Antony and Cleopatra

by William Shakespeare

  CLOWN You must think this, look you, that the worm will do

  his kind305.

  CLEOPATRA Ay, ay. Farewell.

  CLOWN Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the

  keeping of wise people, for, indeed, there is no goodness in

  the worm.

  CLEOPATRA Take thou no care311, it shall be heeded.

  CLOWN Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not

  worth the feeding.

  CLEOPATRA Will it eat314 me?

  CLOWN You must not think I am so simple but I know the

  devil himself will not eat a woman: I know that a woman is a

  dish for the gods if the devil dress317 her not. But truly, these

  same whoreson318 devils do the gods great harm in their

  women, for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five.

  CLEOPATRA Well, get thee gone. Farewell.

  CLOWN Yes, forsooth321: I wish you joy o’th’worm.

  Exit

  [Enter Iras]

  Iras brings a robe, crown, and jewels

  CLEOPATRA Give me my robe, put on my crown:

  I have

  Immortal longings323 in me. Now no more

  The juice of Egypt’s grape shall moist

  The women dress her

  Kisses them. Iras falls and dies

  this lip.

  Yare325, yare, good Iras! Quick! Methinks I hear

  Antony call: I see him rouse himself326

  To praise my noble act327. I hear him mock

  The luck of Caesar, which the gods give men

  To excuse their after wrath329.—Husband, I come!

  Now to that name my courage prove my title330!

  I am fire and air331: my other elements

  I give to baser life.—So, have you done?

  Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips.

  Farewell, kind Charmian. Iras, long farewell.

  Have I the aspic335 in my lips? Dost fall?

  If thou and nature can so gently part,

  The stroke337 of death is as a lover’s pinch

  Which hurts and is desired. Dost thou lie still?

  If thus thou vanishest, thou tell’st the world

  It is not worth leave-taking340.

  CHARMIAN Dissolve thick cloud, and rain, that I may say,

  The gods themselves do weep!

  CLEOPATRA This343 proves me base:

  If she first meet the curlèd344 Antony,

  He’ll make demand of her, and spend345 that kiss

  Which is my heaven to have.—Come, thou

  To an asp, which she applies to her breast

  mortal346 wretch,

  With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate347

  Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool348

  Be angry, and dispatch. O, couldst thou speak,

  That I might hear thee call great Caesar ass

  Unpolicied351!

  CHARMIAN O eastern star352!

  CLEOPATRA Peace, peace!

  Dost thou not see my baby at my breast

  That sucks the nurse asleep?

  CHARMIAN O, break! O, break!

  CLEOPATRA As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle.—

  O Antony!—Nay, I will take thee too.

  Applies another asp to her arm

  What359 should I stay—

  Dies

  CHARMIAN In this wild world? So, fare thee well.—

  Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies

  A lass unparalleled.—Downy windows362, close,

  And golden Phoebus never be beheld

  Of364 eyes again so royal!—Your crown’s awry.

  I’ll mend365 it, and then play—

  Enter the Guard, rustling in

  FIRST GUARD Where’s the queen?

  CHARMIAN Speak softly, wake her not.

  FIRST GUARD Caesar hath sent—

  CHARMIAN Too slow a messenger.—

  Applies an asp

  O, come apace, dispatch! I partly feel thee.

  FIRST GUARD Approach, ho! All’s not well: Caesar’s beguiled371.

  SECOND GUARD There’s Dolabella sent from Caesar:

  call him.

  [Exit a Guardsman]

  FIRST GUARD What work is here, Charmian? Is this well done?

  CHARMIAN It is well done, and fitting for a princess

  Descended of so many royal kings.

  Ah, soldier!

  Charmian dies

  Enter Dolabella

  DOLABELLA How goes it here?

  SECOND GUARD All dead.

  DOLABELLA Caesar, thy thoughts

  Touch their effects in this379: thyself art coming

  To see performed the dreaded act which thou

  So sought’st to hinder.

  Enter Caesar and all his Train marching

  ALL A way there, a way for Caesar!

  DOLABELLA O, sir, you are too sure an augurer384:

  That385 you did fear is done.

  CAESAR Bravest at the last,

  She levelled387 at our purposes and, being royal,

  Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?

  I do not see them bleed.

  DOLABELLA Who was last with them?

  FIRST GUARD A simple391 countryman, that brought her figs:

  This was his basket.

  CAESAR Poisoned, then.

  FIRST GUARD O Caesar,

  This Charmian lived but now. She stood and spake.

  I found her trimming up396 the diadem

  On her dead mistress. Tremblingly she stood

  And on the sudden dropped.

  CAESAR O, noble weakness!

  If they had swallowed poison, ’twould appear

  By external swelling: but she looks like sleep,

  As402 she would catch another Antony

  In her strong toil403 of grace.

