Antony and Cleopatra

Scene I.
Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's palace.
Scene II.
Alexandria. Another Room in Cleopatra's palace.
Scene III.
Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's palace.
Scene IV.
Rome. An Apartment in Caesar's House
Scene V.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Scene I.
Messina. A Room in Pompey's house.
Scene II.
Rome. A Room in the House of Lepidus.
Scene III.
Rome. A Room in Caesar's House.
Scene IV.
Rome. A street.
Scene V.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene VI.
Near Misenum.
Scene VII.
On board Pompey's Galley, lying near Misenum.

Scene I.
A plain in Syria.
Scene II.
Rome. An Ante-chamber in Caesar's house.
Scene III.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene IV.
Athens. A Room in Antony's House.
Scene V.
Athens. Another Room in Antony's House.
Scene VI.
Rome. A Room in Caesar's House.
Scene VII.
Antony's Camp near the Promontory of Actium.
Scene VIII.
A plain near Actium.
Scene IX.
Another part of the Plain.
Scene X.
Another part of the Plain.
Scene XI.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene XII.
Caesar's camp in Egypt.
Scene XIII.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

Scene I.
Caesar's Camp at Alexandria.
Scene II.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene III.
Alexandria. Before the Palace.
Scene IV.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene V.
Antony's camp near Alexandria.
Scene VI.
Alexandria. Caesar's camp.
Scene VII.
Field of battle between the Camps.
Scene VIII.
Under the Walls of Alexandria.
Scene IX.
Caesar's camp.
Scene X.
Ground between the two Camps.
Scene XI.
Another part of the Ground.
Scene XII.
Another part of the Ground.
Scene XIII.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene XIV.
Alexandria. Another Room.
Scene XV.
Alexandria. A monument.

Scene I.
Caesar's Camp before Alexandria.
Scene II.
Alexandria. A Room in the Monument.

Dramatis Personæ

MARK ANTONY, Triumvir
OCTAVIUS CAESAR, Triumvir
LEPIDUS, Triumvir
SEXTUS POMPEIUS,
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, friend to Antony
VENTIDIUS, friend to Antony
EROS, friend to Antony
SCARUS, friend to Antony
DERCETUS, friend to Antony
DEMETRIUS, friend to Antony
PHILO, friend to Antony
MAECENAS, friend to Caesar
AGRIPPA, friend to Caesar
DOLABELLA, friend to Caesar
PROCULEIUS, friend to Caesar
THIDIAS, friend to Caesar
GALLUS, friend to Caesar
MENAS, friend to Pompey
MENECRATES, friend to Pompey
VARRIUS, friend to Pompey
TAURUS, Lieutenant-General to Caesar
CANIDIUS, Lieutenant-General to Antony
SILIUS, an Officer in Ventidius's army
EUPHRONIUS, an Ambassador from Antony to Caesar
ALEXAS, attendant on Cleopatra
MARDIAN, attendant on Cleopatra
SELEUCUS, attendant on Cleopatra
DIOMEDES, attendant on Cleopatra
A SOOTHSAYER
A CLOWN

CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt
OCTAVIA, sister to Caesar and wife to Antony
CHARMIAN, Attendant on Cleopatra
IRAS, Attendant on Cleopatra

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants

SCENE: Dispersed, in several parts of the Roman Empire.

SCENE I. Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's palace. Enter Demetrius and Philo.

PHILONay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure. Those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glowed like plated Mars, now bend, now turn
The office and devotion of their view
On a tawny front. His captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper
And is become the bellows and the fan
To cool a gipsy's lust.

Flourish. Enter Antony and Cleopatra, her Ladies, the Train, with Eunuchs fanning her. Look where they come: Take but good note, and you shall see in him The triple pillar of the world transform'd Into a strumpet's fool. Behold and see.

CLEOPATRAIf it be love indeed, tell me how much.

ANTONYThere's beggary in the love that can be reckoned.

CLEOPATRAI'll set a bourn how far to be beloved.

ANTONYThen must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGERNews, my good lord, from Rome.

ANTONYGrates me, the sum.

