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Enter ENOBARBUS , LAMPRIUS , a SOOTHSAYER , Rannius, LUCILLIUS , CHARMIAN , IRAS , MARDIAN the eunuch, and ALEXAS | ENOBARBUS , LAMPRIUS , the FORTUNETELLER , Rannius, LUCILLUS , CHARMIAN , IRAS , MARDIAN the eunuch, and ALEXAS enter. |
CHARMIAN Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, wheres the soothsayer that you praised so to th Queen? Oh that I knew this husband, which, you say, must charge his horns with garlands! | CHARMIAN Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything Alexas, almost the most consummate Alexas, wheres the fortuneteller you recommended so highly to the Queen? Oh, I only wish I knew the name of that husband you said he predicted will have a cheating wife! |
ALEXAS 5 Soothsayer! | ALEXAS (calling) Fortuneteller! |
SOOTHSAYER Your will? | FORTUNETELLER What can I do for you? |
CHARMIAN (toALEXAS) Is this the man?(toSOOTHSAYER)Is t you, sir, that know things? | CHARMIAN (toALEXAS) Is this the man you recommended? (to theFORTUNETELLER) Are you the man who knows the future? |
SOOTHSAYER In natures infinite book of secrecy A little I can read. | FORTUNETELLER I can understand a few of natures infinite secrets. |
ALEXAS | ALEXAS (toCHARMIAN) Give him your hand to read. |
ENOBARBUS (to servants within) Bring in the banquet quickly. Wine enough Cleopatras health to drink. | ENOBARBUS (to the servants) Bring the dessert in right away, and make sure theres enough wine to toast Cleopatras health. |
CHARMIAN (giving hand toSOOTHSAYER) Good sir, give me good fortune. | CHARMIAN (giving her hand to theFORTUNETELLER) Kind sir, give me a good fortune. |
SOOTHSAYER I make not, but foresee. | FORTUNETELLER I dont make fortunes; I only see them. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Then see a good one for me. |
SOOTHSAYER You shall be yet far fairer than you are. | FORTUNETELLER Your beauty will be even greater than it is now. |
CHARMIAN (to the others) He means in flesh. | CHARMIAN (to the others) He means Ill get fat. |
IRAS No, you shall paint when you are old. | IRAS No, he means youll use makeup when youre old. |
CHARMIAN Wrinkles forbid! | CHARMIAN May my wrinkles forbid that! |
ALEXAS | ALEXAS Dont joke about his predictions. Pay attention. |
CHARMIAN Hush! | CHARMIAN Quiet! |
SOOTHSAYER You shall be more beloving than beloved. | FORTUNETELLER You will love more than you are loved. |
CHARMIAN I had rather heat my liver with drinking. | CHARMIAN |
ALEXAS Nay, hear him. | ALEXAS Just listen to him. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Be kind now and tell me some excellent fortune. Tell me that Ill marry three kings before noon and be widowed by all of them. Tell me Ill have a child when Im fifty who will be honored even by Herod of JudeaHerod was the Roman governor of Israel at the time of Christs birth. In an attempt to kill Jesus, prophesied to become king of the Jews, Herod ordered the slaughter of all the infants in Bethlehem. |
SOOTHSAYER 30 You shall outlive the lady whom you serve. | FORTUNETELLER You will outlive the Queen. |
CHARMIAN Oh, excellent! I love long life better than figs. | CHARMIAN Oh, excellent! I love long life better than figsFigs were thought to resemble female genitalia. |
SOOTHSAYER You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach. | FORTUNETELLER You have already had better fortune than the future will bring. |
CHARMIAN Then belike my children shall have no names. Prithee, how many boys and wenches must I have? | CHARMIAN Then my children will probably be illegitimate. Tell me, please: how many boys and girls will I have? |
SOOTHSAYER If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertile every wish, a million. | FORTUNETELLER If every time you wished for a child you could have had one, you would have a million children. |
CHARMIAN Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch. | CHARMIAN Get out of here, you fool! Since youre a fortuneteller I wont bring charges of witchcraft against you. |
ALEXAS You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes. | ALEXAS You seem to think no one outside of your bedroom knows what you wish. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN (toFORTUNETELLER) Never mind. Tell Irass fortune. |
ALEXAS Well know all our fortunes. | ALEXAS Well all want our fortune told. |
ENOBARBUS Mine, and most of our fortunes tonight, shall bedrunk to bed. | ENOBARBUS My fortunelike that of many of us tonightis to go drunk to bed. |
