William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (458 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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ENOBARBUS
Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night indeed!
CAMIDIUS
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
SCARUS
’Tis easy to’t, and there I will attend
What further comes.
What further comes.
CAMIDIUS
To Caesar will I render
My legions and my horse. Six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.
Show me the way of yielding.
ENOBARBUS
I’ll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.
Sits in the wind against me.
⌈
Exeunt severally
⌉
Enter Antony with Attendants
ANTONY
Hark, the land bids me tread no more upon’t,
It is ashamed to bear me. Friends, come hither.
I am so lated in the world that I
Have lost my way for ever. I have a ship
Laden with gold. Take that; divide it, fly,
And make your peace with Caesar.
It is ashamed to bear me. Friends, come hither.
I am so lated in the world that I
Have lost my way for ever. I have a ship
Laden with gold. Take that; divide it, fly,
And make your peace with Caesar.
ATTENDANTS
Fly? Not we.
ANTONY
I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards
To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone.
I have myself resolved upon a course
Which has no need of you. Be gone.
My treasure’s in the harbour. Take it. O,
I followed that I blush to look upon.
My very hairs do mutiny, for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting. Friends, be gone. You shall
Have letters from me to some friends that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of loathness. Take the hint
Which my despair proclaims. Let that be left
Which leaves itself. To the seaside straightway!
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little. Pray you now,
Nay, do so; for indeed I have lost command.
Therefore I pray you; I’ll see you by and by.
To run and show their shoulders. Friends, be gone.
I have myself resolved upon a course
Which has no need of you. Be gone.
My treasure’s in the harbour. Take it. O,
I followed that I blush to look upon.
My very hairs do mutiny, for the white
Reprove the brown for rashness, and they them
For fear and doting. Friends, be gone. You shall
Have letters from me to some friends that will
Sweep your way for you. Pray you, look not sad,
Nor make replies of loathness. Take the hint
Which my despair proclaims. Let that be left
Which leaves itself. To the seaside straightway!
I will possess you of that ship and treasure.
Leave me, I pray, a little. Pray you now,
Nay, do so; for indeed I have lost command.
Therefore I pray you; I’ll see you by and by.
Exeunt attendants
He sits down.Enter Cleopatra led by Charmian, Iras, and Eros
EROS
Nay, gentle madam, to him. Comfort him.
IRAS Do, most dear Queen.
CHARMIAN Do. Why, what else?
CLEOPATRA Let me sit down. O Juno!
She sits down
ANTONY No, no, no, no, no.
EROS (to Antony) See you here, sir?
ANTONY O fie, fie, fie!
CHARMIAN Madam.
IRAS Madam. O good Empress!
EROS Sir, sir.
ANTONY
Yes, my lord, yes. He at Philippi kept
His sword e’en like a dancer, while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and ’twas I
That the mad Brutus ended. He alone
Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had
In the brave squares of war. Yet now—no matter.
His sword e’en like a dancer, while I struck
The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and ’twas I
That the mad Brutus ended. He alone
Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had
In the brave squares of war. Yet now—no matter.
CLEOPATRA (⌈
rising
,⌉
to Charmian and Iras)
Ah, stand by.
rising
,⌉
to Charmian and Iras)
Ah, stand by.
EROS The Queen, my lord, the Queen.
IRAS Go to him, madam.
Speak to him. He’s unqualitied
With very shame.
With very shame.
CLEOPATRA Well then, sustain me. O!
EROS
Most noble sir, arise. The Queen approaches.
Her head’s declined, and death will seize her but
Your comfort makes the rescue.
Her head’s declined, and death will seize her but
Your comfort makes the rescue.
ANTONY
I have offended reputation;
A most unnoble swerving.
A most unnoble swerving.
EROS
Sir, the Queen.
ANTONY ⌈
rising
⌉
rising
⌉
O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes
By looking back what I have left behind
’Stroyed in dishonour.
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes
By looking back what I have left behind
’Stroyed in dishonour.
CLEOPATRA
O, my lord, my lord, Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought
You would have followed.
You would have followed.
ANTONY
Egypt, thou knew’st too well
My heart was to thy rudder tied by th’ strings,
And thou shouldst tow me after. O’er my spirit
Thy full supremacy thou knew’st, and that
Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.
And thou shouldst tow me after. O’er my spirit
Thy full supremacy thou knew’st, and that
Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods
Command me.
CLEOPATRA
O, my pardon!