CLEOPATRANay, hear them, Antony.
Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows
If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you: "Do this or this;
Take in that kingdom and enfranchise that.
Perform't, or else we damn thee."

ANTONYHow, my love?

CLEOPATRAPerchance! Nay, and most like. You must not stay here longer; your dismission Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony. Where's Fulvia's process?—Caesar's I would say? Both? Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen, Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine Is Caesar's homager; else so thy cheek pays shame When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!

ANTONYLet Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay. Our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man. The nobleness of life
Is to do thus [Embracing]; when such a mutual pair
And such a twain can do't, in which I bind,
On pain of punishment, the world to weet
We stand up peerless.

CLEOPATRAExcellent falsehood!
Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
I'll seem the fool I am not. Antony
Will be himself.

ANTONYBut stirred by Cleopatra.
Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh.
There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
Without some pleasure now. What sport tonight?

CLEOPATRAHear the ambassadors.

ANTONYFie, wrangling queen!
Whom everything becomes—to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee fair and admired!
No messenger but thine, and all alone
Tonight we'll wander through the streets and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen,
Last night you did desire it. Speak not to us.

[Exeunt Antony and Cleopatra with the Train.]

DEMETRIUSIs Caesar with Antonius prized so slight?

PHILOSir, sometimes when he is not Antony,
He comes too short of that great property
Which still should go with Antony.

DEMETRIUSI am full sorry
That he approves the common liar who
Thus speaks of him at Rome, but I will hope
Of better deeds tomorrow. Rest you happy!

[Exeunt.] SCENE II. Alexandria. Another Room in Cleopatra's palace. Enter Enobarbus, a Soothsayer, Charmian, Iras, Mardian and Alexas.

CHARMIANLord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most anything Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer that you praised so to th' queen? O, that I knew this husband which you say must charge his horns with garlands!

ALEXASSoothsayer!

SOOTHSAYERYour will?

CHARMIANIs this the man? Is't you, sir, that know things?

SOOTHSAYERIn nature's infinite book of secrecy
A little I can read.

ALEXASShow him your hand.

ENOBARBUSBring in the banquet quickly; wine enough
Cleopatra's health to drink.

CHARMIANGood, sir, give me good fortune.

SOOTHSAYERI make not, but foresee.

CHARMIANPray, then, foresee me one.

SOOTHSAYERYou shall be yet far fairer than you are.

CHARMIANHe means in flesh.

IRASNo, you shall paint when you are old.

CHARMIANWrinkles forbid!

ALEXASVex not his prescience. Be attentive.

CHARMIANHush!

SOOTHSAYERYou shall be more beloving than beloved.

CHARMIANI had rather heat my liver with drinking.

ALEXASNay, hear him.

CHARMIANGood now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon and widow them all. Let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage. Find me to marry me with Octavius Caesar, and companion me with my mistress.

SOOTHSAYERYou shall outlive the lady whom you serve.

CHARMIANO, excellent! I love long life better than figs.

SOOTHSAYERYou have seen and proved a fairer former fortune
Than that which is to approach.

CHARMIANThen belike my children shall have no names. Prithee, how many boys and wenches must I have?

SOOTHSAYERIf every of your wishes had a womb,
And fertile every wish, a million.

CHARMIANOut, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.

ALEXASYou think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes.

CHARMIANNay, come, tell Iras hers.

ALEXASWe'll know all our fortunes.

ENOBARBUSMine, and most of our fortunes tonight, shall be drunk to bed.

IRASThere's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else.

CHARMIANE'en as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine.

IRASGo, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay.

CHARMIANNay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear. Prithee, tell her but workaday fortune.

SOOTHSAYERYour fortunes are alike.

IRASBut how, but how? give me particulars.

SOOTHSAYERI have said.

IRASAm I not an inch of fortune better than she?

CHARMIANWell, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you choose it?

IRASNot in my husband's nose.

CHARMIANOur worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas—come, his fortune! his fortune! O, 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, fiftyfold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Isis, I beseech thee!

IRASAmen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people! For, as it is a heartbreaking to see a handsome man loose-wived, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded. Therefore, dear Isis, keep decorum and fortune him accordingly!

CHARMIANAmen.