2 | |
| | orgulous (adj.)proud, haughty, arrogant | | |
| | high (adj.)noble, dignified, aristocratic | | |
| | blood (n.)nobility, breeding, gentility, good parentage | | |
| Haue to the Port of Athens sent their shippes | Have to the port of Athens sent their ships | | TC prologue.3 | |
| Fraught with the ministers and instruments | Fraught with the ministers and instruments | fraught (adj.)filled, laden, packed | TC prologue.4 | |
| Of cruell Warre: Sixty and nine that wore | Of cruel war. Sixty-and-nine that wore | | TC prologue.5 | |
| Their Crownets Regall, from th' Athenian bay | Their crownets regal from th' Athenian bay | crownet (n.)coronet, crown | TC prologue.6 | |
| Put forth toward Phrygia, and their vow is made | Put forth toward Phrygia, and their vow is made | Phrygia (n.)[pron: 'frijia] central plateau area of Asia Minor where Troy was situated | TC prologue.7 | |
| To ransacke Troy, within whose strong emures | To ransack Troy, within whose strong immures | immure (n.)wall | TC prologue.8 | |
| The rauish'd Helen, Menelaus Queene, | The ravished Helen, Menelaus' queen, | ravished (adj.)abducted, carried off by force | TC prologue.9 | |
| | Menelaus (n.)[pron: mene'layus] king of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, married to Helen of Troy | | |
| | Helen (n.)woman renowned for her beauty, whose abduction from the Greeks by Paris of Troy caused the Trojan War | | |
| With wanton Paris sleepes, and that's the Quarrell. | With wanton Paris sleeps – and that's the quarrel. | Paris (n.)youngest son of Priam and Hecuba; he stole Helen away from her Greek husband, Menelaus, causing the Trojan wars; character in Troilus and Cressida | TC prologue.10 | |
| | wanton (adj.)sexually hot, passionate, sportive | | |
| To Tenedos they come, | To Tenedos they come, | Tenedos (n.)[pron: 'tenedos] island near Troy, W Turkey | TC prologue.11 | |
| And the deepe-drawing Barke do there disgorge | And the deep-drawing barks do there disgorge | deep-drawing (adj.)displacing great depth of water, heavily-laden | TC prologue.12 | |
| | bark, barque (n.)ship, vessel | | |
| Their warlike frautage: now on Dardan Plaines | Their warlike fraughtage; now on Dardan plains | fraughtage (n.)luggage, freight, cargo | TC prologue.13 | |
| | Dardan, Dardania (n.)region in W Turkey in which Troy was the capital | | |
| The fresh and yet vnbruised Greekes do pitch | The fresh and yet unbruised Greeks do pitch | unbruised (adj.)unmarked, uncrushed, undamaged | TC prologue.14 | |
| Their braue Pauillions. Priams six=gated City, | Their brave pavilions. Priam's six-gated city, | pavilion (n.)ceremonial tent | TC prologue.15 | |
| | Priam (n.)[pron: 'priyam] king of Troy, husband of Hecuba; killed by Pyrrhus during the sack of Troy | | |
| | brave (adj.)fine, excellent, splendid, impressive | | |
| Dardan and Timbria, Helias, Chetas, Troien, | Dardan and Timbria, Helias, Chetas, Troien, | | TC prologue.16 | |
| And Antenonidus with massie Staples | And Antenorides, with massy staples | massy (adj.)massive, heavy, colossal | TC prologue.17 | |
| And corresponsiue and fulfilling Bolts | And corresponsive and fulfilling bolts, | fulfilling (adj.)fitting exactly, well-complementing | TC prologue.18 | |
| | corresponsive (adj.)corresponding, equivalent, analogous | | |
| Stirre vp the Sonnes of Troy. | Stir up the sons of Troy. | | TC prologue.19 | |
| Now Expectation tickling skittish spirits, | Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits | | TC prologue.20 | |
| On one and other side, Troian and Greeke, | On one and other side, Trojan and Greek, | | TC prologue.21 | |
| Sets all on hazard. And hither am I come, | Sets all on hazard. And hither am I come, | hazard (n.)[gambling] chance, fortune; throw [of dice] | TC prologue.22 | |
| A Prologue arm'd, but not in confidence | A Prologue armed, but not in confidence | | TC prologue.23 | |
| Of Authors pen, or Actors voyce; but suited | Of author's pen or actor's voice, but suited | | TC prologue.24 | |
| In like conditions, as our Argument; | In like conditions as our argument, | like (adj.)same, similar, alike, equal | TC prologue.25 | |
| | condition (n.)nature, state, circumstances | | |
| | argument (n.)story, subject, plot | | |
| To tell you (faire Beholders) that our Play | To tell you, fair beholders, that our play | | TC prologue.26 | |
| Leapes ore the vaunt and firstlings of those broyles, | Leaps o'er the vaunt and firstlings of those broils, | firstling (n.)first result, opening event | TC prologue.27 | |
| | vaunt (n.)beginning, outset, first part | | |
| | broil (n.)turmoil, confused fighting, battle | | |
| Beginning in the middle: starting thence away, | Beginning in the middle; starting thence away | | TC prologue.28 | |
| To what may be digested in a Play: | To what may be digested in a play. | | TC prologue.29 | |
| Like, or finde fault, do as your pleasures are, | Like or find fault; do as your pleasures are; | | TC prologue.30 | |
| Now good, or bad, 'tis but the chance of Warre. | Now good or bad, 'tis but the chance of war. | | TC prologue.31 | |