The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 470
And look at their efforts.
Exeunt
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, and his Army
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
But being charged, we will be still by land,
But by being charged, we should still fight by land,
Which, as I take't, we shall; for his best force
Which, as I take it, we will; for his best force
Is forth to man his galleys. To the vales,
Has gone to staff his ships. To the valleys,
And hold our best advantage.
And hold our best advantage.
Exeunt
Enter MARK ANTONY and SCARUS
MARK ANTONY
Yet they are not join'd: where yond pine
Yet they have not shown up: where the pine tree over there
does stand,
stands,
I shall discover all: I'll bring thee word
I will find out what's going on: I will bring you news
Straight, how 'tis like to go.
Immediately, how things are likely to be.
Exit
SCARUS
Swallows have built
Swallows have builtIn Cleopatra's sails their nests: the augurers
Their nests in Cleopatra's sails: the fortune-tellers
Say they know not, they cannot tell; look grimly,
Say they have no idea what this means; they look grim
And dare not speak their knowledge. Antony
And do not dare say what they know. Antony
Is valiant, and dejected; and, by starts,
Is courageous, and worried; and, alternating,
His fretted fortunes give him hope, and fear,
His seesawing luck gives him hope, and fear,
Of what he has, and has not.
Alarum afar off, as at a sea-fight
Re-enter MARK ANTONY
MARK ANTONY
All is lost;
All is lost;This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me:
This terrible Egyptian has betrayed me:
My fleet hath yielded to the foe; and yonder
My fleet has given up to the enemy; and over there
They cast their caps up and carouse together
They throw their hats up and celebrate together
Like friends long lost. Triple-turn'd whore!
Like long-lost friends. Three times a whore!
'tis thou
It is you
Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart
That have sold me to this newcomer, and my heart
Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly;
Does nothing but fight against you. Tell them all to run;
For when I am revenged upon my charm,
For when I have revenge on that witch,
I have done all. Bid them all fly; begone.
I will have done all. Tell them all to run; go.
Exit SCARUS
O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more:
Oh sun, I will not see you rise ever again;
Fortune and Antony part here; even here
Destiny and Antony separate here: hereDo we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts
We shake hands. Has it all come to this? The hearts
That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave
That loyally followed me, to whom I have
Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets
Everything they wanted, now turn and serve
On blossoming Caesar; and this pine is bark'd,
Blooming Caesar; and this pine has bark,
That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am:
That towered over them all. I am betrayed:
O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm,--
Oh this lying soul of Egypt! This bewitching spell, --
Whose eye beck'd forth my wars, and call'd them home;
Whose eyes brought my wars, and called them home;
Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end,--
Whose bosom was my most important goal,--
Like a right gipsy, hath, at fast and loose,
Like a gypsy, has, fast and loose,
Beguiled me to the very heart of loss.
Tricked me to the very deepest loss.
What, Eros, Eros!
What, Eros, Eros!
Enter CLEOPATRA
Ah, thou spell! Avaunt!
You witch! Go!
CLEOPATRA
Why is my lord enraged against his love?
Why is my lord angry with his love?
MARK ANTONY
Vanish, or I shall give thee thy deserving,
Go, or I will give you what you deserve,
And blemish Caesar's triumph. Let him take thee,
And put a stain on Caesar's triumph. Let him take you,
And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians:
And stick you up on a pole in front of the shouting commoners:
Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot
Follow his chariot, like the worst example
Of all thy sex; most monster-like, be shown
Of all womanhood; like a monster, be shown
For poor'st diminutives, for doits; and let
To frighten the smallest; and let
Patient Octavia plough thy visage up
Patient Octavia claw your face off
With her prepared nails.
With her manicured nails.
Exit CLEOPATRA
'Tis well thou'rt gone,
It is good that you are gone,
If it be well to live; but better 'twere
If it is good to live; but it would be better
Thou fell'st into my fury, for one death
If you fell into my fury, for one death
Might have prevented many. Eros, ho!
Might have prevented many. Eros, hey!
The shirt of Nessus is upon me: teach me,
The armor of Nessus is on me: teach me,
Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage:
Alcides, my ancestor, your rage:
Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o' the moon;
Let me stick Lichas on the horns of the moon;
And with those hands, that grasp'd the heaviest club,
And with those hands, that held the heaviest club,
Subdue my worthiest self. The witch shall die:
Push down my better self. The witch must die:
To the young Roman boy she hath sold me, and I fall
She has sold me to the young roman boy, and I fall
Under this plot; she dies for't. Eros, ho!
Because of this plot; she must die for it. Eros, hey!
Exit
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN
CLEOPATRA
Help me, my women! O, he is more mad
Help me, my women! Oh, he is more insane
Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly
Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of ThessalyWas never so emboss'd.
Was never carved like that.
CHARMIAN
To the monument!
To the monument!There lock yourself, and send him word you are dead.
Lock yourself in there, and send him a message that you are dead.
The soul and body rive not more in parting
The soul and body do not rival more in separating
Than greatness going off.
Than greatness ending.
CLEOPATRA
To the monument!
To the monument!Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself;
Mardian, go tell him I have killed myself:
Say, that the last I spoke was 'Antony,'
Say that the last thing I said was 'Antony,'
And word it, prithee, piteously: hence, Mardian,
And please, make it sound very sad: go, Mardian,
And bring me how he takes my death.
And bring back the news of how he takes my death
.
To the monument!
To the monument!
Exeunt
Enter MARK ANTONY and EROS
MARK ANTONY
Eros, thou yet behold'st me?
Eros, you would still look at me?
EROS
Ay, noble lord.
Yes, noble lord.
