The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.

  To do the best we can in our lives.

  Come, Menas.

  Come along, Menas.

  Exeunt

  Enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS

  LEPIDUS

  Good Enobarbus, 'tis a worthy deed,

  My dear Enobarbus, it is a worthwhile action,

  And shall become you well, to entreat your captain

  And will reflect well on you, to convince your captain

  To soft and gentle speech.

  To speak softly and gently.

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  I shall entreat him

  I will convince him

  To answer like himself: if Caesar move him,

  To answer like himself: if Caesar motivates him,

  Let Antony look over Caesar's head

  Let Mark Antony look over Caesar's headAnd speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,

  And speak as loudly as the god of war. By Jupiter,

  Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,

  If I had Antonius' beard,

  I would not shave't to-day.

  I would not shave it today.

  LEPIDUS

  Tis not a time

  This is not the time

  For private stomaching.

  For private feelings.

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  Every time

  Every time Serves for the matter that is then born in't.

  Is suitable for what goes on during it.

  LEPIDUS

  But small to greater matters must give way.

  But small issues must be put aside for big deals.

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  Not if the small come first.

  Not if the small ones come first.

  LEPIDUS

  Your speech is passion:

  Your speech is overly emotional:

  But, pray you, stir no embers up. Here comes

  But please, don't stir up things even more. Here comesThe noble Antony.

  The noble Mark Antony.

  Enter MARK ANTONY and VENTIDIUS

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  And yonder, Caesar.

  And over there, Caesar.

  Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MECAENAS, and AGRIPPA

  MARK ANTONY

  If we compose well here, to Parthia:

  If we do well here, we should go to Parthia:

  Hark, Ventidius.

  Look, it's Venius.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  I do not know,

  I don't know;Mecaenas; ask Agrippa.

  Macaenas, ask Agrippa.

  LEPIDUS

  Noble friends,

  My noble friends,That which combined us was most great, and let not

  What has brought us together is very important, and let's not

  A leaner action rend us. What's amiss,

  Respond inadequately. What is wrong,

  May it be gently heard: when we debate

  May we speak calmly about it: when we debate

  Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

  Our unimportant differences loudly, we end up

  Murder in healing wounds: then, noble partners,

  Worsening our healing wounds: then, noble partners,

  The rather, for I earnestly beseech,

  Instead, please,

  Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,

  I advice you to be diplomatic,

  Nor curstness grow to the matter.

  And not add to things with rudeness.

  MARK ANTONY

  'Tis spoken well.

  Well said.

  Were we before our armies, and to fight.

  If we were in front of our armies, and about to fight.

  I should do thus.

  I should act like this.

  Flourish

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  Welcome to Rome.

  Welcome to Rome.

  MARK ANTONY

  Thank you.

  Thank you.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  Sit.

  Sit down.

  MARK ANTONY

  Sit, sir.

  You sit down, sir.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  Nay, then.

  No, then.

  MARK ANTONY

  I learn, you take things ill which are not so,

  I learn that you are offended by things which aren't offensive,

  Or being, concern you not.

  Or are not your business.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  I must be laugh'd at,

  I must be laughed at,

  If, or for nothing or a little, I

  If, for nothing or for a little, I

  Should say myself offended, and with you

  Would say I was offended, and since you

  Chiefly i' the world; more laugh'd at, that I should

  Are much more laughed at by others, that I ended up

  Once name you derogately, when to sound your name

  Once insulting you, when speaking your name

  It not concern'd me.

  Does not concern me.

  MARK ANTONY

  My being in Egypt, Caesar,

  My time in Egypt, Caesar,

  What was't to you?

  What did it matter to you?

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  No more than my residing here at Rome

  No more than my living here at Rome

  Might be to you in Egypt: yet, if you there

  Might matter to you in Egypt: yet, if you there

  Did practise on my state, your being in Egypt

  Were on my state business, your being in Egypt

  Might be my question.

  Might be my problem.

  MARK ANTONY

  How intend you, practised?

  What do you mean by that?

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  You may be pleased to catch at mine intent

  You might figure out what I meant

  By what did here befal me. Your wife and brother

  By what happened to me here. Your wife and brother

  Made wars upon me; and their contestation

  Fought against me; and their grab for power

  Was theme for you, you were the word of war.