IRAS (giving her hand to theSOOTHSAYER) Theres a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. | IRAS (giving her hand to theFORTUNETELLER) Theres a palm that will predict a chaste life, if nothing else. |
CHARMIAN Een as the oerflowing Nilus presageth famine. | CHARMIAN |
IRAS Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay. | IRAS Oh stop it, you lusty bed-hopper. You cant see the future. |
CHARMIAN Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear.Prithee, tell her but a workaday fortune. | CHARMIAN Well, if a moist palm isnt a clear sign of promiscuity, then I cant scratch my own ear. (toFORTUNETELLER) Please, tell her an ordinary fortune. |
SOOTHSAYER Your fortunes are alike. | FORTUNETELLER Your fortunes are the same. |
IRAS But how, but how? Give me particulars. | IRAS But how? How is that possible? Give me details. |
SOOTHSAYER I have said. | FORTUNETELLER Ive said what I have to say. |
IRAS Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? | IRAS Isnt my fortune just a little better than hers? By an inch, even? |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Well, if you could have just an inch of better fortune than me, where would you like the improvement? |
IRAS Not in my husbands nose. | IRAS Not in my husbands nose. |
CHARMIAN Our worser thoughts heavens mend. Alexas! (toSOOTHSAYER) Come, his fortune, his fortune! Oh, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee, and let her die too, and give him a worse, and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight, good Isis, I beseech thee! | CHARMIAN May heaven save us from indecent thoughts! Alexas! (to theFORTUNETELLER) Come and tell his fortune. Let him marry a woman he cant satisfy, dear IsisIsis was Egypts primary female deity, generally associated with the earth, the moon, and fertility. |
IRAS | IRAS Amen, dear goddess. Listen to our prayer. If its sad to see a handsome man with a cheating wife, its a tragedy to see an ugly thug with a wife whos faithful. Therefore, dear Isis, do the right thing and give him the fortune he deserves. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Amen. |
ALEXAS (to himself) Lo now, if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores but theyd do t. | ALEXAS (to himself) See! If they could make me a cuckold, theyd whore themselves in order to see it done. |
ENOBARBUS Hush! Here comes Antony. | ENOBARBUS Quiet! Here comes Antony. |
CHARMIAN Not he. The Queen. | CHARMIAN Its not him; its the Queen. |
Enter CLEOPATRA | CLEOPATRA enters. |
CLEOPATRA 75 Saw you my lord? | CLEOPATRA Have you seen my lord? |
ENOBARBUS No, lady. | ENOBARBUS No, lady. |
CLEOPATRA Was he not here? | CLEOPATRA Wasnt he here? |
CHARMIAN No, madam. | CHARMIAN No, madam. |
CLEOPATRA He was disposed to mirth, but on the sudden 80 A Roman thought hath struck him.Enobarbus! | CLEOPATRA He was in a good mood, and then suddenly he started thinking of Rome. Enobarbus? |
ENOBARBUS Madam? | ENOBARBUS Madam? |
CLEOPATRA Seek him and bring him hither. Wheres Alexas? | CLEOPATRA Find him and bring him here. Wheres Alexas? |
ALEXAS Here at your service. My lord approaches. | ALEXAS Here, at your service. Here comes my lord. |
Enter ANTONY with the FIRST MESSENGER | ANTONY and the FIRST MESSENGER enter. |
CLEOPATRA 85 We will not look upon him. Go with us. | CLEOPATRA |
FIRST MESSENGER Fulvia thy wife first came into the field. | FIRST MESSENGER Your wife, Fulvia, mustered her army first. |
ANTONY Against my brother Lucius? | ANTONY Against my brother Lucius? |
FIRST MESSENGER Ay. But soon that war had end, and the times state Whose better issue in the war from Italy Upon the first encounter drave them. | FIRST MESSENGER Yes. But that war ended as soon as circumstances made it advisable for them to join together against Caesar. But in their very first battle, Caesar won and drove them out of Italy. |
Exeunt all but ANTONY and the FIRST MESSENGER | Everyone follows CLEOPATRA out, leaving ANTONY and the FIRST MESSENGER . |
ANTONY Well, what worst? | ANTONY Well, give me the worst news. |
FIRST MESSENGER The nature of bad news infects the teller. | FIRST MESSENGER The bearer of bad news is often blamed for it. |
ANTONY 95 When it concerns the fool or coward. On. Things that are past are done, with me. Tis thus: Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death, I hear him as he flattered. | ANTONY Only if the hearer is a fool or a coward. Go on. As far as Im concerned, whats past is done. Its like this: as long as a person tells me the truth, even though it means my death, I will listen as though he praised me. |
