William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (462 page)
Read William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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Dead.
ANTONY
Unarm, Eros. The long day’s task is done,
And we must sleep. (To Mardian) That thou depart’st
hence safe
Does pay thy labour richly. Go.
And we must sleep. (To Mardian) That thou depart’st
hence safe
Does pay thy labour richly. Go.
Exit Mardian
Off, pluck off.
Eros helps Antony to unarm
The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent;
Crack thy frail case. Apace, Eros, apace.
No more a soldier. Bruised pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne.—From me a while.
The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent;
Crack thy frail case. Apace, Eros, apace.
No more a soldier. Bruised pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne.—From me a while.
Exit Eros
I will o’ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture. Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no farther. Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength. Seal, then, and all is done.
Eros!-I come, my queen.-Eros!-Stay for me.
Where souls do couch on flowers we’ll hand in hand,
And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze.
Dido and her Aeneas shall want troops,
And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
All length is torture. Since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no farther. Now all labour
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Itself with strength. Seal, then, and all is done.
Eros!-I come, my queen.-Eros!-Stay for me.
Where souls do couch on flowers we’ll hand in hand,
And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze.
Dido and her Aeneas shall want troops,
And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!
Enter Eros
EROS
What would my lord?
ANTONY
Since Cleopatra died
I have lived in such dishonour that the gods
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quartered the world, and o’er green Neptune’s back
With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
The courage of a woman; less noble mind
Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
‘I am conqueror of myself.’ Thou art sworn, Eros,
That when the exigent should come, which now
Is come indeed—when I should see behind me
Th’inevitable prosecution of
Disgrace and horror—that on my command
Thou then wouldst kill me. Do’t. The time is come.
Thou strik‘st not me; ’tis Caesar thou defeat’st.
Put colour in thy cheek.
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quartered the world, and o’er green Neptune’s back
With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
The courage of a woman; less noble mind
Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
‘I am conqueror of myself.’ Thou art sworn, Eros,
That when the exigent should come, which now
Is come indeed—when I should see behind me
Th’inevitable prosecution of
Disgrace and horror—that on my command
Thou then wouldst kill me. Do’t. The time is come.
Thou strik‘st not me; ’tis Caesar thou defeat’st.
Put colour in thy cheek.
EROS
The gods withhold me!
Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, lost aim and could not?
Though enemy, lost aim and could not?
ANTONY
Eros,
Wouldst thou be windowed in great Rome and see
Thy master thus with pleached arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdued
To penetrative shame, whilst the wheeled seat
Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued?
Thy master thus with pleached arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdued
To penetrative shame, whilst the wheeled seat
Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued?
EROS
I would not see’t.
ANTONY
Come then; for with a wound I must be cured.
Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
Most useful for thy country.
Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
Most useful for thy country.
EROS
O sir, pardon me! 80
ANTONY
When I did make thee free, swor’st thou not then
To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once,
Or thy precedent services are all
But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.
To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once,
Or thy precedent services are all
But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.
EROS
Turn from me then that noble countenance
Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.
ANTONY
(turning away)
Lo thee!
Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.
ANTONY
(turning away)
Lo thee!
EROS
My sword is drawn.
ANTONY
Then let it do at once
The thing why thou hast drawn it.
EROS
My dear master, My captain, and my Emperor: let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
ANTONY ’Tis said, man; and farewell.
EROS
Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?
ANTONY
Now, Eros.
⌈
Eros stabs himself
⌉
EROS
Why, there then, thus I do escape the sorrow
Of Antony’s death.He dies
ANTONY
Thrice nobler than myself,
Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
I should and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
Have by their brave instruction got upon me
A nobleness in record. But I will be
A bridegroom in my death, and run into’t
As to a lover’s bed. Come then, and, Eros,
Thy master dies thy scholar. To do thus
I learned of thee.
I should and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
Have by their brave instruction got upon me
A nobleness in record. But I will be
A bridegroom in my death, and run into’t
As to a lover’s bed. Come then, and, Eros,
Thy master dies thy scholar. To do thus
I learned of thee.
He stabs himself
How, not dead? Not dead?
The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!
The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!
Enter a guard
⌈
and Decretas
⌉
FIRST GUARD
What’s the noise?
ANTONY
I have done my work ill, friends. O, make an end
Of what I have begun!
Of what I have begun!
SECOND GUARD
The star is fall’n.
FIRST GUARD
And time is at his period.
ALL THE GUARDS
Alas
And woe!
ANTONY Let him that loves me strike me dead.
FIRST GUARD
Not I.
SECOND GUARD Nor I.
THIRD GUARD
Nor anyone.
Exeunt the guard
DECRETAS
Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.
He takes Antony’s sword
This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,
Shall enter me with him.
Shall enter me with him.
Enter Diomedes
DIOMEDES
Where’s Antony?
DECRETAS
There, Diomed, there.
DIOMEDES
Lives he? Wilt thou not answer, man?
Exit Decretas
ANTONY
Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me
Sufficing strokes for death.
Sufficing strokes for death.
DIOMEDES
Most absolute lord,
My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.
ANTONY
When did she send thee?
DIOMEDES
Now, my lord.
ANTONY Where is she?
DIOMEDES
Locked in her monument. She had a prophesying fear
Of what hath come to pass; for when she saw—
Which never shall be found—you did suspect
She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
Would not be purged, she sent word she was dead;
But fearing since how it might work, hath sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
I dread, too late.
Of what hath come to pass; for when she saw—
Which never shall be found—you did suspect
She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
Would not be purged, she sent word she was dead;
But fearing since how it might work, hath sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
I dread, too late.
ANTONY
Too late, good Diomed. Call my guard, I prithee.
DIOMEDES
What ho, the Emperor’s guard! The guard, what hot
Come, your lord calls.
