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
Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO
PHILO
Nay, but this dotage of our general's
No, but this silly devotion of our general's
O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
Is way too much: his good eyes
That o'er the files and musters of the war
That over the business of war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
Glowed like armored Mars [Roman god of war], now bend, now turnThe office and devotion of their view
The job and devotion of what they look at
Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Are in a dark direction: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
Which in the battles of huge fights have burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
The buckles on his chest, he no longer has any passion for war,
And is become the bellows and the fan
And has become the way to manipulate
To cool a gipsy's lust.
A dark woman's lust.
Flourish. Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, her Ladies, the Train, with Eunuchs fanning her
Look, where they come:
Look, see them come:
Take but good note, and you shall see in him.
Just pay attention, and you will see it in him.
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
The ruler and strength of the world transformedInto a strumpet's fool: behold and see.
Into a slut's fool: look and see.
CLEOPATRA
If it be love indeed, tell me how much.
If it really is love, tell me how much.
MARK ANTONY
There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.
Any love that could easily be summarized is not much at all.
CLEOPATRA
I'll set a bourn how far to be beloved.
I'll send a ship as far as your love.
MARK ANTONY
Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.
Then you would have to find a new heaven, a new earth.
Enter an Attendant
Attendant
News, my good lord, from Rome.
There is news, sir, from Rome.
MARK ANTONY
Grates me: the sum.
I'm busy: be brief.
CLEOPATRA
Nay, hear them, Antony:
No, listen to them, Antony:
Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows
It is possible Fulvia is angry; or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent
If the thinly-bearded Caesar has not sent
His powerful mandate to you, 'Do this, or this;
His powerful orders to you, "Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Conquer that kingdom, and make that happen;
Perform 't, or else we damn thee.'
Perform it, or else we condemn you."
MARK ANTONY
How, my love!
How, my love?
CLEOPATRA
Perchance! nay, and most like:
Possibly! And even more likely,
You must not stay here longer, your dismission
You must not stay here longer, your order to leave
Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony.
Has come from Caesar; so listen to it, Antony.
Where's Fulvia's process? Caesar's I would say? both?
Where is Fulvia's procession? Or I should say Caesar's? Both?
Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Call in the messengers. As truly as I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine
You blush, Antony; and that blood of yours
Is Caesar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame
Honors Caesar: or else your cheek shows shame
When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!
When sharp-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!
MARK ANTONY
Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
May Rome melt in the summer, and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Of the boundaries of the empire fall! Here is my place.
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Kingdoms are just dirt: our common soil
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life
Feeds animals the way it does humans: the noble thing in life
Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair
Is to act like this; when such a well-matched pair
Embracing
And such a twain can do't, in which I bind,
And two such people can do it, in which I tie together,
On pain of punishment, the world to weet
Even at the risk of punishment, to the world
We stand up peerless.
We are without compare.
CLEOPATRA
Excellent falsehood!
What a sweet lie!
Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?
Why did he marry Fulvia, only to betray her?
I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony
I'll seem more foolish than I am; Antony
Will be himself.
Will be himself.
MARK ANTONY
But stirr'd by Cleopatra.
But inspired by Cleopatra.
Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,
Now, for the love of Love and her pleasant times,
Let's not confound the time with conference harsh:
Let's not spoil things with serious business:
There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
There isn't a minute of our lives that should go by
Without some pleasure now. What sport tonight?
Without some pleasure now. What fun shall we have tonight?
CLEOPATRA
Hear the ambassadors.
Listen to the ambassadors.
MARK ANTONY
Fie, wrangling queen!
Oh come on, bossy queen!
Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
Who has become everything, to scold, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To cry; whose every emotion tries its best
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!
To make itself, in you, beautiful and admired!
No messenger, but thine; and all alone
No messenger but you; and all alone
To-night we'll wander through the streets and note
Tonight we'll wander through the streets
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;
And observe the people. Come, my queen;
Last night you did desire it: speak not to us.
Last night you wanted it: do not talk to us.
Exeunt MARK ANTONY and CLEOPATRA with their train
DEMETRIUS
Is Caesar with Antonius prized so slight
?
Does Antony value Caesar so little?
PHILO
Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony,
Sir, sometimes, when he is not being himself,
He comes too short of that great property
He comes up short of the mark
Which still should go with Antony.
That should be expected of him.
DEMETRIUS
I am full sorry
I am very sorry
That he approves the common liar, who
That he confirms the common rumors
Thus speaks of him at Rome: but I will hope
That say such things of him in Rome: but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy!
For better things tomorrow. Have a good evening!
Exeunt
Enter CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and a Soothsayer
CHARMIAN
Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas,
Lord Alexas, wonderful Alexas, best of everything Alexas,
almost most absolute Alexas, where's the soothsayer
every amazing thing Alexas, where's the fortuneteller
that you praised so to the queen? O, that I knew
that you praised so much to the queen? Oh, if only I knew
this husband, which, you say, must charge his horns
this husband, who, you say, must decorate his horns
with garlands!
with garlands!
ALEXAS
Soothsayer!
Fortuneteller!
Soothsayer
Your will?
What do you wish?
CHARMIAN
Is this the man? Is't you, sir, that know things?
Is this the man? Is it you, sir, who knows things?