ANTONY
Now I must
To the young man send humble treaties, dodge
And palter in the shifts of lowness, who
With half the bulk o’th’ world played as I pleased,
Making and marring fortunes. You did know
How much you were my conqueror, and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all cause.
And palter in the shifts of lowness, who
With half the bulk o’th’ world played as I pleased,
Making and marring fortunes. You did know
How much you were my conqueror, and that
My sword, made weak by my affection, would
Obey it on all cause.
CLEOPATRA
Pardon, pardon!
ANTONY
Fall not a tear, I say. One of them rates
All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss.
All that is won and lost. Give me a kiss.
He kisses her
Even this repays me. (To an Attendant) We sent our
schoolmaster;
Is a come back? (
To Cleopatra
) Love, I am full of lead.
schoolmaster;
Is a come back? (
To Cleopatra
) Love, I am full of lead.
(
Calling
) Some wine
Within there, and our viands! Fortune knows
We scorn her most when most she offers blows.
We scorn her most when most she offers blows.
Exeunt
Enter Caesar
, ⌈
Agrippa
,⌉
Thidias
,
and Dolabella, with others
CAESAR
Let him appear that’s come from Antony.
Know you him?
Know you him?
DOLABELLA
Caesar, ’tis his schoolmaster; An argument that he is plucked, when hither
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,
Which had superfluous kings for messengers
Not many moons gone by.
He sends so poor a pinion of his wing,
Which had superfluous kings for messengers
Not many moons gone by.
Enter Ambassador from Antony
CAESAR
Approach and speak.
AMBASSADOR
Such as I am, I come from Antony.
I was of late as petty to his ends
As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf
To his grand sea.
I was of late as petty to his ends
As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf
To his grand sea.
CAESAR
Be’t so. Declare thine office.
AMBASSADOR
Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and
Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted,
He lessens his requests, and to thee sues
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens. This for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness,
Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted,
He lessens his requests, and to thee sues
To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,
A private man in Athens. This for him.
Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness,
Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves
The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,
Now hazarded to thy grace.
CAESAR
For Antony, I have no ears to his request. The Queen
Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgracèd friend,
Or take his life there. This if she perform
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she
From Egypt drive her all-disgracèd friend,
Or take his life there. This if she perform
She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.
AMBASSADOR
Fortune pursue thee!
CAESAR
Bring him through the bands.
Exit Ambassador, attended
(
To Thidias
) To try thy eloquence now ‘tis time.
Dispatch.
From Antony win Cleopatra. Promise,
And in our name, what she requires. Add more
As thine invention offers. Women are not
In their best fortunes strong, but want will perjure
The ne’er-touched vestal. Try thy cunning, Thidias.
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.
To Thidias
) To try thy eloquence now ‘tis time.
Dispatch.
From Antony win Cleopatra. Promise,
And in our name, what she requires. Add more
As thine invention offers. Women are not
In their best fortunes strong, but want will perjure
The ne’er-touched vestal. Try thy cunning, Thidias.
Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we
Will answer as a law.
THIDIAS
Caesar, I go.
CAESAR
Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,
And what thou think’st his very action speaks
In every power that moves.
And what thou think’st his very action speaks
In every power that moves.
THIDIAS Caesar, I shall.
Exeunt Caesar and his train at one door, and Thidias at another
Enter Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, and Iras
CLEOPATRA
What shall we do, Enobarbus?
ENOBARBUS
Think, and die.
CLEOPATRA
Is Antony or we in fault for this?
ENOBARBUS
Antony only, that would make his will
Lord of his reason. What though you fled
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
Frighted each other? Why should he follow?
The itch of his affection should not then
Have nicked his captainship, at such a point,
When half to half the world opposed, he being
The mooted question. ’Twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags
And leave his navy gazing.
Lord of his reason. What though you fled
From that great face of war, whose several ranges
Frighted each other? Why should he follow?
The itch of his affection should not then
Have nicked his captainship, at such a point,
When half to half the world opposed, he being
The mooted question. ’Twas a shame no less
Than was his loss, to course your flying flags
And leave his navy gazing.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
Against the blown rose may they stop their nose,
That kneeled unto the buds. Admit him, sir.
Exit Servant
ENOBARBUS (
aside
)
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.
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.
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
To Cleopatra
) Thus, then, thou most renowned:
Caesar entreats
Not to consider in what case thou stand’st
Further than he is Caesar.
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.
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.
Does pity as constrained blemishes,
Not as deserved.
CLEOPATRA
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