Shakespeare's Myths
John Lydgate. Troy Book (c.1412-20), I, II:
[Lydgate does not mention the monster and links the story of Hesione to the story of the Argo]
William Caxton. The Recuyell of the History of Troy (c.1473/74), I, II, III.
[Caxton retells both Ovid and Lydgate’s versions]
George Chapman. Homer Prince of Poets: Translated According to the Greeke, in Twelue Bookes of his Iliads… (c.1609), Book V (STC 13633), sig. M3r:
… Thy father, holy Ilion, in that sort over-threw;
Th’injustice of the king was cause, that where thy father had
Used good deservings to his state, he quitted him with bad.
Hesione, the ioy and grace of king Laomedon,
Thy father rescu’d from a whale, and gave to Telamon
In honoured nuptials.
Thomas Heywood. Troia Britanica (1609), (STC 13366), Canto 6, stanzas 95-98 and 101
[Laomedon asks for Delphi’s oracle how the anger of Apollo and Neptune can be appeased]
Thomas Heywood. Troia Britanica (1609), (STC 13366), Canto 7, stanza 91, sig. R1v:
All-conquering Hercules revenged at last
Of Troy’s ingrateful Sovereign, takes full seizure
Of Asia’s Monarchy: his fury past,
Amongst his host he parts the City’s treasure,
But Telamonus Ajax most he graced,
And gave him her that pleased him above measure,
The bright Hesione his valour’s meed,
The beauteous Virgin from the sea-whale freed.
Thomas Heywood. Troia Britanica (1609), (STC 13366), Canto 8, stanzas 48, 67-71, 94-95, sigs. S4v, T1v-T2r, T4v:
48
…
It follows, that we next surview the town,
How Priam sought to quit Hesione’s wrong,
His scepter, state, and his imperial crown:
These by th’assistance of th’all-guiding fate,
And by the Muses’ help, we next relate.
[To the Trojans Priam proposes retaliation against the Greeks.]
67
That Priam shall in courteous manner, send
To all the Grecian kings, to ask again
His captive sister, like a royal friend:
Which if they grant, in friendship to remain:
But if this Embassy their ears offend,
And they the faire Hesione detain,
To menace war. Anthenor nobly manned,
At Priam’s urgence, takes this task in hand.
68
In Thessaly where Peleus that time reigned,
Anthenor after some few months arrives,
And of Hesione’s estate complained,
That her return might save ten thousand lives,
But if to bondage she were still constrained,
Her brother that as yet by fair means strives,
Must in his honour seek by arms to gain her,
Unto their costs, that proudly dare detain her.
69
Peleus enraged, commands Anthenor thence,
Nor will he grace the Trojan with reply,
That dare to him so proud a suit commence,
He therefore makes with speed from Thessaly,
Great Telamonis Ajax to incense,
Who keeps the Princess in base slavery:
In Salamina’s port he anchor casts,
And thence unto Duke Ajax’ palace hastes.
70
Mildly of him the Ambassador demands
Hesione, or if he keep her still,
With her to enter Hymen’s nuptial bands,
Not as a Slave to serve his lustful will:
When Telamon this Message understands,
He was in thought, the Trojan Lord to kill:
So scornfully the Duke his message took,
His face looked pale, his head with anger shook.
71
He tells him he is not allied at all
With twice-won Troy, nor any league desires;
The beauteous Princess to his lot did fall,
Whom he will keep (and mauger all their ires)
For scaling first Troy’s well-defended Wall,
She was his trophies’ prize. He that aspires
To take her thence, or once demand her back,
Is but the means their Troy again to sack.
[Despite Cassandra’s warning, Priam sends Paris to Greece.]
94
This was the cause the King remain’d unmov’d,
The Queen untouched with her [Cassandra’s] lamenting cries,
And all those Princes that their safeties lov’d,
Though long for-warned, her Counsel yet despise,
Her spells have credit, when th’events are prov’d,
Till then, though true, they are esteemed lies:
But leave Cassandra to her ceaseless care,
And Paris to his Trojan fleet prepare.
95
Who with his Brother Deiphebus sends,
To haste Aeneas to the seas with speed,
Polydamus, Anthenor, and such friends,
As in this general voyage were agreed,
His soldiers most Pannonians, he intends
Shall rather see his Aunt from Ajax freed,
Or some bright Grecian Queen, for her disgrace
Shall captive live in faire Hesione’s place.
Thomas Heywood. Troia Britanica (1609), (STC 13366), Canto 11, stanza 99-100, sig. Bb5v:
[the encounter between Hector and Ajax during the Trojan War]
99
In this pursuit Hector and Ajax meet,
Who—after interchange of hostile blows—
Part on even terms, and with kind language greet,
For the two kinsmen now each other knows:
Ajax entreats the Prince to spare their fleet,
And save their tents, whose flame to heavenward grows
Which courteous Hector swears to undertake,
For Ajax and his Aunt Hesione’s sake.
100
Oh ill-starred Hector! Thou hast overseen
A victory, thou canst not reach to more?
Hadst thou to him inexorable been
Thou hadst sav’d Troy, and freed the Dardan shore:
Duke Ajax’ prayer hath wrought Troy’s fatal teen [teen: woe]
And hath the power (lost Grecia) to restore:
Oh, hadst thou ta’en the advantage of this day,
All Greece had perished, that now lives for aye.