FIRST MESSENGER Labienus This is stiff newshath with his Parthian force 100 Extended Asia: from Euphrates His conquering banner shook, from Syria To Lydia and to Ionia, Whilst | FIRST MESSENGER The news is disturbing. LabienusQuintus Labienus was a Roman general charged with subduing Parthia, a hostile country in Asia Minor, and garnering Parthinian military support in the war against Antony and Octavius Caesar. When Cassius and Brutus were defeated, Labienus led the Parthians in a war against Rome, conquering some of the Roman territories in Asia along the way. |
ANTONY Antony, thou wouldst say. | ANTONY While Antony... is what you want to say. |
FIRST MESSENGER O my lord! | FIRST MESSENGER Oh, my lord! |
ANTONY Name Cleopatra as she is called in Rome. Rail thou in Fulvias phrase, and taunt my faults With such full license as both truth and malice Have power to utter. Oh, then we bring forth weeds Is as our earing. | ANTONY Speak plainly. Dont tone down what the people are saying. Call Cleopatra what the Romans call her. Use Fulvias abusive language. Freely scold me for my faults with as much severity as an enemy with truth on his side. Its easy to err when left to our own devices, but criticism helps us to see our faults and correct them. |
Enter SECOND MESSENGER | A SECOND MESSENGER enters. |
Fare thee well awhile. | Good-bye for a while. |
FIRST MESSENGER At your noble pleasure. Exit FIRST MESSENGER | FIRST MESSENGER Ill be at your service. The FIRST MESSENGER exits. |
ANTONY From Sicyon, how, the news? Speak there. | ANTONY Whats the news from SicyonSicyon is the town in Greece where Antony left Fulvia. |
SECOND MESSENGER The man from Sicyon | SECOND MESSENGER The man from Sicyon |
ANTONY Is there such an one? | ANTONY Is he here? |
SECOND MESSENGER 115 He stays upon your will. | SECOND MESSENGER Hes waiting outside. |
ANTONY Let him appear. Exit SECOND MESSENGER | ANTONY Have him come in. The SECOND MESSENGER exits. |
These strong Egyptian fetters I must break, Or lose myself in dotage. | (to himself) I must break Cleopatras powerful hold over me or else Ill lose myself in foolish infatuation. |
Enter THIRD MESSENGER , with a letter | A THIRD MESSENGER enters with a letter. |
What are you? | Whats your message? |
THIRD MESSENGER Fulvia thy wife is dead. | THIRD MESSENGER Your wife, Fulvia, is dead. |
ANTONY Where died she? | ANTONY Where did she die? |
THIRD MESSENGER In Sicyon. Importeth thee to know, this bears. | THIRD MESSENGER In Sicyon. In this letter youll find details of her illness and other, more serious matters that concern you. |
He gives ANTONY a letter | He hands the letter to ANTONY . |
ANTONY Forbear me. Exit THIRD MESSENGER | ANTONY Leave me. The THIRD MESSENGER exits. |
(to himself) Theres a great spirit gone! Thus did I desire it. What our contempts doth often hurl from us We wish it ours again. The present pleasure, 125 By revolution lowering, does become The opposite of itself. Shes good, being gone. The hand could pluck her back that shoved her on. I must from this enchanting Queen break off. Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know 130 My idleness doth hatch.How now, Enobarbus! | (to himself) A great spirit has gone from the world! This is what I wanted. Once its gone, the very thing we reject becomes what we desire. Whats enjoyable one day becomes the opposite as time rolls around. Now that shes gone, I want her. Now I would call her back, though I pushed her away. I have to break from this beguiling Queen. The time Ive wasted here has caused ten thousand more problems than the ones I know about. (calling) Are you there, Enobarbus? |
Enter ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS enters. |
ENOBARBUS Whats your pleasure, sir? | ENOBARBUS What would you like, sir? |
ANTONY I must with haste from hence. | ANTONY I have to leave right away. |
ENOBARBUS Why, then, we kill all our women. We see how mortal an unkindness is to them. If they suffer our departure, deaths the word. | ENOBARBUS That will kill our lovers. We know how much they suffer if we are unkind to them. If we leave, it will feel like nothing less than death to them. |
ANTONY I must be gone. | ANTONY I must be gone. |
ENOBARBUS Under a compelling occasion, let women die. It were pity to cast them away for nothing, though between them and a great cause they should be esteemed nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least noise of this, dies instantly. I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment. I do think there is mettle in death, which commits some loving act upon her, she hath such a celerity in dying. | ENOBARBUS If its that important, then let the women die. It would be a pity to throw them away for nothing, but if its a matter of choosing between them and a great cause, then theyre worthless. If Cleopatra hears even a breath of this, shell die immediately. Ive seen her claim to be dying twenty times before, and for far less reason. I think there must be something invigorating about death, since she dies with such enthusiasm. |
ANTONY She is cunning past mans thought. | ANTONY Shes more cunning than anyone can imagine. |
ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS Alas, sir, no, her feelings come from pure love, not cleverness. Her sighs and tears are like great winds and floods. She has more storms and tempests in her than a weather almanac. Her temper is not a trick or a skillif it is, she can make it rain as well as Joveking of the Roman gods; commands thunder, lightning, and rain |
ANTONY Would I had never seen her! | ANTONY I wish Id never seen her! |
ENOBARBUS O sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of work which not to have been blessed withal would have discredited your travel. | ENOBARBUS Then youd have missed an amazing piece of work, sir, and your trip would have been poorer for the loss. |
ANTONY 155 Fulvia is dead. | ANTONY Fulvia is dead. |
ENOBARBUS Sir? | ENOBARBUS Pardon me? |
ANTONY Fulvia is dead. | ANTONY Fulvia is dead. |
ENOBARBUS Fulvia? | ENOBARBUS Fulvia? |
ANTONY Dead. | ANTONY Dead. |
ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS Then you should offer the gods a sacrifice to show your thanks. When a mans wife dies, he can be comforted by the knowledge that there are replacements to be found. If Fulvia were the last woman on earth, there would be a reason to grieve. But in this way, grief and comfort appear together. The only kind of tears you should shed in this case are the kind you might get from holding an onion to your nose. |
ANTONY The business she hath broached in the state 170 Cannot endure my absence. | ANTONY I must go and continue the business Fulvia started. |
ENOBARBUS And the business you have broached here cannot be without you, especially that of Cleopatras, which wholly depends on your abode. | ENOBARBUS The business you began here needs you as wellespecially the business with Cleopatra, which only you can attend to. |
ANTONY No more light answers. Let our officers 175 Have notice what we purpose. I shall break The cause of our expedience to the Queen And get her leave to part. For not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, Do strongly speak to us, but the letters too 180 Of many our contriving friends in Rome Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius Hath given the dare to Caesar and commands The empire of the sea. Our slippery people, Whose love is never linked to the deserver 185 Till his deserts are past, begin to throw Pompey the Great and all his dignities Upon his son, whohigh in name and power, Higher than both in blood and lifestands up For the main soldier, whose quality, going on, 190 The sides o th world may danger. Much is breeding Which, like the coursers hair, hath yet but life, And not a serpents poison. Say our pleasure, To such whose place is under us, requires Our quick remove from hence. | ANTONY Enough of this frivolous talk. Give our officers notice of our intentions. Ill tell the Queen the reason for our quick departure and get her permission to leave. Fulvias death and the pressing concerns related to it are not the only reasons I am eager to go; friends in Rome have also sent many letters advising my return. Sextus Pompeius has challenged Caesar. His fleet controls the sea. Our fickle citizenswho never reward service until that service is overare now giving all the rights and honors won by Pompey the Great to his son, Sextus. Sextus has great honor and power, and his spirit and energy are even greater, all of which makes him the most formidable soldier in the empire. The empire may be in danger if hes not restrained before he reaches his full potential. There are many troubles brewing now that have yet to become full-fledged threats. Like horses hairs dropped in a bucket of water, they come alive like snakes but as yet they bear no poison.This sentence refers to a popular belief of the time. |
ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS I will. |
