The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 467
Will leap to be his friend: for us, you know,
Will leap to be his friend; for we, you know,
Whose he is we are, and that is, Caesar's.
Will be friends with his friends, and that is, Caesar's.
THYREUS
So.
So.Thus then, thou most renown'd: Caesar entreats,
In that way then, you famous and respected: Caesar requests
Not to consider in what case thou stand'st,
Not to consider yourself standing
Further than he is Caesar.
CLEOPATRA
Go on: right royal.
Go on: so far very royal.
THYREUS
He knows that you embrace not Antony
He knows that you stay with Antony
As you did love, but as you fear'd him.
Not out of love, but out of fear.
CLEOPATRA
O!
Oh!
THYREUS
The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
Therefore, the scars upon your honor, he
Does pity, as constrained blemishes,
Pities as things that were forced on you,
Not as deserved.
Not as things you deserved.
CLEOPATRA
He is a god, and knowsWhat is most right: mine honour was not yielded,
What is right: my honor was not given up,
But conquer'd merely.
But only conquered.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
[Aside] To be sure of that,
To be sure of that,I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art so leaky,
I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, your ship is so leaky,
That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
That we must leave you to your sinking, for
Thy dearest quit thee.
You nearest and dearest abandon you.
Exit
THYREUS
Shall I say to Caesar
Should I say to Caesar
What you require of him? for he partly begs
What you want from him? For he wishes
To be desired to give. It much would please him,
To be allowed to give. It would please him,
That of his fortunes you should make a staff
That of his wealth you would make a staff
To lean upon: but it would warm his spirits,
To lean on: but it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,
To hear from me that you had left Mark Antony,And put yourself under his shrowd,
And put yourself under his protection,The universal landlord.
The universal landlord.
CLEOPATRA
What's your name?
What is your name?
THYREUS
My name is Thyreus.
My name is Thyreus.
CLEOPATRA
Most kind messenger,
Kindest messenger,
Say to great Caesar this: in deputation
Say this to great Caesar: in gratitude
I kiss his conquering hand: tell him, I am prompt
I kiss his conquering hand: tell him, I am ready
To lay my crown at 's feet, and there to kneel:
To lay my crown at his feet, and kneel there:
Tell him from his all-obeying breath I hear
Tell him from his law-making words I hear
The doom of Egypt.
The fate of Egypt.
THYREUS
'Tis your noblest course.
It is the best choice for you.
Wisdom and fortune combating together,
Wisdom and luck fighting together,
If that the former dare but what it can,
If wisdom dares only what it can do,
No chance may shake it. Give me grace to lay
No chance may shake it. Give me permission to lay
My duty on your hand.
My respect on your hand.
CLEOPATRA
Your Caesar's father oft,
Your Caesar's father often,
When he hath mused of taking kingdoms in,
When he had thoughts of taking kingdomes in,Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,
Gifted his lips on that unworthy place,
As it rain'd kisses.
As it rained kisses.
Re-enter MARK ANTONY and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
MARK ANTONY
Favours, by Jove that thunders!
Favors from Cleopatra, by Jove!
What art thou, fellow?
Who are you, fellow?
THYREUS
One that but performs
One who simply performs
The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiest
The commands of the greatest man, and most worthy
To have command obey'd.
Of having himself obeyed.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
[Aside] You will be whipp'd.
You will be whipped.
MARK ANTONY
Approach, there! Ah, you kite! Now, gods and devils!
Come, there! You hawk! Now, gods and devils!
Authority melts from me: of late, when I cried 'Ho!'
Authority is melting from me: recently when I yelled, 'Hey!"
Like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth,
Kings would rush forward, like boys to food,
And cry 'Your will?' Have you no ears? I am Antony yet.
And reply, 'What do you wish?' Do you have no ears? I am still Antony.
Enter Attendants
Take hence this Jack, and whip him.
Take this guy and whip him.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
[Aside] 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp
It is better playing with a lion cubThan with an old one dying.
Than with an old, dying one.
MARK ANTONY
Moon and stars!
