CLEOPATRA
Prithee, peace.
Enter the Ambassador with Antony
ANTONY
Is that his answer?
AMBASSADOR
Ay, my lord.
ANTONY
The Queen shall then have courtesy, so she
Will yield us up.
AMBASSADOR
He says so.
ANTONY
Let her know’t.
(To Cleopatra) To the boy Caesar send this grizzled head,
And he will fill thy wishes to the brim
With principalities.
CLEOPATRA
That head, my lord?
ANTONY (to the Ambassador)
To him again. Tell him he wears the rose
Of youth upon him, from which the world should note
Something particular. His coin, ships, legions,
May be a coward‘s, whose ministers would prevail
Under the service of a child as soon
As i’th’ command of Caesar. I dare him therefore
To lay his gay caparisons apart
And answer me declined, sword against sword,
Ourselves alone. I’ll write it. Follow me.
Exeunt Antony and Ambassador
ENOBARBUS (aside)
Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will
Unstate his happiness and be staged to th’ show
Against a sworder! I see men’s judgements are
A parcel of their fortunes, and things outward
Do draw the inward quality after them
To suffer all alike. That he should dream,
Knowing all measures, the full Caesar will
Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdued
His judgement, too.
Enter a Servant
SERVANT
A messenger from Caesar.
CLEOPATRA
What, no more ceremony? See, my women:
Against the blown rose may they stop their nose,
That kneeled unto the buds. Admit him, sir.
Exit Servant
ENOBARBUS (aside)
Mine honesty and I begin to square.
The loyalty well held to fools does make
Our faith mere folly; yet he that can endure
To follow with allegiance a fall’n lord
Does conquer him that did his master conquer,
And earns a place i’th’ story.
Enter Thidias
CLEOPATRA
Caesar’s will?
THIDIAS
Hear it apart.
CLEOPATRA
None but friends; say boldly.
THIDIAS
So haply are they friends to Antony.
ENOBARBUS
He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has,
Or needs not us. If Caesar please, our master
Will leap to be his friend. For us, you know,
Whose he is, we are: and that is Caesar’s.
THIDIAS
So. (To Cleopatra) Thus, then, thou most renowned:
Caesar entreats
Not to consider in what case thou stand’st
Further than he is Caesar.
CLEOPATRA
Go on; right royal.
THIDIAS
He knows that you embraced not Antony
As you did love, but as you feared him.
CLEOPATRA 0.
THIDIAS
The scars upon your honour therefore he
Does pity as constrained blemishes,
Not as deserved.
CLEOPATRA
He is a god, and knows
What is most right. Mine honour was not yielded,
But conquered merely.
ENOBARBUS (aside)
To be sure of that
I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky
That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
Thy dearest quit thee.
Exit
THIDIAS
Shall I say to Caesar
What you require of him?—For he partly begs
To be desired to give. It much would please him
That of his fortunes you should make a staff
To lean upon. But it would warm his spirits
To hear from me you had left Antony,
And put your self under his shroud,
The universal landlord.
CLEOPATRA
What’s your name?
THIDIAS
My name is Thidias.
CLEOPATRA
Most kind messenger,
Say to great Caesar this in deputation:
I kiss his conqu’ring hand. Tell him I am prompt
To lay my crown at’s feet, and there to kneel
Till from his all-obeying breath I hear
The doom of Egypt.
THIDIAS
’Tis your noblest course.
Wisdom and fortune combating together,
If that the former dare but what it can,
No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay
My duty on your hand.
He kisses Cleopatra’s hand
CLEOPATRA
Your Caesar’s father oft,
When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,
Bestowed his lips on that unworthy place,
As it rained kisses.
Enter Antony and Enobarbus
ANTONY
Favours, by Jove that thunders!
What art thou, fellow?
THIDIAS
One that but performs
The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest
To have command obeyed.
ENOBARBUS
You will be whipped.
ANTONY (calling)
Approach, there!—Ah, you kite! Now, gods and
devils,
Authority melts from me of late. When I cried ‘Ho!’,
Like boys unto a muss kings would start forth,
And cry ‘Your will?’—Have you no ears? I am
Antony yet.
Enter servants
Take hence this jack, and whip him.