  DOLABELLA Here on her breast

  There is a vent405 of blood and something blown,

  The like is on her arm.

  FIRST GUARD This is an aspic’s trail, and these fig-leaves

  Have slime upon them such as th’aspic leaves

  Upon the caves of Nile.

  CAESAR Most probable

  That so she died, for her physician tells me

  She hath pursued conclusions infinite412

  Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed,

  And bear her women from the monument.

  She shall be buried by her Antony.

  No grave upon the earth shall clip416 in it

  A pair so famous: high417 events as these

  Strike those that make them418, and their story is

  No less in pity than his glory which

  Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall

  In solemn show attend this funeral,

  And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see

  High order in this great solemnity.

  Exeunt all

  The Soldiers bearing the dead bodies

  TEXTUAL NOTES

  F = First Folio text of 1623

  F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

  F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663–64

  F4 = a correction introduced in the Fourth Folio text of 1685

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  SD = stage direction

  SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)

  List of parts = Ed

  1.1.55 whose = F2. F = who

  1.2.4 charge = Ed. F = change 37 fertile = Ed. F = fore-tell 50 workaday spelled worky day in F 59 Alexas = Ed. Printed as a speech heading in F 76 Saw…lord? = F2. F = Saue you, my Lord 111 minds = Ed. F = windes 115 SH SECOND MESSENGER = Ed. F = 1 Mes. 116 SH ANTONY = Ed. Not in F 158 travel spelled Trauaile in F 181 leave = Ed. F = loue 197 place…requires = F2. F = places…require

  1.3.53 services = F2. F = Seruicles 95 blood no more = F. Ed. = blood. No more 97 by sword = F. F2 = by my swo
rd

  1.4.3 Our = Ed. F = One 8 Vouchsafed = Ed. F = vouchsafe 9 abstract = F2. F = abstracts 22 smell = F2. F = smels 47 deared = Ed. F = fear’d 49 lackeying = Ed. F = lacking 61 wassails = Ed. F = Vassailes 62 Modena = Ed. F = Medena 63 Hirtius = F4. F = Hirsius Pansa = F2. F = Pausa 81 we = F2. F = me

  1.5.39 SD Antony = Ed. F = Caesar 57 dumbed = Ed. F = dumbe 69 man = F2. F = mans

  2.1.20, 23, 45 SH MENAS = Ed. F = Mene 26 waned = Ed. F = wand 48 warred = F2. F = wan’d

  2.2.129 soldier only. Speak = Ed. F = Souldier, onely speake 144 so = Ed. F = say 145, 254 Cleopatra spelled Cleopater in F reproof = Ed. F = proofe 193 Mount Misena = Ed. F = Mount-Mesena 212 digested = F2. F = disgested 223 Cydnus = F2. F = Sidnis 230 lovesick with them: the = Ed. F = Loue-sicke. With them the 236 Venus = Ed. F = Venns 240 glow = Ed. F = gloue 243 gentlewomen = F2. F = Gentlewoman 261 heard = Ed. F = hard 272 And, breathless, pour = Ed. F = and breathless powre 278 vilest = Ed. F = vildest

  2.3.10 SH OCTAVIA = F2. Not in F 24 afeared = Ed. F = a feare 27 no…when = Ed. F = no more but: when 33 away = Ed. F = alway 35 Ventidius = F2. F = Ventigius (throughout)

  2.4.8 at the Mount = F2. F = at Mount

  2.5.3 SH ALL Omnes (Latin) in F 13 Tawny-finned = Ed. F = Tawney fine 125 art = F. Sometimes emended to act

  2.6.18 Made…Roman = F2. F = Made all-honor’d, honest, Romaine 21 is = F2. F = his 35 For…take = Ed. F = (For this is from the present how you take) 48 SH CAESAR, ANTONY and LEPIDUS = Ed. F = Omnes 83 meanings = Ed. F = meaning 87 more of that = F3. F = more that 105 SH CAESAR, ANTONY and LEPIDUS = Ed. F = All

  2.7.1 SH FIRST SERVANT = Ed. F = 1 1 o’their = Ed. F = o’th’their 4 SH SECOND SERVANT = Ed. F = 2 high-coloured = F2. F = high Conlord 12 lief = Ed. F = liue 80 there = F. Sometimes emended to then 126 SH BOY = Ed. Not in F 133 off: our = Ed. F = of our 137 Splits spelled Spleet’s in F 141 sir. Give’s = Ed. F = Sir, giues 143 father’s = F2. F = Father 146 SH MENAS = Ed. Not in F

  3.1.6 SH SILIUS = Ed. F = Romaine (throughout scene)

  3.2.17 figures = Ed. F = Figure 28 bond = Ed. F = Band 54 at full of = F3. F = at the full of 66 wept = Ed. F = weepe