Soothsayer
In nature's infinite book of secrecy
Of nature's unlimited secrets
A little I can read.
I know a few.
ALEXAS
Show him your hand.
Show him your hand.
Enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough
Bring in the feast quickly: with enough wine
Cleopatra's health to drink.
to toast Cleopatra.
CHARMIAN
Good sir, give me good fortune.
Good sir, tell me a good fortune.
Soothsayer
I make not, but foresee.
I do not make fortunes, just see them.
CHARMIAN
Pray, then, foresee me one.
Please, then, see mine.
Soothsayer
You shall be yet far fairer than you are.
You shall someday be more attractive than you are.
CHARMIAN
He means in flesh.
He means in appearance.
IRAS
No, you shall paint when you are old.
No, you shall wear makeup when you are old.
CHARMIAN
Wrinkles forbid!
May I never get wrinkles!
ALEXAS
Vex not his prescience; be attentive.
Don't annoy his wisdom; pay attention.
CHARMIAN
Hush!
Quiet!
Soothsayer
You shall be more beloving than beloved.
You will love more than you are loved.
CHARMIAN
I had rather heat my liver with drinking.
I would rather poison my liver with drinking.
ALEXAS
Nay, hear him.
No, listen to him.
CHARMIAN
Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married
Good, now tell me an excellent fortune! Let me be married
to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all:
to three kings in a morning, and be the widow of them all:
let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry
let me have a child when I am fifty, to whom Herod of the Jews
may do homage: find me to marry me with Octavius
may honor: find out that I will marry Octavius
Caesar, and companion me with my mistress.
Caesar, and make me as good as my lady.
Soothsayer
You shall outlive the lady whom you serve.
You will live longer than the lady you serve.
CHARMIAN
O excellent! I love long life better than figs.
Oh, excellent! I love living long better than I love figs.
Soothsayer
You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune
You have seen and had a more attractive former fortune
Than that which is to approach.
Than the one that is coming.
CHARMIAN
Then belike my children shall have no names:
Then it seems my children shall have no names:
prithee, how many boys and wenches must I have?
please, how many boys and girls will I have?
Soothsayer
If every of your wishes had a womb.
If every one of your wishes had a womb,
And fertile every wish, a million.
And every wish was fertile, a million.
CHARMIAN
Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch.
Out, you fool! I think you're a witch.
ALEXAS
You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes.
You think no one but your bedsheets know your wishes.
CHARMIAN
Nay, come, tell Iras hers.
No, come, tell Iras hers.
ALEXAS
We'll know all our fortunes.
We'll find out all our fortunes.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Mine, and most of our fortunes, to-night, shall
Mine, and most of our fortunes tonight, shall
be--drunk to bed.
be passing out drunk.
IRAS
There's a palm presages chastity, if nothing else.
There's a palm that promises chastity, if nothing else.
CHARMIAN
E'en as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine.
The same way the overflowing Nile promises famine.
IRAS
Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay.
Go away, you wild roommate, you cannot tell fortunes.
CHARMIAN
Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful
No, if an oily palm is not a fruitful
prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear. Prithee,
sign of the future, I cannot scratch my ear. Please,
tell her but a worky-day fortune.
just tell her an ordinary everyday fortune.
Soothsayer
Your fortunes are alike.
Your fortunes are all the same.
IRAS
But how, but how? give me particulars.
But how, but how? Give me specifics.
Soothsayer
I have said.
I have.
IRAS
Am I not an inch of fortune better than she?
Am I not even a little bit luckier than her?
CHARMIAN
Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than
Well, if you were only an inch of luck better than
I, where would you choose it?
me, where would you want it?
IRAS
Not in my husband's nose.
Not as part of my husband's nose.
CHARMIAN
Our worser thoughts heavens mend! Alexas,--come,
May heaven forgive our worse thoughts! Alxas, --come,
his fortune, his fortune! O, let him marry a woman
tell his fortune, his fortune! Oh, let him marry a woman
that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech t
hee! and let
that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beg you! and let
her die too, and give him a worse! and let worst
her die too, and give him worse one! and let even worse
follow worse, till the worst of all follow him
come after worse, until the worst of all follows him
laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good
laughing to his grave, a victim of adultery fifty times! Good
Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a
Isis, hear this prayer from me, even if you don't give me
matter of more weight; good Isis, I beseech thee!
something more important; good Isis, I beg you!
IRAS
Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people!
Amen. Beloved goddess, listen to that prayer of the people!
for, as it is a heartbreaking to see a handsome man
for, just as it is a heartbreaking sight to see a handsome man
loose-wived, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a
with an unfaithful wife, it is also terribly sad to see a
foul knave uncuckolded: therefore, dear Isis, keep
terrible man not betrayed by his wife: therefore, dear Isis, keep
decorum, and fortune him accordingly!
your manners, and give him the luck he deserves!
CHARMIAN
Amen.
I agree.
ALEXAS
Lo, now, if it lay in their hands to make me a
See, now, if it were possible for them to make me a
cuckold, they would make themselves whores, but
victim of adultery, they would make themselves prostitutes; they
they'ld do't!
would certainly do it!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Hush! here comes Antony.
Quiet! Here comes Antony.
CHARMIAN
Not he; the queen.
Not him; the queen.
Enter CLEOPATRA
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 454