Thomas Heywood. The Brazen Age (c.1611), (STC 13310), sig. E4r-E4v, F1v, H1v- H2r:
Laomedon: Hesione, this is thy last on earth,
Whose fortunes we may mourn, though not prevent:
Would Troy, whose walls I did attempt to rear,
Had ne’er grown higher then their ground-sills, or
In their foundation buried been, and lost,
Since their high structure must be thus maintained,
With blood or our bright Ladies: Oh Hesione!
Begot by us, I must bequeath thy body
To be the food of Neptune’s monstrous whale.
Priam: To slack this hot pest, Neptune made demand,
Monthly a Lady to be choos’d by lot,
To glut this huge sea-monster’s ravenous jaws:
The lot this day fell on Hesione,
Our beauteous sister.
Hesione: Royal father,
Mourn not for me, the Gods must be appeased,
And I in this am happy, that my death
Is made the atonement ’tween those angry powers
And your afflicted people, though my innocence
Never deserved such rigor from the Gods.
Laomedon: Soft, what clamour’s that?
Æneas: A stately ship, well rigged with swelling sails,
Enters the harbour, bound (by their report)
For Colchis: but when they beheld the shores
Covered with multitudes, and spied from far,
Your beauteous daughter fastened to the rock,
They made to know the cause; which certified,
One noble Greek amongst these heroes stands,
And offers to encounter Neptune’s whale,
And free from death the bright Hesione.
Hercules: Why doth not Troy’s King from those walls descend?
And since I have redeemed Hesione,
Present my travels [travails] with two milk-white steeds,
The prize of my endeavours?
Laomedon: Hercules we owe thee none, none will we tender thee,
Thou hast won thee honour, a reward sufficient
For thy attempt: our gates are shut against thee,
Nor shall you enter, you are Greekish spies,
And come to pry but where our land is weak.
Hercules: And Telamon, to do thy valour right,
For mounting first over the walls of Troy,
The first and choice of all the spoil is thine.
Telamon: Then let Alcides honour Telamon
With this bright Lady, fair Hesione,
Sister to Priam, daughter to Laomedon,
Whose beauty I prefer before the state
And wealth of Troy.
Telamon: Fair Hesione,
I will not lose thy beauty, nor thy youth,
Nor part with this my honour, couldst thou give me
For ransom of them, both our Argoes cram'd
With gold and gems; you are my valour’s prize,
And shall with me to populous Salamine.
Hesione: Can you so wrong the daughter of a king,
To give her as a Duke’s base concubine?
Touch me not Telamon, for I divine,
If ere my brother Priam re-build Troy,
And be the king of Asia, he’ll revenge
This base dishonour done Hesione;
And for his sister, ravished hence perforce,
Do the like out-rage on some Grecian Queen,
In just revenge of my injurious wrong.
Hercules: … renowned Telamon,
She is the warlike purchase of thy sword,
Enjoy her as the gift of Hercules.
Thomas Heywood. The Iron Age, Part 1 (c. 1612), (STC 13340), Act I Scene i:
Priamus: Princes and sons of Priam, to this end
We called you to this solemn parlance.
There’s a divining spirit prompts me still,
That if we new begin hostility,
The Grecians may be forced to make repair
Of our twice ruined walls, and of the rape
Done to our sister faire Hesione.
…
Troilus: And faire Hesione raped hence to Greece,
Where she still lives cooped up in Salamine.
…
Hector: ’Tis true, our aunt was borne away to Greece.
Who with more justice might transport her hence,
Than he whose prize she was? Bold Telamon
For vent’ring first upon the walls of Troy,
Alcides gave her to the Salmine Duke.
…
Antenor: News of dishonour to the name of Priam,
Your Highness’ sister fair Hesione:
Esteemed there as a strumpet, and no queen;
Thomas Heywood. The Iron Age, Part 1 (c. 1612), (STC 13340), Act II Scene iii:
Hector: Or insulting Greek,
Is there one Telamon, dares set his foot
To Paris (here he stands) and hand to hand
Maintain the wrongs done to Hesione,
As Paris shall the rape of Helena.
Thomas Heywood. The Iron Age, Part 1 (c. 1612), (STC 13340), Act III Scene vi:
Aiax: Cousin th’art honourable,
I now must both entreat and conjure thee,
For my old Uncle Priam’s sake, his sister
Hesione my mother, and thine aunt:
This day leave thine advantage, spare our fleet,
And let us quench our tents, only this day
Stay thy victorious hand, ’tis Ajax pleads,
Who but, of Jove hath never begged before,
And save of Jove, will not entreat again.
All Trojans: Burn, still more fire.
Hector: I’ll quench it with his blood
That adds one spark unto this kindled flame:
My cousin shall not for Hesione’s sake
Be ought denied of Hector, she’s our Aunt. …
…
Hector: Ay so, now sit, a Trojan and a Greek.
Cousin Ajax near me, you are next in blood,
And near me you shall sit: the strain of honour
That makes you so renowned, sprung from Hesione.
How to cite
Atsuhiko Hirota. “Hesione.” 2013. In A Dictionary of Shakespeare's Classical Mythology (2009-), ed. Yves Peyré. http://www.shakmyth.org/myth/258/hesione/some+contemporary+references
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