The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra
Shakespeare, William
The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra
William Shakespeare
The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra
[Dramatis Personae
Mark Antony
Octavius Caesar
M. Aemilius Lepidus
triumvirs
Sextus Pompeius
Domitius Enobarbus
Ventidius
Eros
Scarus
Decretas
Demetrius
Philo
friends to Antony
Canidius, lieutenant-general to Antony
Maecenas
Agrippa
Dolabella
Proculeius
Thidias
Gallus
friends to Caesar
Taurus, lieutenant-general to Caesar
Menas
Menecrates
Varrius
friends to Pompey
Silius, an officer in Ventidius' army
Schoolmaster, acting as an ambassador from Antony to Caesar
Alexas
Mardian, a eunuch
Seleucus
Diomedes
attendants on Cleopatra.
Soothsayer
Lamprius, rannius, lucillius, three Romans appearing as mutes in I.ii
Clown
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt
Octavia, sister to Caesar and wife to Antony
Charmian
Iras
attendants on Cleopatra
Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants
Scene: In several parts of the Roman Empire]
Act I,
Scene I
Enter Demetrius and Philo.
PHI.
Nay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure. Those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn
The office and devotion of their view
Upon a tawny front; his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
And is become the bellows and the fan
To cool a gipsy's lust.
Flourish. Enter Antony, Cleopatra, her Ladies, the Train, with eunuchs fanning her.
Look where they come!
Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a strumpet's fool. Behold and see.
CLEO.
If it be love indeed, tell me how much.
ANT.
There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.
CLEO.
I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd.
ANT.
Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.
Enter a Messenger.
MESS.
News, my good lord, from Rome.
ANT.
Grates me, the sum.
CLEO.
Nay, hear them, Antony.
Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows
If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent
His pow'rful mandate to you: »Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform't, or else we damn thee.«
ANT.
How, my love?
CLEO.
Perchance? Nay, and most like.
You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Caesar, therefore hear it, Antony.
Where's Fulvia's process? – Caesar's, I would say – both?
Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Caesar's homager; else so thy cheek pays shame
When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds. The messengers!
ANT.
Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space,
Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man; the nobleness of life
Is to do thus
[embracing]
– when such a mutual pair
And such a twain can do't, in which I bind,
[On] pain of punishment, the world to weet
We stand up peerless.
CLEO.
Excellent falsehood!
Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll seem the fool I am not. Antony
Will be himself.
ANT.
But stirr'd by Cleopatra.
Now for the love of Love, and her soft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh;
There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
Without some pleasure now. What sport to-night?
CLEO.
Hear the ambassadors.
ANT.
Fie, wrangling queen!
Whom every thing becomes – to chide, to laugh,
To weep; [whose] every passion fully strives
To make itself (in thee) fair and admir'd!
No messenger but thine, and all alone,
To-night we'll wander through the streets and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen,
Last night you did desire it.
[To the Messenger.]
Speak not to us.
Exeunt [Antony and Cleopatra] with the Train, [followed by the Messenger].
DEM.
Is Caesar with Antonius priz'd so slight?
PHI.
Sir, sometimes when he is not Antony,
He comes too short of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.
DEM.
I am full sorry
That he approves the common liar, who
Thus speaks of him at Rome; but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy!
Exeunt.
[Scene II]
Enter Enobarbus, Lamprius, a Soothsayer, Rannius, Lucillius, Charmian, Iras, Mardian the Eunuch, and Alexas.
CHAR. Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you prais'd so to th' Queen? O that I knew this husband, which, you say, must change his horns with garlands!
ALEX. Soothsayer!
SOOTH. Your will?
CHAR. Is this the man? Is't you, sir, that know things?
SOOTH.
In nature's infinite book of secrecy
A little I can read.
ALEX.
Show him your hand.
ENO [To Servants within.]
Bring in the banket quickly; wine enough,
Cleopatra's health to drink.
CHAR. Good sir, give me good fortune.
SOOTH. I make not, but foresee.
CHAR. Pray then, foresee me one.
SOOTH. You shall be yet far fairer than you are.
CHAR. He means in flesh.
IRAS. No, you shall paint when you are old.
CHAR. Wrinkles forbid!
ALEX.
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