  Was about you as well, you were the motivation for war.

  MARK ANTONY

  You do mistake your business; my brother never

  You misunderstand; my brother never

  Did urge me in his act: I did inquire it;

  Encouraged me in his actions: I did ask about it;

  And have my learning from some true reports,

  And have learned from some true reports,

  That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather

  That there was fighting against you. Didn't he, instead,

  Discredit my authority with yours;

  Ignore my authority along with yours;

  And make the wars alike against my stomach,

  And fought no matter how I felt about it,

  Having alike your cause? Of this my letters

  Treating us the same? You agreed with me in my letters

  Before did satisfy you. If you'll patch a quarrel,

  Before this. If you end an argument,

  As matter whole you have not to make it with,

  And consider it ended, you cannot open it

  It must not be with this.

  All over again.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  You praise yourself

  You make yourself look good

  By laying defects of judgment to me; but

  By putting all the bad judgment on me; but

  You patch'd up your excuses.

  You are nothing but excuses.

  MARK ANTONY

  Not so, not so;

  That's not true;

  I know you could not lack, I am certain on't,

  I know you could not be without, I am certain of it,

&
nbsp; Very necessity of this thought, that I,

  A very necessary thought, that I,

  Your partner in the cause 'gainst which he fought,

  Your partner in the cause he fought against,

  Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars

  Would not be able to calmly watch those wars

  Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife,

  That harmed my own peace. As for my wife,

  I would you had her spirit in such another:

  I wish you had her spirit in someone like her:

  The third o' the world is yours; which with a snaffle

  You rule over a third of the world; and you may have room

  You may pace easy, but not such a wife.

  To walk comfortably, but not a wife like that.

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  Would we had all such wives, that the men might go

  If only we all had wives like that, so that men could go

  to wars with the women!

  to wars and fight alongside the women!

  MARK ANTONY

  So much uncurbable, her garboils, Caesar

  So much I could not hold back, her actions, Caesar

  Made out of her impatience, which not wanted

  Made out of her impatience, which did not lack

  Shrewdness of policy too, I grieving grant

  Cleverness in leadership too, I must sadly admit

  Did you too much disquiet: for that you must

  Caused you too much trouble: for that you can't

  But say, I could not help it.

  Say anything other than I could not help it.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  I wrote to you

  I wrote to youWhen rioting in Alexandria; you

  When there was rioting in Alexandria; you

  Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts

  Put away my letters, and with insults

  Did gibe my missive out of audience.

  Disregarded my messenger.

  MARK ANTONY

  Sir,

  SirHe fell upon me ere admitted: then

  He came to me without permission: then

  Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want

  I had just feasted with three kings, and wasn't

  Of what I was i' the morning: but next day

  Available that morning: but the next day

  I told him of myself; which was as much

  I told him about it myself; which was basically

  As to have ask'd him pardon. Let this fellow

  Like apologizing. Let this man

  Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,

  Not be something to argue over; if we must,

  Out of our question wipe him.

  We'll push him off the table of things to discuss.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  You have broken

  You have brokenThe article of your oath; which you shall never

  Your solemn promises; so you will never

  Have tongue to charge me with.

  Have a right to accuse me of anything.

  LEPIDUS

  Soft, Caesar!

  Calm down, Caesar!

  MARK ANTONY

  No,

  No,Lepidus, let him speak:

  Lepidus, let him talk:The honour is sacred which he talks on now,

  The honor he is talking about now is sacred,

  Supposing that I lack'd it. But, on, Caesar;

  Which he thinks I don't have. But, go on, Caesar;

  The article of my oath.

  The promise you are referring to.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  To lend me arms and aid when I required them;

  To lend me weapons and help when I needed them;

  The which you both denied.

  Which you both denied me.

  MARK ANTONY

  Neglected, rather;

  No, it was just delayed;

  And then when poison'd hours had bound me up

  And that was when I lost track of time

  From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may,

  Before I was aware of it. As much as I can,

  I'll play the penitent to you: but mine honesty

  I'll make it up to you: but my honesty

  Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power

  Will not reduce my greatness, and my power

  Work without it. Truth is, that Fulvia,

  Won't work without it. The truth is, Fulvia,

  To have me out of Egypt, made wars here;

  To get me out of Egypt, made wars here;

  For which myself, the ignorant motive, do

  For which I myself, the unintentional and unaware reason,

  So far ask pardon as befits mine honour

  As as much forgiveness as is suitable for my honor

  To stoop in such a case.

  To humble myself in such a situation.

  LEPIDUS

  'Tis noble spoken.

  That is nobly said.

  MECAENAS

  If it might please you, to enforce no further

  If you would be willing, to push no further

  The griefs between ye: to forget them quite

  The problems between you: to forget them completely

  Were to remember that the present need

  Would be to remember that the current need

  Speaks to atone you.

  Is enough to make up for you.

  LEPIDUS

  Worthily spoken, Mecaenas.

  Well and wisely said, Mecaenas.

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  Or, if you borrow one another's love for the

  Or, if you temporarily make peace for

  instant, you may, when you hear no more words of

  now, you may, when you no longer have to deal with

  Pompey, return it again: you shall have time to

  Pompey, go back to your fighting: you will have time

  wrangle in when you have nothing else to do.

  to tussle when you have nothing else to do.

  MARK ANTONY

  Thou art a soldier only: speak no more.

  You are only a soldier: quiet.

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.

  Oh, sorry, I forgot that truth should be silent.

  MARK ANTONY

  You wrong this presence; therefore speak no more.

  You are wrong in this case; so be quiet.

  DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

  Go to, then; your considerate stone.

  Get out, then; you considerate stone.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  I do not much dislike the matter, but

  I do not actually dislike what he says, but

  The manner of his speech; for't cannot be

  Instead how he says it; for it cannot be

  We shall remain in friendship, our conditions

  That we shall stay friends, our conditions

  So differing in their acts. Yet if I knew

  So different in how we act. Yet if I knew

  What hoop should hold us stanch, from edge to edge

  What connection could keep us together, from every part

  O' the world I would pursue it.

  Of the world I would chase after it.

  AGRIPPA

  Give me leave, Caesar,--

  Give me permission, Caesar --

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  Speak, Agrippa.

  Go on, Agrippa.

  AGRIPPA

  Thou hast a sister by the mother's side,

  You have a sister on your mother's side,

  Admired Octavia: great Mark Antony

  The admired Octavia: great Mark Antony

  Is now a widower.

  Is now a windowed.

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  Say not so, Agrippa:

  Do not say that, Agrippa:

  If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof

  If Cleopatra
heard you, your punishment

  Were well deserved of rashness.

  Would be well-deserved for your foolishness.

  MARK ANTONY

  I am not married, Caesar: let me hear

  I am not married, Caesar: let me hearAgrippa further speak.

  Agrippa speak further.

  AGRIPPA

  To hold you in perpetual amity,

  To keep you in constant agreement,

  To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts

  To make you brothers, and to tie your hearts together

  With an unslipping knot, take Antony

  With a knot that will not slip, have Antony

  Octavia to his wife; whose beauty claims

  Marry Octavia; she's beautiful enough

  No worse a husband than the best of men;

  For the best of men to be her husband;

  Whose virtue and whose general graces speak

  And her goodness and general gracefulness speak

  That which none else can utter. By this marriage,

  Well of her. By this marriage,

  All little jealousies, which now seem great,

  All the little problems, which now seem big,

  And all great fears, which now import their dangers,

  And all big fears, which come from their dangers,

  Would then be nothing: truths would be tales,

  Would then be nothing: facts would be stories,

  Where now half tales be truths: her love to both

  Where now only partial facts are true: her love to both

  Would, each to other and all loves to both,

  Would, each of them to each other,

  Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke;

  Come together because of her. Forgive me for speaking;

  For 'tis a studied, not a present thought,

  For it is something I have thought about, not a sudden idea,

  By duty ruminated.

  And properly considered.

  MARK ANTONY

  Will Caesar speak?

  Does Caesar have anything to say?

  OCTAVIUS CAESAR

  Not till he hears how Antony is touch'd

  Not until I hear how Antony is affected

  With what is spoke already.

  By what is spoken already.