Exeunt | They both exit. |
Original Text | Modern Text |
Enter ENOBARBUS , LAMPRIUS , a SOOTHSAYER , Rannius, LUCILLIUS , CHARMIAN , IRAS , MARDIAN the eunuch, and ALEXAS | ENOBARBUS , LAMPRIUS , the FORTUNETELLER , Rannius, LUCILLUS , CHARMIAN , IRAS , MARDIAN the eunuch, and ALEXAS enter. |
CHARMIAN Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, wheres the soothsayer that you praised so to th Queen? Oh that I knew this husband, which, you say, must charge his horns with garlands! | CHARMIAN Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything Alexas, almost the most consummate Alexas, wheres the fortuneteller you recommended so highly to the Queen? Oh, I only wish I knew the name of that husband you said he predicted will have a cheating wife! |
ALEXAS 5 Soothsayer! | ALEXAS (calling) Fortuneteller! |
SOOTHSAYER Your will? | FORTUNETELLER What can I do for you? |
CHARMIAN (toALEXAS) Is this the man?(toSOOTHSAYER)Is t you, sir, that know things? | CHARMIAN (toALEXAS) Is this the man you recommended? (to theFORTUNETELLER) Are you the man who knows the future? |
SOOTHSAYER In natures infinite book of secrecy A little I can read. | FORTUNETELLER I can understand a few of natures infinite secrets. |
ALEXAS | ALEXAS (toCHARMIAN) Give him your hand to read. |
ENOBARBUS (to servants within) Bring in the banquet quickly. Wine enough Cleopatras health to drink. | ENOBARBUS (to the servants) Bring the dessert in right away, and make sure theres enough wine to toast Cleopatras health. |
CHARMIAN (giving hand toSOOTHSAYER) Good sir, give me good fortune. | CHARMIAN (giving her hand to theFORTUNETELLER) Kind sir, give me a good fortune. |
SOOTHSAYER I make not, but foresee. | FORTUNETELLER I dont make fortunes; I only see them. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Then see a good one for me. |
SOOTHSAYER You shall be yet far fairer than you are. | FORTUNETELLER Your beauty will be even greater than it is now. |
CHARMIAN (to the others) He means in flesh. | CHARMIAN (to the others) He means Ill get fat. |
IRAS No, you shall paint when you are old. | IRAS No, he means youll use makeup when youre old. |
CHARMIAN Wrinkles forbid! | CHARMIAN May my wrinkles forbid that! |
ALEXAS | ALEXAS Dont joke about his predictions. Pay attention. |
CHARMIAN Hush! | CHARMIAN Quiet! |
SOOTHSAYER You shall be more beloving than beloved. | FORTUNETELLER You will love more than you are loved. |
CHARMIAN I had rather heat my liver with drinking. | CHARMIAN |
ALEXAS Nay, hear him. | ALEXAS Just listen to him. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Be kind now and tell me some excellent fortune. Tell me that Ill marry three kings before noon and be widowed by all of them. Tell me Ill have a child when Im fifty who will be honored even by Herod of JudeaHerod was the Roman governor of Israel at the time of Christs birth. In an attempt to kill Jesus, prophesied to become king of the Jews, Herod ordered the slaughter of all the infants in Bethlehem. |
SOOTHSAYER 30 You shall outlive the lady whom you serve. | FORTUNETELLER You will outlive the Queen. |
CHARMIAN Oh, excellent! I love long life better than figs. | CHARMIAN Oh, excellent! I love long life better than figsFigs were thought to resemble female genitalia. |
SOOTHSAYER You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach. | FORTUNETELLER You have already had better fortune than the future will bring. |
CHARMIAN Then belike my children shall have no names. Prithee, how many boys and wenches must I have? | CHARMIAN Then my children will probably be illegitimate. Tell me, please: how many boys and girls will I have? |
SOOTHSAYER If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertile every wish, a million. | FORTUNETELLER If every time you wished for a child you could have had one, you would have a million children. |
CHARMIAN Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch. | CHARMIAN Get out of here, you fool! Since youre a fortuneteller I wont bring charges of witchcraft against you. |
ALEXAS You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes. | ALEXAS You seem to think no one outside of your bedroom knows what you wish. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN (toFORTUNETELLER) Never mind. Tell Irass fortune. |
ALEXAS Well know all our fortunes. | ALEXAS Well all want our fortune told. |
ENOBARBUS Mine, and most of our fortunes tonight, shall bedrunk to bed. | ENOBARBUS My fortunelike that of many of us tonightis to go drunk to bed. |