MARK ANTONY
Sometimes we see a cloud that's dragonish;
Sometimes we see a cloud that looks like a dragon;
A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,
A mist sometimes like a bear or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,
A city with towers, a tall rock,
A forked mountain, or blue promontory
A forked mountain, or blue cliff
With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,
With trees on it, that nod to the world,
And mock our eyes with air: thou hast seen these signs;
And tease our eyes with air: you have seen things like this;
They are black vesper's pageants.
They are the theater of nature.
EROS
Ay, my lord,
Yes, my lord.
MARK ANTONY
My good knave Eros, now thy captain is
My good servant Eros, now your captain is
Even such a body: here I am Antony:
A body like that: here I am Antony:
Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
Yet cannot hold this shape you see, my servant.
I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,--
I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,--Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;
Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;Which whilst it was mine had annex'd unto't
Which while it was mine had shared with it
A million more, now lost,--she, Eros, has
A million more, now lost,--she, Eros, hasPack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory
Joined in with Caesar, and tricked my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph.
Into an enemy's victory.
Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
No, do not cry, gentle Eros; we still have
Ourselves to end ourselves.
The ability to end ourselves.
Enter MARDIAN
O! thy vile lady!
Oh, your terrible lady!
She has robb'd me of my sword.
She has robbed my sword from me.
MARDIAN
No, Antony;
No, Mark Antony;My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled
My lady loved you, and combined her destiny
With thine entirely.
With yours completely.
MARK ANTONY
Hence, saucy eunuch; peace!
Go, saucy eunuch; quiet!
She hath betray'd me and shall die the death.
She has betrayed me and must die.
MARDIAN
Death of one person can be paid but once,
One person can only die once,
And that she has discharged: what thou wouldst do
And that she has done: what you would do
Is done unto thy hand: the last she spake
Has been done for you: the last thing she said
Was 'Antony! most noble Antony!'
Was 'Antony! Most noble Antony!'Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
Then in the middle of a last groan broke
The name of Antony; it was divided
The name of Antony; it was split
Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
Between her heart and her lips: she gave up life
Thy name so buried in her.
With your name buried like that in her.
MARK ANTONY
Dead, then?
Dead, ten?
MARDIAN
Dead.
Dead.
MARK ANTONY
Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,
Take off my armor, Eros; the long day's task is done
And we must sleep.
And we must sleep.
To MARDIAN
That thou depart'st hence safe,
That you leave here safely,
Does pay thy labour richly; go.
Repays you well; go.
Exit MARDIAN
Off, pluck off:
Off, take it off:
The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
The thickest shield of Ajax cannot keep
The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
The wound from my heart. Oh, split, my sides!
Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
Heart, once stronger than you needed to be,
Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace.
Crack your weak case! Away, Eros, away.
No more a soldier: bruised pieces, go;
I am no longer a soldier, just bruised pieces, go;
You have been nobly borne. From me awhile.
You have done well. Go away from me awhile.
Exit EROS
I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
I will catch up to you, Cleopatra, and
Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
Cry for forgiveness. This is how it must me, for now
All length is torture: since the torch is out,
Just existing is torture: since the torch is out,
Lie down, and stray no farther: now all labour
Lie down, and go no farther away: now all work
Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
Ruins what it does; yes, force tangles
Itself with strength: seal then, and all is done.
Itself with strength: stop everything then, and all is done.
Eros!--I come, my queen:--Eros!--Stay for me:
Eros! -- I'm coming, my queen: -- Eros! Stay for me:
Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
Where souls rest on flowers, we'll go hand in hand,
And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:
And with our energetic walk make the ghosts stare:
And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!
And all the haunting will be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!
Re-enter EROS
EROS
What would my lord?
What does my lord wish?
MARK ANTONY
Since Cleopatra died,
Since Cleopata died,I have lived in such dishonour, that the gods
I have lived in such dishonor that all the gods
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Are disgusted by my lowliness. I, who with my sword
Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
Divided the world into four pieces, and over the green sea
With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
Made cities with ships, condemn myself for lacking
The courage of a woman; less noble mind
The courage of a woman; having a less noble mind
Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
Than she who by her death our Caesar tells
'I am conqueror of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros,
'I have conquered myself.' You have promised, Eros,
That, when the exigent should come, which now
That, when the desperate time came, which now
Is come indeed, when I should see behind me
Has come indeed, when I see behind me
The inevitable prosecution of
The impossible-to-stop time of
Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,
Disgrace and horror, that, if I ordered you,
Thou then wouldst kill me: do't; the time is come:
You would then kill me: do it; the time has come:
Thou strikest not me, 'tis Caesar
thou defeat'st.
You're not attacking me, it's Caesar you're defeating.
Put colour in thy cheek.
Put color in your cheek.
EROS
The gods withhold me!
May the gods prevent me!
Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
Must I do what all the Parthian arrows
Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?
MARK ANTONY
Eros,
Eros,Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see
Do you want to be in great Rome and see
Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
Your master like this with tied arms, bending downHis corrigible neck, his face subdued
His losing neck, his face brought
To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat
To complete shame, while the wheeled seat
Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
Of lucky Caesar, pulled in front of him, burned
His baseness that ensued?
The defeat that came after?
EROS
I would not see't.
I do not want to see it.
MARK ANTONY
Come, then; for with a wound I must be cured.
Come, then; I must be cured with a wound.
Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
Draw your honest sword, which you have worn
Most useful for thy country.
Very usefully for your country.
EROS
O, sir, pardon me!
Oh, sir, forgive me!
MARK ANTONY
When I did make thee free, sworest thou not then
When I made you free, did you not swear then
To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;
To do this when I commanded you? Do it immediately;
Or thy precedent services are all
Or everything you have done before
But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.
No longer counts. Draw, and come.
EROS
Turn from me, then, that noble countenance,
Turn away from me, then, that noble face,
Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.
Where the worship of the whole world lies.
MARK ANTONY