Achilles tells Patroclus he will heat Hector’s blood that night with wine so that he can cool it tomorrow by killing him. Thersites approaches Achilles with a letter from Troy. Achilles and Patroclus trade insults with Thersites, with Achilles calling Thersites a “crusty batch of nature” (5.1.6) and Thersites referring to Patroclus as the “masculine whore” (5.1.18) of Achilles. 

Achilles tells Patroclus that the letter is from Queen Hecuba, bearing a message from her daughter, Polyxena. The princess entreats Achilles not to fight her kinsfolk tomorrow, so Achilles has no choice but to stay away from the war. Achilles and Patroclus depart for the banquet. Thersites stays back, muttering insults to describe the Greek commanders as they leave the feast. Diomedes exits the feast, claiming he has urgent business somewhere. Ulysses and Troilus follow Diomedes secretly. Remarking that lecherous Diomedes is up to no good, Thersites too decides to tail him.

Diomedes stops before Calchas’s tent and asks for Cressida. Cressida comes out to meet him. As Ulysses and Troilus watch from one hidden corner, and