  3.4.8 them…me = Ed. F = then most narrow measure: lent me 9 took’t = Ed. F = look’t 26 yours = F2. F = your 33 Your = F2. F = You 35 solder spelled soader in F 41 has = F2. F = he’s

  3.5.12 world, thou hast = Ed. F = would thou hadst 14 the one = Ed. Not in F

  3.6.14 he there = Ed. F = hither kings of kings = Ed. F = King of Kings 31 triumvirate spelled Triumpherate in F 32 and, being, that = Ed. F = and being that, 68 abstract = F. Sometimes emended to obstruct 83 Comagene = Ed. F = Comageat

  3.7.4 it is = F2. F = it it 23 SD Canidius = Ed. F = Camidias 27 Brundusium = F2. F = Brandusium 29 Toryne = F2. F = Troine 45 muleteers = F2. F = Militers 63 Actium = F2. F = Action 82 leader’s led spelled Leaders leade in F 86 SH CANIDIUS = Ed. F = Ven 97 in = Ed. F = with

  3.10.0 SD Enter Enobarbus = Ed. F = Enter Enobarbus and Scarus 33 he = F2. F = his

  3.11.7 SH ALL = Ed. F = Omnes 20 that = Ed. F = them 48 seize = F2. F = cease 62 tow = Ed. F = stowe 63 Thy = Ed. The = F

  3.12.0 SD Dolabella = F2. F = Dollabello 16 lessens = F2. F = Lessons

  3.13.31 caparisons = Ed. F = Comparisons 64 Caesar = F2. F = Cæsars 90 deputation = Ed. F = disputation 127 errand = Ed. F = arrant 192 Caesarion = Ed. F = Caesarian smite = Ed. F = smile 195 discandying = Ed. F = discandering 231 on = Ed. F = in

  4.2.1 Domitius = Ed. F = Domitian 25 SH ALL = Ed. F = Omnes

  4.3.4 SH FIRST SOLDIER = Ed. F = 1 5 SH SECOND SOLDIER = Ed. F = 2 8 SH THIRD SOLDIER = Ed. F = 1 12 SD hautboys spelled Hoboyes in F 26, 31 SH ALL = Ed. F = Omnes

  4.4.9 SH ANTONY = Ed. Not in F 11 SH CLEOPATRA = Ed. Not in F la = Ed. F = law 19 doff’t spelled daft in F 31 SH CAPTAIN = Ed. F = Alex. 40–1 thee Now = Ed. F = thee. Now

  4.5.1 SH SOLDIER = Ed. F = Eros. (and elsewhere throughout the scene)

  4.6.10 van = Ed. F = Vant 17 Canidius = F2. F = Camindius 21 more = F2. F = mote

  4.8.2 gests = Ed. F = guests 4 has = Ed. F = ha’s 20 My = F2. F = Mine

  4.12.5 augurers = Ed. F = Auguries 23 spanieled = Ed. F = pannelled

  4.14.5 towered = Ed. F = toward 12 dislimns = Ed. F = dislimes 22 Caesar = Ed. F = Caesars 25 vile spelled vilde in F 121 ho! = Ed. F = how? 125 SH SECOND GUARD = Ed. F = 2 (throughout scene) 131 SH THIRD GUARD = Ed. F = 3

  4.15.85 e’en = Ed. F = in

  5.1.0 SD Maecenas = Ed. F = Menas 4 SD Dercetus = Ed. F = Decretas (throughout scene) 34, 38 SH AGRIPPA = Ed. F = Dol. and Dola. 68 lean = Ed. F = leaue

  5.2.18 queen = Ed. F = Queece 49 anguish = F. An inked space in F leads most editors to read as languish 66 varletry = F2. F = Varlotarie 98 o’th’earth = F. Ed = O, the earth 105 autumn = Ed. F = Anthony 125 smites = Ed. F = suites 256 Ballad = F2. F = Ballads 264 my = F2. F = mine 360 wild = F. Sometimes emended to vile 364 awry = Ed. F = away 365 SD Enter…in = Ed. F adds and Dolabella

  SCENE-BY-SCENE ANALYSIS

  ACT 1 SCENE 1

  Lines 1–13: In Egypt, two Roman soldiers, Demetrius and Philo, discuss Antony’s infatuation with Cleopatra. Philo comments that Antony used to be “like plated Mars,” one of many comparisons that are made between Antony and Cleopatra and Mars and Venus respectively, representing the opposing forces of war and love. Both Antony and Cleopatra struggle to find a balance between their public and private selves, their roles as leaders and their personal desires and weaknesses. Tension between opposites is a significant element of the play, between and within characters and the countries that they represent, as well as via more thematic contrasts (actions versus words, reason versus passion, male versus female). Philo argues that Antony has lost his respected status as a leader and a soldier because of his “dotage” over the “gipsy” Cleopatra, which has turned him from “The triple pillar of the world” to “a strumpet’s fool.” Philo’s invitation to “Behold and see” is directed potentially at the theater audience as well as Demetrius, establishing the recurrent presence of self-conscious theatricality in the play, through the dual audience and the element of “performance” that seems an essential part of Cleopatra’s character.