IRAS (giving her hand to theSOOTHSAYER) Theres a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. | IRAS (giving her hand to theFORTUNETELLER) Theres a palm that will predict a chaste life, if nothing else. |
CHARMIAN Een as the oerflowing Nilus presageth famine. | CHARMIAN |
IRAS Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay. | IRAS Oh stop it, you lusty bed-hopper. You cant see the future. |
CHARMIAN Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear.Prithee, tell her but a workaday fortune. | CHARMIAN Well, if a moist palm isnt a clear sign of promiscuity, then I cant scratch my own ear. (toFORTUNETELLER) Please, tell her an ordinary fortune. |
SOOTHSAYER Your fortunes are alike. | FORTUNETELLER Your fortunes are the same. |
IRAS But how, but how? Give me particulars. | IRAS But how? How is that possible? Give me details. |
SOOTHSAYER I have said. | FORTUNETELLER Ive said what I have to say. |
IRAS Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? | IRAS Isnt my fortune just a little better than hers? By an inch, even? |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Well, if you could have just an inch of better fortune than me, where would you like the improvement? |
IRAS Not in my husbands nose. | IRAS Not in my husbands nose. |
CHARMIAN Our worser thoughts heavens mend. Alexas! (toSOOTHSAYER) Come, his fortune, his fortune! Oh, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee, and let her die too, and give him a worse, and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight, good Isis, I beseech thee! | CHARMIAN May heaven save us from indecent thoughts! Alexas! (to theFORTUNETELLER) Come and tell his fortune. Let him marry a woman he cant satisfy, dear IsisIsis was Egypts primary female deity, generally associated with the earth, the moon, and fertility. |
IRAS | IRAS Amen, dear goddess. Listen to our prayer. If its sad to see a handsome man with a cheating wife, its a tragedy to see an ugly thug with a wife whos faithful. Therefore, dear Isis, do the right thing and give him the fortune he deserves. |
CHARMIAN | CHARMIAN Amen. |
ALEXAS (to himself) Lo now, if it lay in their hands to make me a cuckold, they would make themselves whores but theyd do t. | ALEXAS (to himself) See! If they could make me a cuckold, theyd whore themselves in order to see it done. |
ENOBARBUS Hush! Here comes Antony. | ENOBARBUS Quiet! Here comes Antony. |
CHARMIAN Not he. The Queen. | CHARMIAN Its not him; its the Queen. |
Enter CLEOPATRA | CLEOPATRA enters. |
CLEOPATRA 75 Saw you my lord? | CLEOPATRA Have you seen my lord? |
ENOBARBUS No, lady. | ENOBARBUS No, lady. |
CLEOPATRA Was he not here? | CLEOPATRA Wasnt he here? |
CHARMIAN No, madam. | CHARMIAN No, madam. |
CLEOPATRA He was disposed to mirth, but on the sudden 80 A Roman thought hath struck him.Enobarbus! | CLEOPATRA He was in a good mood, and then suddenly he started thinking of Rome. Enobarbus? |
ENOBARBUS Madam? | ENOBARBUS Madam? |
CLEOPATRA Seek him and bring him hither. Wheres Alexas? | CLEOPATRA Find him and bring him here. Wheres Alexas? |
ALEXAS Here at your service. My lord approaches. | ALEXAS Here, at your service. Here comes my lord. |
Enter ANTONY with the FIRST MESSENGER | ANTONY and the FIRST MESSENGER enter. |
CLEOPATRA 85 We will not look upon him. Go with us. | CLEOPATRA |
FIRST MESSENGER Fulvia thy wife first came into the field. | FIRST MESSENGER Your wife, Fulvia, mustered her army first. |
ANTONY Against my brother Lucius? | ANTONY Against my brother Lucius? |
FIRST MESSENGER Ay. But soon that war had end, and the times state Whose better issue in the war from Italy Upon the first encounter drave them. | FIRST MESSENGER Yes. But that war ended as soon as circumstances made it advisable for them to join together against Caesar. But in their very first battle, Caesar won and drove them out of Italy. |
Exeunt all but ANTONY and the FIRST MESSENGER | Everyone follows CLEOPATRA out, leaving ANTONY and the FIRST MESSENGER . |
ANTONY Well, what worst? | ANTONY Well, give me the worst news. |
FIRST MESSENGER The nature of bad news infects the teller. | FIRST MESSENGER The bearer of bad news is often blamed for it. |
ANTONY 95 When it concerns the fool or coward. On. Things that are past are done, with me. Tis thus: Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death, I hear him as he flattered. | ANTONY Only if the hearer is a fool or a coward. Go on. As far as Im concerned, whats past is done. Its like this: as long as a person tells me the truth, even though it means my death, I will listen as though he praised me. |
