My countryman; a Roman by a Roman
Valiantly vanquished. Now my spirit is going;
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I can no more.
CLEOPATRA Noblest of men, woo’t die?
Hast thou no care of me? Shall I abide
In this dull world, which in thy absence is
No better than a sty? O see, my women,
The crown o’th’ earth doth melt. My lord!
65
[Antony dies.]
O withered is the garland of the war,
The soldier’s pole is fallen; young boys and girls
Are level now with men; the odds is gone
And there is nothing left remarkable
Beneath the visiting moon. [She faints.]
CHARMIAN O quietness, lady!
70
IRAS She’s dead too, our sovereign.
CHARMIAN Lady!
IRAS Madam!
CHARMIAN O madam, madam, madam!
IRAS Royal Egypt! Empress! [Cleopatra stirs.]
75
CHARMIAN Peace, peace, Iras.
CLEOPATRA
No more but e’en a woman, and commanded
By such poor passion as the maid that milks
And does the meanest chares. It were for me
To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods
80
To tell them that this world did equal theirs
Till they had stolen our jewel. All’s but naught;
Patience is sottish, and impatience does
Become a dog that’s mad. Then is it sin
To rush into the secret house of death
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Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women?
What, what, good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian?
My noble girls! Ah, women, women! Look,
Our lamp is spent, it’s out. Good sirs, take heart.
We’ll bury him, and then what’s brave, what’s noble,
90
Let’s do’t after the high Roman fashion
And make death proud to take us. Come, away.
This case of that huge spirit now is cold.
Ah, women, women! Come, we have no friend
But resolution and the briefest end.
95
Exeunt, bearing off Antony’s body.
5.1 Enter CAESAR with his Council of War: AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, MAECENAS, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS.
CAESAR Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield.
Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks
The pauses that he makes.
DOLABELLA Caesar, I shall. Exit.
Enter DERCETUS with the sword of Antony.
CAESAR
Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar’st
Appear thus to us?
DERCETUS I am called Dercetus.
5
Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy
Best to be served. Whilst he stood up and spoke
He was my master, and I wore my life
To spend upon his haters. If thou please
To take me to thee, as I was to him
10
I’ll be to Caesar. If thou pleasest not,
I yield thee up my life.
CAESAR What is’t thou say’st?
DERCETUS I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.
CAESAR The breaking of so great a thing should make
A greater crack. The round world
15
Should have shook lions into civil streets
And citizens to their dens. The death of Antony
Is not a single doom; in the name lay
A moiety of the world.
DERCETUS He is dead, Caesar,
Not by a public minister of justice,
20
Nor by a hired knife, but that self hand
Which writ his honour in the acts it did
Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,
Splitted the heart. This is his sword;
I robbed his wound of it. Behold it stained
25
With his most noble blood.
CAESAR [Points to the sword.] Look you, sad friends.
The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
To wash the eyes of kings.
AGRIPPA And strange it is
That nature must compel us to lament
Our most persisted deeds.
MAECENAS His taints and honours
30
Waged equal with him.
AGRIPPA A rarer spirit never
Did steer humanity; but you gods will give us
Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touched.
MAECENAS
When such a spacious mirror’s set before him,
He needs must see himself.
CAESAR O Antony,
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I have followed thee to this; but we do launch
Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
Have shown to thee such a declining day
Or look on thine. We could not stall together
In the whole world. But yet let me lament
40
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts
That thou, my brother, my competitor
In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
45
Where mine his thoughts did kindle, that our stars,
Unreconciliable, should divide
Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends –
Enter an Egyptian.
But I will tell you at some meeter season.
The business of this man looks out of him;
50
We’ll hear him what he says. Whence are you?
EGYPTIAN
A poor Egyptian yet. The Queen, my mistress,
Confined in all she has, her monument,
Of thy intents desires instruction,
That she preparedly may frame herself
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To th’ way she’s forced to.
CAESAR Bid her have good heart.
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we
Determine for her. For Caesar cannot lean
To be ungentle.
EGYPTIAN So the gods preserve thee! Exit.
