The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 455
CLEOPATRA
Saw you my lord?
Did you see my lord?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
No, lady.
No, madam.
CLEOPATRA
Was he not here?
Wasn't he here?
CHARMIAN
No, madam.
No, lady.
CLEOPATRA
He was disposed to mirth; but on the sudden
He was in a mood for fun; but all of a sudden
A Roman thought hath struck him. Enobarbus!
A serious thought struck him. Enobarbus!
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Madam?
Lady?
CLEOPATRA
Seek him, and bring him hither.
Look for him, and bring him here.
Where's Alexas?
Where is Alexas?
ALEXAS
Here, at your service. My lord approaches.
Here, at your service. My husband is coming.
CLEOPATRA
We will not look upon him: go with us.
We will not stay with him: go with us.
Exeunt
Enter MARK ANTONY with a Messenger and Attendants
Messenger
Fulvia thy wife first came into the field.
Your wife Fulvia began the battle.
MARK ANTONY
Against my brother Lucius?
Against Lucius, my brother?
Messenger
Ay:
Yes:
But soon that war had end, and the time's state
But soon the war ended, and the changing circumstances
Made friends of them, joining their force 'gainst Caesar;
Made them into friends, joining their forces against Caesar;
Whose better issue in the war, from Italy,
Whose best troops in the war, from Italy,
Upon the first encounter, drave them.
Beat them the first time they met.
MARK ANTONY
Well, what worst?
Well, what could be worse?
Messenger
The nature of bad news infects the teller.
The nature of bad news upsets the messenger.
MARK ANTONY
When it concerns the fool or coward. On:
When it is about a fool or a coward. Continue:
Things that are past are done with me. 'Tis thus:
I don't dwell on the past. It's like this:
Who tells me true, though in his tale lie death,
Whoever tells me the truth, even if they bring bad news,
I hear him as he flatter'd.
I listen as though he were flattering me.
Messenger
Labienus--
Labienus --
This is stiff news--hath, with his Parthian force,
This is difficult news -- has, with his Parthian forces,
Extended Asia from Euphrates;
Expanded Asia from the Euphrates river:
His conquering banner shook from Syria
His conquering flag flies from Syria
To Lydia and to Ionia; Whilst--
To Lydia and to Ionia; While --
MARK ANTONY
Antony, thou wouldst say,--
Antony, you would say, --
Messenger
O, my lord!
Oh, sir!
MARK ANTONY
Speak to me home, mince not the general tongue:
Talk to me frankly, do not mince words:
Name Cleopatra as she is call'd in Rome;
Refer to Cleopatra as they call her in Rome;
Rail thou in Fulvia's phrase; and taunt my faults
Go on in praise of Fulvia; and mock my faults
With such full licence as both truth and malice
With the full ability that both truth and hate
Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds,
Have power to speak. Oh, then we will take offense,
When our quick minds lie still; and our ills told us
When our clever minds lie still; and our flaws are told to us
Is as our earing. Fare thee well awhile.
In our hearing. Goodbye for a while.
Messenger
At your noble pleasure.
As you wish.
Exit
MARK ANTONY
From Sicyon, ho, the news! Speak there!
The news from Sicyon, hey! Speak there!
First Attendant
The man from Sicyon,--is there such an one?
The man from Sicyon, -- is there one?
Second Attendant
He stays upon your will.
He stays because you asked him to.
MARK ANTONY
Let him appear.
Tell him to come here.
These strong Egyptian fetters I must break,
I must break these strong Egyptians chains,
Or lose myself in dotage.
Or lose myself in foolishness.
Enter another Messenger
What are you?
Where are you from?
Second Messenger
Fulvia thy wife is dead.
Your wife Fulvia is dead.
MARK ANTONY
Where died she?
Where did she die?
Second Messenger
In Sicyon:
In Sicyon:Her length of sickness, with what else more serious
How long she was sick, and other more serious matters
Importeth thee to know, this bears.
You need to know, are in this letter.
Gives a letter
MARK ANTONY
Forbear me.