  Lines 14–68: As Cleopatra encourages Antony to say “how much” he loves her, a messenger arrives from Rome. Antony is uninterested, but Cleopatra mockingly suggests that it might be from his wife, “shrill-tongued Fulvia,” or from “scarce-bearded Caesar,” and that he should return to Rome as they wish. Antony refuses. His language reveals the sexual passion in his relationship with Cleopatra as he describes how he is “stirred” by her and inquires “What sport tonight?” He also emphasizes the multifaceted nature of her character when he comments that everything “becomes” her: “to chide, to laugh, / To weep.” They leave, and Philo and Demetrius, whose comments frame this scene, deplore Antony’s attitude toward Caesar.

  ACT 1 SCENE 2

  Lines 1–85: Charmian asks for the Soothsayer in the fulsome language that reflects the Egyptian court. The Soothsayer, a character who draws attention to the importance of fate, reads the fortunes of Charmian and Iras. During a comic, bawdy exchange he reveals that both of their pasts are better than their futures and that they will both “outlive” Cleopatra. Cleopatra arrives, searching for Antony. She reveals that he was “disposed to mirth” but then was struck by “A Roman thought,” emphasizing the reason and discipline that characterize Rome. Antony arrives and, despite her previous desire to find him, Cleopatra decides that she will not “look upon him” and leaves in a manner characteristic of her capricious nature.

  Lines 86–199: Antony’s messenger describes the unsuccessful battle fought against Caesar by Fulvia and Antony’s brother, Lucius, and the advances of the Parthian army. Antony muses on his responsibility for these events and decides that he must break “These strong Egyptian fetters” or be lost in “dotage.” Another messenger brings news of Fulvia’s death and Antony says that although he “desired it,” he now wishes it were not so. Hearing Antony’s news, Enobar
bus initially replies in a lighthearted way, but is typically direct and honest in his appraisal of events. Antony says that there must be “No more light answers” and confirms his intention to return to Rome.

  ACT 1 SCENE 3

  Cleopatra sends Alexas to find Antony and “directs” her servant in what he is to say. Antony arrives and Cleopatra pretends to faint, claiming that she knows Antony will return to Fulvia, as she herself has “no power” to keep him. As he tries to interrupt, she complains that she is “betrayed.” He finally tells her of Fulvia’s death and she accuses him of failing to grieve, saying that he will be equally unmoved by her own death. Reassuring Cleopatra that he does love her, Antony leaves for Rome.

  ACT 1 SCENE 4

  The scene shifts to Rome. Caesar complains to Lepidus of Antony’s laziness and excess in Egypt, where he “fishes, drinks and wastes / The lamps of night in revel” at the cost of his responsibilities to Rome. Caesar feels that this behavior makes Antony less “manlike,” reinforcing the association of male and female with, respectively, Rome and Egypt, Europe and the exotic Orient. As Lepidus attempts an ineffectual defense of Antony, a messenger brings news that the rebels Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas are gaining strength at sea. Caesar wishes for the Antony of the past and recalls his feats of greatness and honor.

  ACT 1 SCENE 5

  As Cleopatra pines for Antony, Alexas brings a message from him. Antony has sent a pearl, which he kissed before departing, promising to “mend the petty present” by piecing Cleopatra’s “opulent throne with kingdoms.” Alexas inquires why Cleopatra has assembled “twenty several messengers” and she declares her intention to send a letter to Antony every day, even if she has to “unpeople Egypt.” Charmian teases Cleopatra about her previous love for Julius Caesar and is threatened by the queen with “bloody teeth” if she continues to do so, showing a harsher side to her character.

  ACT 2 SCENE 1

  The action moves back to Sicily, heightening the contrast between the two countries as, in place of the emotionally charged language of the Egyptians, we are presented with the more direct, military debate of Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas. Pompey is confident in his popularity and military strength, claiming that his “powers are crescent.” Part of his confidence stems from the belief that Antony is still in Egypt, while Caesar “gets money” and “loses hearts,” and Lepidus, the third member of the ruling triumvirate, merely “flatters both.” Menas informs him that Caesar and Lepidus have gathered a “mighty strength,” but Pompey refuses to believe him, saying that they are still “looking for Antony.” Demonstrating the predominant Roman attitude that defines Cleopatra through her sexual behavior, he hopes that she keeps Antony away through combining “witchcraft,” “beauty,” and “lust.” Varrius brings the news of Antony’s return to Rome, and Pompey realizes that the triumvirate will put aside their differences to unite against him.