60
CAESAR Come hither, Proculeius. Go and say
We purpose her no shame. Give her what comforts
The quality of her passion shall require,
Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
She do defeat us. For her life in Rome
65
Would be eternal in our triumph. Go,
And with your speediest bring us what she says
And how you find of her.
PROCULEIUS Caesar, I shall.
CAESAR Gallus, go you along.
Exeunt Proculeius and Gallus.
Where’s Dolabella
To second Proculeius?
ALL BUT CAESAR Dolabella!
70
CAESAR Let him alone, for I remember now
How he’s employed. He shall in time be ready.
Go with me to my tent, where you shall see
How hardly I was drawn into this war,
How calm and gentle I proceeded still
75
In all my writings. Go with me and see
What I can show in this. Exeunt.
5.2 Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN and IRAS.
CLEOPATRA My desolation does begin to make
A better life. ’Tis paltry to be Caesar.
Not being Fortune, he’s but Fortune’s knave,
A minister of her will. And it is great
To do that thing that ends all other deeds,
5
Which shackles accidents and bolts up change,
Which sleeps and never palates more the dung,
The beggar’s nurse and Caes
ar’s.
Enter PROCULEIUS.
PROCULEIUS
Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt,
And bids thee study on what fair demands
10
Thou mean’st to have him grant thee.
CLEOPATRA What’s thy name?
PROCULEIUS My name is Proculeius.
CLEOPATRA Antony
Did tell me of you, bade me trust you, but
I do not greatly care to be deceived
That have no use for trusting. If your master
15
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him
That majesty, to keep decorum, must
No less beg than a kingdom. If he please
To give me conquered Egypt for my son,
He gives me so much of mine own as I
20
Will kneel to him with thanks.
PROCULEIUS Be of good cheer.
You’re fallen into a princely hand; fear nothing.
Make your full reference freely to my lord,
Who is so full of grace that it flows over
On all that need. Let me report to him
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Your sweet dependency, and you shall find
A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness
Where he for grace is kneeled to.
CLEOPATRA Pray you tell him
I am his fortune’s vassal and I send him
The greatness he has got. I hourly learn
30
A doctrine of obedience, and would gladly
Look him i’th’ face.
PROCULEIUS This I’ll report, dear lady.
Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied
Of him that caused it.
Enter GALLUS and Roman soldiers.
[to the soldiers] You see how easily she may be
surprised.
35
Guard her till Caesar come.
IRAS Royal queen!
CHARMIAN O Cleopatra, thou art taken, queen!
CLEOPATRA Quick, quick, good hands.
[Draws a dagger.]
PROCULEIUS Hold, worthy lady, hold!
[Disarms her.]
Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this
Relieved, but not betrayed.
CLEOPATRA What, of death too,
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That rids our dogs of languish?
PROCULEIUS Cleopatra,
Do not abuse my master’s bounty by
Th’undoing of yourself. Let the world see
His nobleness well acted, which your death
Will never let come forth.
CLEOPATRA Where art thou, Death?
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Come hither, come! Come, come and take a queen
Worth many babes and beggars!
PROCULEIUS O temperance, lady!
CLEOPATRA Sir, I will eat no meat; I’ll not drink, sir;
If idle talk will once be necessary,
I’ll not sleep neither. This mortal house I’ll ruin,
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Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I
Will not wait pinioned at your master’s court,
Nor once be chastised with the sober eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up
And show me to the shouting varletry
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Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave unto me! Rather on Nilus’ mud
Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring! Rather make
My country’s high pyramides my gibbet
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And hang me up in chains!
PROCULEIUS You do extend
These thoughts of horror further than you shall
Find cause in Caesar.
Enter DOLABELLA.
DOLABELLA Proculeius,
What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows,
And he hath sent for thee. For the Queen,
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I’ll take her to my guard.
PROCULEIUS So, Dolabella,
It shall content me best. Be gentle to her.
[to Cleopatra] To Caesar I will speak what you shall
please,
If you’ll employ me to him.
CLEOPATRA Say I would die.
Exit Proculeius with Gallus and soldiers.
DOLABELLA
Most noble empress, you have heard of me?
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CLEOPATRA I cannot tell.
DOLABELLA Assuredly you know me.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 60