Leave me alone.
Exit Second Messenger
There's a great spirit gone! Thus did I desire it:
Now a great spirit is gone! I wanted it this way:
What our contempt doth often hurl from us,
What our hatred often throws away from us,
We wish it ours again; the present pleasure,
We want it for ourselves again; the current pleasure,
By revolution lowering, does become
Becomes less as it turns, it becomes
The opposite of itself: she's good, being gone;
The opposite of itself: she is better now that she is gone;
The hand could pluck her back that shoved her on.
That hand could pull her back that shoved her away.
I must from this enchanting queen break off:
I must leave this enchanting queen.
Ten thousand harms, more than the ills I know,
Ten thousand problems, more than the bad things I know,
My idleness doth hatch. How now! Enobarbus!
My lazing around causes. What now! Enobarbus!
Re-enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
What's your pleasure, sir?
What is your wish, sir?
MARK ANTONY
I must with haste from hence.
I must quickly leave here.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Why, then, we kill all our women:
Why, then, we would kill all our women:
we see how mortal an unkindness is to them;
we see how terribly they take any unkindness;
if they suffer our departure, death's the word.
if they must deal with us leaving, they will die.
MARK ANTONY
I must be gone.
I must leave.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Under a compelling occasion, let women die; it were
If there is a good enough reason, let the women die; it would be
pity to cast them away for nothing; though, between
a pity to throw them away for nothing; though, between
them and a great cause, they should be esteemed
them and an important cause, they should be considered
> nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least noise of
nothing. Cleopatra, hearing the smallest portion of
this, dies instantly; I have seen her die twenty
this, will die instantly; I have seen her die twenty
times upon far poorer moment: I do think there is
times for a much worse reason: I do think there is
mettle in death, which commits some loving act upon
courage in death, which gives some loving act to
her, she hath such a celerity in dying.
her, she has such a dramatic habit of dying.
MARK ANTONY
She is cunning past man's thought.
She is more cunning than any man could think.
Exit ALEXAS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Alack, sir, no; her passions are made of nothing but
Unfortunately, sir, no; her emotions are made of nothing but
the finest part of pure love: we cannot call her
the best part of pure love: we cannot call her
winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater
winds and waters sighs and tears; they are far more huge
storms and tempests than almanacs can report: this
storms and typhoons than almanacs can predict: this
cannot be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a
cannot be her being cunning; if it is, she makes a
shower of rain as well as Jove.
shower of rain as well as Jove [God of storms].
MARK ANTONY
Would I had never seen her.
I wish I had never seen her.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
O, sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece
Oh, sir, but then you would have not seen a wonderful piece
of work; which not to have been blest withal would
of work; which to not have been blessed with would
have discredited your travel.
have been a shame on your travels.
MARK ANTONY
Fulvia is dead.
Fulvia died.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Sir?
Sir?
MARK ANTONY
Fulvia is dead.
Fulvia is dead.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Fulvia!
Fulvia?
MARK ANTONY
Dead.
Dead.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Why, sir, give the gods a thankful sacrifice. When
Well, sir, thank the gods with a sacrifice. When
it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man
it pleases the gods to take the wife of a man
from him, it shows to man the tailors of the earth;
from him, it shows to mankind the tailors of the earth;
comforting therein, that when old robes are worn
comforting them with this, that when old robes are worn
out, there are members to make new. If there were
out, there are new ones made. If there were
no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut,
no more women except Fulvia, then you would have an injury indeed,
and the case to be lamented: this grief is crownedand we would mourn: this grief instead is topped
with consolation; your old smock brings forth a new
with comfort; your old clothes can now be replaced with new
petticoat: and indeed the tears live in an onion
ones: and indeed there are enough tears in an onion
that should water this sorrow.
to provide water for this sadness.
MARK ANTONY
The business she hath broached in the state
The business she has begun in politics
Cannot endure my absence.