Come, your lord calls.
Enter four or five of the guard of Antony
ANTONY
Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides.
’Tis the last service that I shall command you.
’Tis the last service that I shall command you.
FIRST GUARD
Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
All your true followers out.
All your true followers out.
ALL THE GUARDS
Most heavy day!
ANTONY
Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
To grace it with your sorrows. Bid that welcome
Which comes to punish us, and we punish it,
Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up.
I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,
And have my thanks for all.
To grace it with your sorrows. Bid that welcome
Which comes to punish us, and we punish it,
Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up.
I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,
And have my thanks for all.
Exeunt bearing
Antony
⌈
and Eros
⌉
Enter Cleopatra ⌈and her maids aloft
⌉, with Charmian and Iras
CLEOPATRA
O Charmian, I will never go from hence.
CHARMIAN
Be comforted, dear madam.
CLEOPATRA
No, I will not.
All strange and terrible events are welcome,
But comforts we despise. Our size of sorrow,
Proportioned to our cause, must be as great
As that which makes it.
But comforts we despise. Our size of sorrow,
Proportioned to our cause, must be as great
As that which makes it.
Enter Diomedes ⌈below⌉
How now? Is he dead?
DIOMEDES
His death’s upon him, but not dead.
Look out o’th’ other side your monument.
His guard have brought him thither.
Look out o’th’ other side your monument.
His guard have brought him thither.
Enter below Antony, borne by the guard
CLEOPATRA
O sun, Burn the great sphere thou mov‘st in; darkling stand
The varying shore o’th’ world! O Antony, 11
Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian,
Help, Iras, help, help, friends below!
Let’s draw him hither.
The varying shore o’th’ world! O Antony, 11
Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian,
Help, Iras, help, help, friends below!
Let’s draw him hither.
ANTONY
Peace. Not Caesar’s valour
Hath o’erthrown Antony, but Antony’s
Hath triumphed on itself.
Hath triumphed on itself.
CLEOPATRA
So it should be, That none but Antony should conquer Antony.
But woe ’tis so!
But woe ’tis so!
ANTONY
I am dying, Egypt, dying. Only
I here importune death awhile until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.
I here importune death awhile until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
I lay upon thy lips.
CLEOPATRA
I dare not, dear, Dear, my lord, pardon. I dare not,
Lest I be taken. Nor th’imperious show
Of the full-fortuned Caesar ever shall
Be brooched with me, if knife, drugs, serpents, have
Edge, sting, or operation. I am safe.
Your wife, Octavia, with her modest eyes
And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour
Demuring upon me. But come, come, Antony.—
Help me, my women.—We must draw thee up.
Assist, good friends.
Lest I be taken. Nor th’imperious show
Of the full-fortuned Caesar ever shall
Be brooched with me, if knife, drugs, serpents, have
Edge, sting, or operation. I am safe.
Your wife, Octavia, with her modest eyes
And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour
Demuring upon me. But come, come, Antony.—
Help me, my women.—We must draw thee up.
Assist, good friends.
ANTONY
O quick, or I am gone!
CLEOPATRA
Here’s sport indeed. How heavy weighs my lord!
Our strength is all gone into heaviness,
That makes the weight. Had I great Juno’s power
The strong-winged Mercury should fetch thee up
And set thee by Jove’s side. Yet come a little.
Wishers were ever fools. O come, come, come!
Our strength is all gone into heaviness,
That makes the weight. Had I great Juno’s power
The strong-winged Mercury should fetch thee up
And set thee by Jove’s side. Yet come a little.
Wishers were ever fools. O come, come, come!
They heave Antony aloft to Cleopatra
And welcome, welcome! Die when thou hast lived,
Quicken with kissing. Had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.
Quicken with kissing. Had my lips that power,
Thus would I wear them out.
They kiss
ALL THE LOOKERS-ON A heavy sight.
ANTONY I am dying, Egypt, dying.
Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.
CLEOPATRA
No, let me speak, and let me rail so high
That the false hussy Fortune break her wheel,
Provoked by my offence.
That the false hussy Fortune break her wheel,
Provoked by my offence.
ANTONY
One word, sweet queen.
Of Caesar seek your honour, with your safety. O!
CLEOPATRA
They do not go together.
ANTONY
Gentle, hear me.
None about Caesar trust but Proculeius.
CLEOPATRA
My resolution and my hands I’ll trust,
None about Caesar.
None about Caesar.
ANTONY
The miserable change now at my end
Lament nor sorrow at, but please your thoughts
In feeding them with those my former fortunes,
Wherein I lived the greatest prince o’th’ world,
The noblest; and do now not basely die,
Not cowardly put off my helmet to
My countryman; a Roman by a Roman
Valiantly vanquished. Now my spirit is going;
I can no more.
Lament nor sorrow at, but please your thoughts
In feeding them with those my former fortunes,
Wherein I lived the greatest prince o’th’ world,
The noblest; and do now not basely die,
Not cowardly put off my helmet to
My countryman; a Roman by a Roman
Valiantly vanquished. Now my spirit is going;
I can no more.
CLEOPATRA
Noblest of men, woot die?
Hast thou no care of me? Shall I abide
In this dull world, which in thy absence is
No better than a sty?
In this dull world, which in thy absence is
No better than a sty?
Antony dies
O see, my women,
The crown o’th’ earth doth melt. My lord!
O, withered is the garland of the war.
The soldier’s pole is fall’n. Young boys and girls
Are level now with men. The odds is gone,
And there is nothing left remarkable
Beneath the visiting moon.
O, withered is the garland of the war.
The soldier’s pole is fall’n. Young boys and girls
Are level now with men. The odds is gone,
And there is nothing left remarkable
Beneath the visiting moon.
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