ENOBARBUS ⌈aside to Thidias⌉
’Tis better playing with a lion’s whelp
Than with an old one dying.
ANTONY
Moon and stars!
Whip him! Were’t twenty of the greatest tributaries
That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them
So saucy with the hand of she here—what’s her name
Since she was Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows,
Till like a boy you see him cringe his face,
And whine aloud for mercy. Take him hence.
THIDIAS
Mark Antony—
ANTONY
Tug him away. Being whipped,
Bring him again. This jack of Caesar’s shall
Bear us an errand to him.
Exeunt servants with Thidias
You were half blasted ere I knew you. Ha,
Have I my pillow left unpressed in Rome,
Forborne the getting of a lawful race,
And by a gem of women, to be abused
By one that looks on feeders?
CLEOPATRA Good my lord—
ANTONY You have been a boggler ever.
But when we in our viciousness grow hard—
O misery on’t!—the wise gods seel our eyes,
In our own filth drop our clear judgements, make us
Adore our errors, laugh at’s while we strut
To our confusion.
CLEOPATRA
O, is’t come to this?
ANTONY
I found you as a morsel cold upon
Dead Caesar’s trencher; nay, you were a fragment
Of Gnaeus Pompey’s, besides what hotter hours
Unregistered in vulgar fame you have
Luxuriously picked out. For I am sure,
Though you can guess what temperance should be,
You know not what
it is.
CLEOPATRA
Wherefore is this?
ANTONY
To let a fellow that will take rewards
And say ’God quit you’ be familiar with
My playfellow your hand, this kingly seal
And plighter of high hearts! O that I were
Upon the hill of Basan to outroar
The hornèd herd! For I have savage cause,
And to proclaim it civilly were like
A haltered neck which does the hangman thank
For being yare about him.
Enter a Servant with Thidias
Is he whipped?
SERVANT Soundly, my lord.
ANTONY Cried he, and begged a pardon?
SERVANT He did ask favour.
ANTONY (to Thidias)
If that thy father live, let him repent
Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
To follow Caesar in his triumph, since
Thou hast been whipped for following him. Henceforth
The white hand of a lady fever thee,
Shake thou to look on’t. Get thee back to Caesar;
Tell him thy entertainment. Look thou say
He makes me angry with him, for he seems
Proud and disdainful, harping on what I am,
Not what he knew I was. He makes me angry,
And at this time most easy ’tis to do’t,
When my good stars that were my former guides
Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
Into th’abyss of hell. If he mislike
My speech and what is done, tell him he has
Hipparchus, my enfranchèd bondman, whom
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
As he shall like, to quit me. Urge it thou.
Hence, with thy stripes, be gone!
Exit ⌈Servant with⌉ Thidias
CLEOPATRA Have you done yet?
ANTONY Alack, our terrene moon
Is now eclipsed, and it portends alone
The fall of Antony.
CLEOPATRA (aside)
I must stay his time.
ANTONY
To flatter Caesar would you mingle eyes
With one that ties his points?
CLEOPATRA
Not know me yet?
ANTONY
Cold-hearted toward me?
CLEOPATRA
Ah, dear, if I be so,
From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
And poison it in the source, and the first stone
Drop in my neck: as it determines, so
Dissolve my life! The next Caesarion smite,
Till by degrees the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
By the discandying of this pelleted storm
Lie graveless till the flies and gnats of Nile
Have buried them for prey!
ANTONY
I am satisfied.
Caesar sits down in Alexandria, where
I will oppose his fate. Our force by land
Hath nobly held; our severed navy too
Have knit again, and fleet, threat’ning most sea-like.
Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear,
lady?
If from the field I shall return once more
To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood.
I and my sword will earn our chronicle.
There’s hope in’t yet.
CLEOPATRA
That’s my brave lord.
ANTONY
I will be treble-sinewed, hearted, breathed,
And fight maliciously; for when mine hours
Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
Of me for jests; but now I’ll set my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me. Come,
Let’s have one other gaudy night. Call to me
All my sad captains. Fill our bowls once more.
Let’s mock the midnight bell.
CLEOPATRA
It is my birthday.
I had thought to’ve held it poor, but since my lord
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.
ANTONY We will yet do well.
CLEOPATRA
Call all his noble captains to my lord!