FIRST MESSENGER Labienus This is stiff newshath with his Parthian force 100 Extended Asia: from Euphrates His conquering banner shook, from Syria To Lydia and to Ionia, Whilst | FIRST MESSENGER The news is disturbing. LabienusQuintus Labienus was a Roman general charged with subduing Parthia, a hostile country in Asia Minor, and garnering Parthinian military support in the war against Antony and Octavius Caesar. When Cassius and Brutus were defeated, Labienus led the Parthians in a war against Rome, conquering some of the Roman territories in Asia along the way. |
ANTONY Antony, thou wouldst say. | ANTONY While Antony... is what you want to say. |
FIRST MESSENGER O my lord! | FIRST MESSENGER Oh, my lord! |
ANTONY Name Cleopatra as she is called in Rome. Rail thou in Fulvias phrase, and taunt my faults With such full license as both truth and malice Have power to utter. Oh, then we bring forth weeds Is as our earing. | ANTONY Speak plainly. Dont tone down what the people are saying. Call Cleopatra what the Romans call her. Use Fulvias abusive language. Freely scold me for my faults with as much severity as an enemy with truth on his side. Its easy to err when left to our own devices, but criticism helps us to see our faults and correct them. |
Enter SECOND MESSENGER | A SECOND MESSENGER enters. |
Fare thee well awhile. | Good-bye for a while. |
FIRST MESSENGER At your noble pleasure. Exit FIRST MESSENGER | FIRST MESSENGER Ill be at your service. The FIRST MESSENGER exits. |
ANTONY From Sicyon, how, the news? Speak there. | ANTONY Whats the news from SicyonSicyon is the town in Greece where Antony left Fulvia. |
SECOND MESSENGER The man from Sicyon | SECOND MESSENGER The man from Sicyon |
ANTONY Is there such an one? | ANTONY Is he here? |
SECOND MESSENGER 115 He stays upon your will. | SECOND MESSENGER Hes waiting outside. |
ANTONY Let him appear. Exit SECOND MESSENGER | ANTONY Have him come in. The SECOND MESSENGER exits. |
These strong Egyptian fetters I must break, Or lose myself in dotage. | (to himself) I must break Cleopatras powerful hold over me or else Ill lose myself in foolish infatuation. |
Enter THIRD MESSENGER , with a letter | A THIRD MESSENGER enters with a letter. |
What are you? | Whats your message? |
THIRD MESSENGER Fulvia thy wife is dead. | THIRD MESSENGER Your wife, Fulvia, is dead. |
ANTONY Where died she? | ANTONY Where did she die? |
THIRD MESSENGER In Sicyon. Importeth thee to know, this bears. | THIRD MESSENGER In Sicyon. In this letter youll find details of her illness and other, more serious matters that concern you. |
He gives ANTONY a letter | He hands the letter to ANTONY . |
ANTONY Forbear me. Exit THIRD MESSENGER | ANTONY Leave me. The THIRD MESSENGER exits. |
(to himself) Theres a great spirit gone! Thus did I desire it. What our contempts doth often hurl from us We wish it ours again. The present pleasure, 125 By revolution lowering, does become The opposite of itself. Shes good, being gone. The hand could pluck her back that shoved her on. I must from this enchanting Queen break off. Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know 130 My idleness doth hatch.How now, Enobarbus! | (to himself) A great spirit has gone from the world! This is what I wanted. Once its gone, the very thing we reject becomes what we desire. Whats enjoyable one day becomes the opposite as time rolls around. Now that shes gone, I want her. Now I would call her back, though I pushed her away. I have to break from this beguiling Queen. The time Ive wasted here has caused ten thousand more problems than the ones I know about. (calling) Are you there, Enobarbus? |
Enter ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS enters. |
ENOBARBUS Whats your pleasure, sir? | ENOBARBUS What would you like, sir? |
ANTONY I must with haste from hence. | ANTONY I have to leave right away. |
ENOBARBUS Why, then, we kill all our women. We see how mortal an unkindness is to them. If they suffer our departure, deaths the word. | ENOBARBUS That will kill our lovers. We know how much they suffer if we are unkind to them. If we leave, it will feel like nothing less than death to them. |
ANTONY I must be gone. | ANTONY I must be gone. |