Cannot stand my being away.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
And the business you have broached here cannot be
And the business you have begun here cannot be
without you; especially that of Cleopatra's, which
without you; especially Cleopatra's, which
wholly depends on your abode.
completely depends on where you live.
MARK ANTONY
No more light answers. Let our officers
No more silliness. Let our officers
Have notice what we purpose. I shall break
Know what we intend to do. I will break
The cause of our expedience to the queen,
The news of our required actions to the queen,
And get her leave to part. For not alone
And get her permission to leave. For it is not only
The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,
The death of Fulvia, with more urgent reasons,
Do strongly speak to us; but the letters too
Speak to us strongly; but also the many letters
Of many our contriving friends in Rome
That our friends in Rome
Petition us at home: Sextus Pompeius
Demand we come home: Sextus Pompeius
Hath given the dare to Caesar, and commands
Has challenged Caesar, and orders
The empire of the sea: our slippery people,
The empire of the sea: our unfaithful people,
Whose love is never link'd to the deserver
Whose love is never for the person who deserves it
Till his deserts are past, begin to throw
Until he no longer deserves it, have begun to throw
Pompey the Great and all his dignities
Pompey the Great and all this authority
Upon his son; who, high in name and power,
Upon his won; who, high up in name and power,
Higher than both in blood and life, stands up
Higher than both in ancestry and life, stands up
For the main soldier: whose quality, going on,
For the common soldier: whose quality, going on,
The sides o' the world may danger: much is breeding,
The borders of the world may put in danger: there is much in heritage,
Which, like the courser's hair, hath yet but life,
Which, like the horse's hair, has still only life,
And not a serpent's poison. Say, our pleasure,
And not a snake's poison. Say, what we want,
To such whose place is under us, requires
To those whose position is under us, requires
Our quick remove from hence.
Us to leave here quickly.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
I shall do't.
I will do it.
Exeunt
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS
CLEOPATRA
Where is he?
Where is he?
CHARMIAN
I did not see him since.
I have not seen him recently.
CLEOPATRA
See where he is, who's with him, what he does:
See where he is, who is with him, what he is doing:
I did not send you: if you find him sad,
Pretend I didn't send you: if you find him sad,
Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report
Say I am dancing; if having fun, tell him
That I am sudden sick: quick, and return.
That I am suddenly sick: be quick, and return.
Exit ALEXAS
CHARMIAN
Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly,
Madam, I think if you did love him dearly,
You do not hold the method to enforce
You would not try all these things to force
The like from him.
His emotions and liking.
CLEOPATRA
What should I do, I do not?
What should I do if I didn't?
CHARMIAN
In each thing give him way, cross
him nothing.
Give him everything he wants; don't go against him in anything.
CLEOPATRA
Thou teachest like a fool; the way to lose him.
You teach like a fool; that is the way to lose him.
CHARMIAN
Tempt him not so too far; I wish, forbear:
Do not manipulate him too much; please, hold back:
In time we hate that which we often fear.
We eventually come to hate what we often fear.
But here comes Antony.
But here Antony comes.
Enter MARK ANTONY
CLEOPATRA
I am sick and sullen.
I am sick and in a bad mood.
MARK ANTONY
I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose,--
I am sorry to speak aloud what I need to do, --
CLEOPATRA
Help me away, dear Charmian; I shall fall:
Help me leave, dear Charmian; I will faint:
It cannot be thus long, the sides of nature
It can't be long from now, the laws of nature
Will not sustain it.
Will not keep it going
MARK ANTONY
Now, my dearest queen,--
Now, my beloved queen, --
CLEOPATRA
Pray you, stand further from me.
Please, stand further away from me.
MARK ANTONY
What's the matter?
What's the matter?
CLEOPATRA
I know, by that same eye, there's some good news.
I know by your face that there's some good news.
What says the married woman? You may go:
What does the married woman say? You may go:
Would she had never given you leave to come!
I wish she had never given you permission to come!
Let her not say 'tis I that keep you here:
May she not say that I keep you here:
I have no power upon you; hers you are.
I have no power over you; you are hers.