ANTONY
Do so. We’ll speak to them, and tonight I’ll force
The wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen,
There’s sap in’t yet. The next time I do fight
I’ll make death love me, for I will contend
Even with his pestilent scythe.
Exeunt all but Enobarbus
ENOBARBUS
Now he’ll outstare the lightning. To be furious
Is to be frighted out of fear, and in that mood
The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still
A diminution in our captain’s brain
Restores his heart. When valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him.
Exit
4.1 Enter Caesar, reading a letter, with Agrippa, Maecenas, and his army
CAESAR
He calls me boy, and chides as he had power
To beat me out of Egypt. My messenger
He hath whipped with rods, dares me to personal
combat,
Caesar to Antony. Let the old ruffian know
I have many other ways to die; meantime,
Laugh at his challenge.
MAECENAS
Caesar must think,
When one so great begins to rage, he’s hunted
Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now
Make boot of his distraction. Never anger
Made good guard for itself.
CAESAR
Let our best heads
Know that tomorrow the last of many battles
We mean to fight. Within our files there are,
Of those that served Mark Antony but late,
Enough to fetch him in. See it done,
And feast the army. We have store to do’t,
And they have earned the waste. Poor Antony!
Exeunt
4.2 Enter Antony, Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, with others
ANTONY
He will not fight with me, Domitius?
ENOBARBUS
No.
ANTONY Why should he not?
ENOBARBUS
He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,
He is twenty men to one.
ANTONY
Tomorrow, soldier,
By sea and land I’ll fight. Or I will live
Or bathe my dying honour in the blood
Shall make it live again. Woot thou fight well?
ENOBARBUS
I’ll strike, and cry ‘Take all!’
ANTONY
Well said. Come on!
Call forth my household servants. Let’s tonight
Be bounteous at our meal.
Enter Servitors
Give me thy hand.
Thou hast been rightly honest; so hast thou,
Thou, and thou, and thou; you have served me well,
And kings have been your fellows.
CLEOPATRA (to Enobarbus)
What means this?
ENOBARBUS (to Cleopatra)
’Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots
Out of the mind.
ANTONY (to a Servitor) And thou art honest too.
I wish I could be made so many men,
And all of you clapped up together in
An Antony, that I might do you service
So good as you have done.
SERVITORS
The gods forbid!
ANTONY
Well, my good fellows, wait on me tonight.
Scant not my cups, and make as much of me
As when mine empire was your fellow too,
&n
bsp; And suffered my command.
CLEOPATRA (aside to Enobarbus) What does he mean?
ENOBARBUS (aside to Cleopatra)
To make his followers weep.
ANTONY
Tend me tonight.
Maybe it is the period of your duty.
Haply you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow. Perchance tomorrow
You’ll serve another master. I look on you
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
I turn you not away, but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death.
Tend me tonight two hours. I ask no more;
And the gods yield you for’t!
ENOBARBUS
What mean you, sir,
To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep,
And I, an ass, am onion-eyed. For shame,
Transform us not to women.
ANTONY
Ho, ho, ho,
Now the witch take me if I meant it thus!
Grace grow where those drops fall. My hearty friends,
You take me in too dolorous a sense;
For I spake to you for your comfort, did desire you
To burn this night with torches. Know, my hearts,
I hope well of tomorrow, and will lead you
Where rather I’ll expect victorious life
Than death and honour. Let’s to supper, come,
And drown consideration.
Exeunt
4.3 Enter a company of Soldiers
FIRST SOLDIER
Brother, good night. Tomorrow is the day.
SECOND SOLDIER
It will determine one way. Fare you well.
Heard you of nothing strange about the streets?
FIRST SOLDIER Nothing. What news?
SECOND SOLDIER
Belike ’tis but a rumour. Good night to you.
FIRST SOLDIER
Well, sir, good night.
Enter other Soldiers, meeting them
SECOND SOLDIER
Soldiers, have careful watch.
THIRD SOLDIER
And you. Good night, good night.
They place themselves in every corner of the stage
SECOND SOLDIER
Here we; an if tomorrow
Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope
Our landmen will stand up.
FIRST SOLDIER
’Tis a brave army,
And full of purpose.
Music of the hautboys is under the stage
SECOND SOLDIER
Peace, what noise?
FIRST SOLDIER
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 327