Moon and stars!Whip him. Were't twenty of the greatest tributaries
Whip him. Even if it were one of the twenty greatest leaders
That do acknowledge Caesar, should I find them
That bow before Caesar, if I found them
So saucy with the hand of she here,--what's her name,
So saucy with the hand of this woman here
Since she was Cleopatra? Whip him, fellows,
Whip him, men,
Till, like a boy, you see him cringe his face,
Till, like a boy, you see him wince and cringe,
And whine aloud for mercy: take him hence.
And cry for mercy: take him from here.
THYREUS
Mark Antony!
Mark Antony!
MARK ANTONY
Tug him away: being whipp'd,
Pull him away: after he is whipped
Bring him again: this Jack of Caesar's shall
Bring him back: this fool of Caesar's will
Bear us an errand to him.
Take a message to him.
CLEOPATRA
O, is't come to this?
Oh, has it come to this?
MARK ANTONY
I found you as a morsel cold upon
I found you like a cold morsel on
Dead Caesar's trencher; nay, you were a fragment
Dead Caesar's plate; no, you were a leftover
Of Cneius Pompey's; besides what hotter hours,
Of Cneius Pompey's, besides what slutty times
Unregister'd in vulgar fame, you have
Not recorded in obscene reputation, you have
Luxuriously pick'd out: for, I am sure,
Luxuriously planned for: for, I am sure,
Though you can guess what temperance should be,
Though you can guess what self-control should be,
You know not what it is.
You don't know what it is.
CLEOPATRA
Wherefore is this?
; Why are you doing this?
MARK ANTONY
To let a fellow that will take rewards
To let a man that will take rewardsAnd say 'God quit you!' be familiar with
And say, 'God quit you!' get to cozy up to
My playfellow, your hand; this kingly seal
My playmate, your hand; this king's seal
And plighter of high hearts! O, that I were
And ruiner of hearts! Oh, if only I were
Upon the hill of Basan, to outroar
Upon the hill of Basan, to roar louder
The horned herd! for I have savage cause;
Than the stags! For I have vicious reasons;
And to proclaim it civilly, were like
And to say it politely would be like
A halter'd neck which does the hangman thank
A noosed neck which the hanged man thanks
For being yare about him.
For being tight around him.
Re-enter Attendants with THYREUS
Is he whipp'd?
Has he been whipped?
First Attendant
Soundly, my lord.
Thoroughly, my lord.
MARK ANTONY
Cried he? and begg'd a' pardon?
Did he cry and beg forgiveness?
First Attendant
He did ask favour.
He did.
MARK ANTONY
If that thy father live, let him repent
If your father lives, let him regret
Thou wast not made his daughter; and be thou sorry
You were not born his daughter; and be sorry
To follow Caesar in his triumph, since
To follow Caesar in his victory, since
Thou hast been whipp'd for following him: henceforth
You have been whipped for following him: from now on
The white hand of a lady fever thee,
May the hand of a lady make you feel ill,
Shake thou to look on 't. Get thee back to Caesar,
And may you shiver to look at it. Get back to Caesar,
Tell him thy entertainment: look, thou say
Tell him how you have been treated: looking, you say
He makes me angry with him; for he seems
He makes me angry with him; for he seemsProud and disdainful, harping on what I am,
Proud and cold, going on about what I am,
Not what he knew I was: he makes me angry;
Not what he knew I was: he makes me angry;And at this time most easy 'tis to do't,
And at this time it is very easy to do it,
When my good stars, that were my former guides,
When my good stars, that used to guide me,
Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires
Have left their spaces empty, and shot their fires
Into the abysm of hell. If he mislike
Into the depths of hell. If he dislikes
My speech and what is done, tell him he has
My speech and what has been done, tell him he has
Hipparchus, my enfranched bondman, whom
Hipparchus, my slave, whom
He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,
He may whip, or hang, or torture
As he shall like, to quit me: urge it thou:
As he likes, to have revenge on me: urge him on:
Hence with thy stripes, begone!
Go away, with your whip wounds, get out!
Exit THYREUS
CLEOPATRA
Have you done yet?
Are you done yet?
MARK ANTONY
Alack, our terrene moon
Oh no, our earthly moon
Is now eclipsed; and it portends alone
Has been eclipsed; and it predicts nothing but
The fall of Antony!
