- Woodcutter: You selfish...
- Commoner: What's wrong with that? Dogs are better off in this world. If you're not selfish, you can't survive.
- Woodcutter: Damn it. Everyone is selfish and dishonest. Making excuses. The bandit, the woman, the man, and you!
- Priest: It's horrifying. If men don't trust each other, this earth might as well be hell.
- Commoner: That's right. The world's a kind of hell.
- Priest: No! I believe in men. I don't want this place to be hell.
- Commoner: Shouting doesn't help. Think about it. Out of these three, whose story is believable?
- Woodcutter: No idea.
- Commoner: In the end, you cannot understand the things men do.
- Tajômaru: I saw the couple three days ago. It was a hot afternoon. Suddenly a cool breeze rustle the leaves. If it hadn't been for that wind, I wouldn't have killed him.
- Priest: War, earthquake, winds, fire, famine, the plague. Year after year, it's been nothing but disasters. And bandits descend upon us every night. I've seen so many men getting killed like insects, but even I have never heard a story as horrible as this. Yes. So horrible. This time, I may finally lose my faith in the human soul. It's worse than worse than bandits, the plague, famine, fire or wars.
- Tajômaru: [Recalls luring the wife to the grove after telling her her husband has been bitten] She became very pale and stared at me as though her eyes were frozen. She looked like a child when it turns suddenly serious. The sight of her made me jealous of that man. I started to hate him. I wanted to show her what he looked like, all tied up like that. I hadn't even thought of a thing like that before, but now I did.
- Commoner: It sounded interesting, at least while I kept out of the rain. But if it's a sermon, I'd sooner listen to the rain.
- Masako: Wait! Stop! Either you die or my husband dies. One of you must die. To have my shame known to two men is worse than dying. I will go with the survivor.
- Masako: [laughing hysterically] It's you two who are weak!
- [to Takehiro]
- Masako: If you are my husband, kill this man, then you can tell me to kill myself! But you're not a real man. That is why I was crying. I'm tired of this farce.
- [She continues laughing, and turns to Tajomaru]
- Masako: I thought Tajomaru might find some way out.
- [She clutches the bandit by his rags]
- Masako: I thought that if he would save me I would do anything for him! I wanted you to take me away. I would have been yours!
- [She spits in his face and laughs again]
- Masako: But he's not a man, either. He's just like my husband.
- [Tajomaru cringes]
- Masako: Remember, a woman loves a real man only. She can be won only by the strength of your swords.
- Woodcutter: I don't understand. I just don't understand. I don't understand it at all. I just don't understand.
- Woodcutter: It's a lie. It's all a lie. Tajômaru's story and the woman's.
- Commoner: It's human nature to lie. Most of the time we can't even be honest with ourselves.
- Priest: That may be. But it's because men are weak that they lie, even to themselves.
- Commoner: Not another sermon. I don't care if it's a lie, as long as it's entertaining. What story did the woman come up with?
- Priest: Well, it's completely different from Tajômaru's story. So different that her face didn't even show the fierceness he spoke of. She was so docile, she was almost pitiful.
- Tajômaru: [recalling staring transfixed at the man's wife] I thought I saw a goddess. At that moment I decided to have her, even if I had to kill her man. But if I could have her without killing, all the better.
- Tajômaru: [Presenting his sword to the husband] Here, take it. Look at it. Near here I found this old tomb with things like this in it. I broke it open and inside I found swords, daggers, mirrors... I buried them all here in the woods and no one but me knows where. But if you're interested I might sell some of them to you cheap.