ENOBARBUS Under a compelling occasion, let women die. It were pity to cast them away for nothing, though between them and a great cause they should be esteemed nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least noise of this, dies instantly. I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment. I do think there is mettle in death, which commits some loving act upon her, she hath such a celerity in dying. | ENOBARBUS If its that important, then let the women die. It would be a pity to throw them away for nothing, but if its a matter of choosing between them and a great cause, then theyre worthless. If Cleopatra hears even a breath of this, shell die immediately. Ive seen her claim to be dying twenty times before, and for far less reason. I think there must be something invigorating about death, since she dies with such enthusiasm. |
ANTONY She is cunning past mans thought. | ANTONY Shes more cunning than anyone can imagine. |
ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS Alas, sir, no, her feelings come from pure love, not cleverness. Her sighs and tears are like great winds and floods. She has more storms and tempests in her than a weather almanac. Her temper is not a trick or a skillif it is, she can make it rain as well as Joveking of the Roman gods; commands thunder, lightning, and rain |
ANTONY Would I had never seen her! | ANTONY I wish Id never seen her! |
ENOBARBUS O sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of work which not to have been blessed withal would have discredited your travel. | ENOBARBUS Then youd have missed an amazing piece of work, sir, and your trip would have been poorer for the loss. |
ANTONY 155 Fulvia is dead. | ANTONY Fulvia is dead. |
ENOBARBUS Sir? | ENOBARBUS Pardon me? |
ANTONY Fulvia is dead. | ANTONY Fulvia is dead. |
ENOBARBUS Fulvia? | ENOBARBUS Fulvia? |
ANTONY Dead. | ANTONY Dead. |
ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS Then you should offer the gods a sacrifice to show your thanks. When a mans wife dies, he can be comforted by the knowledge that there are replacements to be found. If Fulvia were the last woman on earth, there would be a reason to grieve. But in this way, grief and comfort appear together. The only kind of tears you should shed in this case are the kind you might get from holding an onion to your nose. |
ANTONY The business she hath broached in the state 170 Cannot endure my absence. | ANTONY I must go and continue the business Fulvia started. |
ENOBARBUS And the business you have broached here cannot be without you, especially that of Cleopatras, which wholly depends on your abode. | ENOBARBUS The business you began here needs you as wellespecially the business with Cleopatra, which only you can attend to. |
ANTONY No more light answers. Let our officers 175 Have notice what we purpose. I shall break The cause of our expedience to the Queen And get her leave to part. For not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, Do strongly speak to us, but the letters too 180 Of many our contriving friends in Rome Petition us at home. Sextus Pompeius Hath given the dare to Caesar and commands The empire of the sea. Our slippery people, Whose love is never linked to the deserver 185 Till his deserts are past, begin to throw Pompey the Great and all his dignities Upon his son, whohigh in name and power, Higher than both in blood and lifestands up For the main soldier, whose quality, going on, 190 The sides o th world may danger. Much is breeding Which, like the coursers hair, hath yet but life, And not a serpents poison. Say our pleasure, To such whose place is under us, requires Our quick remove from hence. | ANTONY Enough of this frivolous talk. Give our officers notice of our intentions. Ill tell the Queen the reason for our quick departure and get her permission to leave. Fulvias death and the pressing concerns related to it are not the only reasons I am eager to go; friends in Rome have also sent many letters advising my return. Sextus Pompeius has challenged Caesar. His fleet controls the sea. Our fickle citizenswho never reward service until that service is overare now giving all the rights and honors won by Pompey the Great to his son, Sextus. Sextus has great honor and power, and his spirit and energy are even greater, all of which makes him the most formidable soldier in the empire. The empire may be in danger if hes not restrained before he reaches his full potential. There are many troubles brewing now that have yet to become full-fledged threats. Like horses hairs dropped in a bucket of water, they come alive like snakes but as yet they bear no poison.This sentence refers to a popular belief of the time. |
ENOBARBUS | ENOBARBUS I will. |
Exeunt | They both exit. |