The fall of Mark Antony!
CLEOPATRA
I must stay his time.
I must stay with him until his end.
MARK ANTONY
To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes
To flatter Caesar, would you make eyes
With one that ties his points?
At someone who serves him?
CLEOPATRA
Not know me yet?
Don't you know me yet?
MARK ANTONY
Cold-hearted toward me?
Cold-hearted toward me?
CLEOPATRA
Ah, dear, if I be so,
Oh, my dear, if I am,
From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,
May Heaven make hail from my cold heart,
And poison it in the source; and the first stone
And poison it from the source; and may the first hailstone
Drop in my neck: as it determines, so
Drop onto me, and then
Dissolve my life! The next Caesarion smite!
Kill me! And may the next kill a follower of Caesar!
Till by degrees the memory of my womb,
Until little by little the memory of my womb,
Together with my brave Egyptians all,
Together with all my brave Egyptians,
By the discandying of this pelleted storm,
By the destruction of this storm,
Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile
Lie unburied, until the flies and gnats of the Nile
Have buried them for prey!
Have buried them as food!
MARK ANTONY
I am satisfied.
I am satisfied.Caesar sits down in Alexandria; where
Caesar sits in Alexandria; whereI will oppose his fate. Our force by land
I will resist him. Our force by land
Hath nobly held; our sever'd navy too
Has done well; our split navy too
Have knit again, and fleet, threatening most sea-like.
Has come together again, and are threatening force.
Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear, lady?
Where have you been, my heart? Do you hear, lady?
If from the field I shall return once more
If from the field I will return once moreTo kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;
To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood;I and my sword will earn our chronicle:
I and my sword will earn our place in history:
There's hope in't yet.
There's hope in it yet.
CLEOPATRA
That's my brave lord!
That's my brave lord!
MARK ANTONY
I will be treble-sinew'd, hearted, breathed,
I will have my muscles, heart, and breath,
And fight maliciously: for when mine hours
And fight viciously: for when my hours
Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
Were accurate and lucky, men fought
Of me for jests; but now I'll set my teeth,
Against me for fun; but now I'll grit my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me. Come,
And destroy all that stoop me. Come,
Let's have one other gaudy night: call to me
Let's have one more night of fun: call to me
All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more;
All my sad captains; fill our cups once more;
Let's mock the midnight bell.
Let us drink away the night.
CLEOPATRA
It is my birth-day:
To day is my birthday;I had thought to have held it poor: but, since my lord
I had thought it would be a sad one: but, since my lord
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.
Is Mark Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.
MARK ANTONY
We will yet do well.
We can still do well.
CLEOPATRA
Call all his noble captains to my lord.
Call all his noble captains to my lord.
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MARK ANTONY
Do so, we'll speak to them; and to-night I'll force
Do so, we'll talk to them; and tonight I'll forceThe wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen;
The wine show through their scars. Come on, my queen;
There's sap in't yet. The next time I do fight,
There's hope still. The next time I fight,
I'll make death love me; for I will contend
I'll make death love me; for I will struggle against
Even with his pestilent scythe.
Even his diseased scythe.
Exeunt all but DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,
Now he'll be reckless. To be furious,
Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood
Is to be frightened out of fear; and in that mood
The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still,
The dove will peck the hawk; and I still see,
A diminution in our captain's brain
A reduction in our captain's brain
Restores his heart: when valour preys on reason,
Restores his heart: when courage overcomes intelligence,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
It eats the sword it fights with. I will try to find
Some way to leave him.
Exit
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECAENAS, with his Army; OCTAVIUS CAESAR reading a letter
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
He calls me boy; and chides, as he had power
He calls me a boy; and scolds, as if he had the power
To beat me out of Egypt; my messenger
To chase me out of Egypt; my messenger
He hath whipp'd with rods; dares me to personal combat,
He has whipped with sticks; dares me to single combat,
Caesar to Antony: let the old ruffian know
Caesar to Antony: let the old scoundrel know
I have many other ways to die; meantime
I have plenty of other ways to die; meanwhile
Laugh at his challenge.
I laugh at his challenge.
MECAENAS
Caesar must think,
Caesar must think,When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted