The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 471
Lo thee!
Look, you!
Turning from him
EROS
My sword is drawn.
My sword is drawn.
MARK ANTONY
Then let it do at once
Then let it do right now
The thing why thou hast drawn it.
The thing for which you have drawn it.
EROS
My dear master,
My dear master,My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
My captain, and my emperor, let me say,Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
Before I strike this bloody stroke, goodbye.
MARK ANTONY
'Tis said, man; and farewell.
It is said, man; and farewell.
EROS
Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?
Farewell, great leader. Shall I strike now?
MARK ANTONY
Now, Eros.
Now, Eros.
EROS
Why, there then: thus I do escape the sorrow
Why, there then: in this way I escape the sadness
Of Antony's death.
Kills himself
MARK ANTONY
Thrice-nobler than myself!
Three times nobler than myself!
Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
You teach me, O brave Eros, what
I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
I should do, and I could not. My queen and Eros
Have by their brave instruction got upon me
Have through their brave teaching got me
A nobleness in record: but I will be
A history of nobleness: but I will be
A bridegroom in my death, and run into't
A bridegroom in my death, and run into it
As to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,
Like to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,
Thy master dies thy scholar: to do thus
Your master dies you student: to do like this
Falling on his sword
I learn'd of thee. How! not dead? not dead?
That I learned of you. How! Not dead? Not dead?
The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!
Guards, hey! Oh, kill me!
Enter DERCETAS and Guard
First Guard
What's the noise?
What's that noise?
MARK ANTONY
I have done my work in, friends: O, make an end
I have failed at my work, friends: oh, end
Of what I have begun.
What I have begun.
Second Guard
The star is fall'n.
The star has fallen.
First Guard
And time is at his period.
And time has ended.
All
Alas, and woe!
Oh no!
MARK ANTONY
Let him that loves me strike me dead.
Let he that loves me strike me dead.
First Guard
Not I.
Not I.
Second Guard
Nor I.
Nor I.
Third Guard
Nor any one.
Nor anyone.
Exeunt Guard
DERCETAS
Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.
Your death and destiny tells your followers to run,
This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,
This sword shown to Caesar, with this news,
Shall enter me with him.
Will make him favor me.
Enter DIOMEDES
DIOMEDES
Where's Antony?
Where's Antony?
DERCETAS
There, Diomed there.
There, Diomed, there.
DIOMEDES
Lives he?
Does he live?
Wilt thou not answer, man?
Will you not answer, man?
Exit DERCETAS
MARK ANTONY
Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me
Are you there, Diomed? Pull out your sword, and give me
Sufficing strokes for death.
Enough wounds to die.
DIOMEDES
Most absolute lord,
My leader,My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.
My lady Cleopatra sent me to you.
MARK ANTONY
When did she send thee?
When did she send you?
DIOMEDES
Now, my lord.
Now, sir.
MARK ANTONY
Where is she?
Where is she?
DIOMEDES
Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying fear
Locked in your monument. She had a predicting fear
Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw--
Of what has happened: because when she saw --
Which never shall be found--you did suspect
Which will never be found -- you suspected
She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
She had negotiated with Caesar, and that your rage
Would not be purged, she sent you word she was dead;
Would not be removed, she sent you a message that she was dead;
But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
But, afraid since then how it might work, has sent
Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
Me to give the truth; and I have come,
I dread, too late.
I'm afraid, too late.
MARK ANTONY
Too late, good Diomed: call my guard, I prithee.
Too late, good Diomed: call my guards, please.
DIOMEDES
What, ho, the emperor's guard! The guard, what, ho!
Hey, the emperor's guards! The guards, hey!
Come, your lord calls!
Come, your lord calls!
Enter four or five of the Guard of MARK ANTONY
MARK ANTONY
Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;
Carry me, good friends, to where Cleopatra is;'Tis the last service that I shall command you.
It is the last thing I will tell you to do.
First Guard
Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
Sad, sad we are, sir, you may not live to exhaust
All your true followers out.
Your true followers.
All
Most heavy day!
Worst day!
MARK ANTONY
Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
No, my good men, do not please harsh fate
To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome
By rewarding it with your sadness: welcome what
Which comes to punish us, and we punish it
Comes to punish us, and we punish it
Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:
By seeming to endure it easily. Pick me up:
I have led you oft: carry me now, good friends,
I have led you often: carry me now, good friends,
And have my thanks for all.
Exeunt, bearing MARK ANTONY
Enter CLEOPATRA and her maids aloft, with CHARMIAN and IRAS
CLEOPATRA
O Charmian, I will never go from hence.
Oh Charmian, I will never leave here.
CHARMIAN
Be comforted, dear madam.
Be comforted, dear lady.
CLEOPATRA
No, I will not:
No, I won't:All strange and terrible events are welcome,
All strange and terrible events are welcome,But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow,
But we despise comfort; our amount of sadness
Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great
The same size as our reason, must be as big
As that which ma
kes it.
As the thing which makes it.
Enter, below, DIOMEDES
How now! is he dead?
What now? Is he dead?
DIOMEDES
His death's upon him, but not dead.
He is dying, but not dead.
Look out o' the other side your monument;
Look out of the other side of your monument;
His guard have brought him thither.
His guards have brought him there.
Enter, below, MARK ANTONY, borne by the Guard
CLEOPATRA
O sun,
Oh sun,Burn the great sphere thou movest in! darkling stand
Burn the part of the sky you move in! May darkly stand
The varying shore o' the world. O Antony,
The wavering shore of the world. Oh, Antony,
Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help;
Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help;Help, friends below; let's draw him hither.
Help, friends below; let's bring him here.
MARK ANTONY
Peace!
Quiet!
Not Caesar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
It is not Caesar's bravery that has overthrown Antony,
But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.
But Antony's has won against itself.
CLEOPATRA
So it should be, that none but Antony
That is how it should be, that no one but Antony
Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!
Would win over Antony; but how tragic for it to be that way!
MARK ANTONY
I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
I am dying, Egypt, dying; onlyI here importune death awhile, until
I here put off death for a while, until
Of many thousand kisses the poor last
Of many thousand kisses the last little one
I lay up thy lips.
I place on your lips.
CLEOPATRA
I dare not, dear,--
I do not dare, dear, --Dear my lord, pardon,--I dare not,
My dear, forgive me, -- I dare not
Lest I be taken: not the imperious show
In case I am taken: not the ruling show
Of the full-fortuned Caesar ever shall
Of the victorious Caesar will ever
Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs,
Use me; if knife, drugs,
serpents, have
snakes, have
Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe:
Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes
Your wife Octavia, with her humble and quiet eyes
And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour
And still behavior, shall not have any honor
Demuring upon me. But come, come, Antony,--
Dishonoring me. But come, come, Antony, --
Help me, my women,--we must draw thee up:
Help me, my women, -- we must pull you up:
Assist, good friends.
Help, good friends.
MARK ANTONY
O, quick, or I am gone.
Oh, be quick, or I will be gone.
CLEOPATRA
Here's sport indeed! How heavy weighs my lord!
Here is a game indeed! My lord is so heavy!
Our strength is all gone into heaviness,
Our strength is all gone into that heaviness,
That makes the weight: had I great Juno's power,
That makes the weight: if I had great Juno's power,
The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee up,
The strong-winged Mercury would pick you up
And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little,--
And put you by Jove's side. But come a little, --
Wishes were ever fools,--O, come, come, come;
Wishes were always fools, -- Oh, come, come, come;
They heave MARK ANTONY aloft to CLEOPATRA
And welcome, welcome! die where thou hast lived:
And welcome, welcome! Die where you have lived:
Quicken with kissing: had my lips that power,
Come alive with kissing: if my lips had that power,
Thus would I wear them out.
This his how I would wear them out.
All
A heavy sight!
A tragic sight!
MARK ANTONY
I am dying, Egypt, dying:
I am dying, Egypt, dying:Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.
Give me some wine, and let me talk a little.
CLEOPATRA
No, let me speak; and let me rail so high,
No, let me speak; and let me mourn so hard
That the false housewife Fortune break her wheel,
That the false wife Fortune breaks her wheel,Provoked by my offence.
Angered by my offense.
MARK ANTONY
One word, sweet queen:
One word, sweet queen:Of Caesar seek your honour, with your safety. O!
Go to Caesar and find your honor, with your safety. Oh!
CLEOPATRA
They do not go together.
They do not go together.
MARK ANTONY
Gentle, hear me:
Gentle one, listen to me:None about Caesar trust but Proculeius.
Do not trust anyone around Caesar but Proculeius.
CLEOPATRA
My resolution and my hands I'll trust;
I'll trust my resolve and my hands;
None about Caesar.
Not anyone around Caesar.
MARK ANTONY
The miserable change now at my end
The miserable dying now at my end
Lament nor sorrow at; but please your thoughts
Do not cry over; but please your thoughts
In feeding them with those my former fortunes
In feeding them with the ones of my former good fortune
Wherein I lived, the greatest prince o' the world,
Where I lived, the greatest prince in the world,
The noblest; and do now not basely die,
The noblest; and do not now die without honor,
Not cowardly put off my helmet to
Not cowardly taken off my helmet to
My countryman,--a Roman by a Roman
Another man from my country -- A Roman by a Roman
Valiantly vanquish'd. Now my spirit is going;
Bravely beaten. Now my spirit is going;
I can no more.
I can't any longer.
CLEOPATRA
Noblest of men, woo't die?
Most noble of men, would you die?
Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide
Do you have no care for me? Must I continue living
In this dull world, which in thy absence is
In this dull world, which without you is
No better than a sty? O, see, my women,
No better than a pigsty? Oh, see, my women,
MARK ANTONY dies
The crown o' the earth doth melt. My lord!
The best man on Earth is gone. My lord!
O, wither'd is the garland of the war,
Oh, withered is the garland of war,
The soldier's pole is fall'n: young boys and girls
The soldier's pole has fallen: young boys and girls
Are level now with men; the odds is gone,
Are now equal with men; the odds are gone,
And there is nothing left remarkable
And there is nothing left good or special
Beneath the visiting moon.
Beneath the visiting moon.
Faints
CHARMIAN
O, quietness, lady!
O, quietness, lady!
IRAS
She is dead too, our sovereign.
She is dead too, our royal leader.
CHARMIAN
Lady!
&n
bsp; Lady!
IRAS
Madam!
Madam!
CHARMIAN
O madam, madam, madam!
Oh madam, madam, madam!
IRAS
Royal Egypt, Empress!
Royal Egypt, Empress!
CHARMIAN
Peace, peace, Iras!
Quiet, quiet, Iras!
CLEOPATRA
No more, but e'en a woman, and commanded
No more, just a woman, and commanded
By such poor passion as the maid that milks
By such poor passion as a milkmaid
And does the meanest chares. It were for me
And the lowliest of servants. It was my fate
To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;
To throw my scepter at the wounding gods:
To tell them that this world did equal theirs
To tell them that this world equalled theirsTill they had stol'n our jewel. All's but naught;
Till they had stolen our jewel. There is nothing left;
Patience is scottish, and impatience does
Patience runs away, and impatience does
Become a dog that's mad: then is it sin
Seem appropriate for a mad dog: then is it a sin
To rush into the secret house of death,
To rush into the secret house of death,Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women?
Before death dares come to us? What do you think women?
What, what! good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian!
What, what! Good cheer! Why, what is it, Charmian?My noble girls! Ah, women, women, look,
My noble girls! Ah, women, women, look,Our lamp is spent, it's out! Good sirs, take heart:
Our lamp has used up its oil, it's out! Good sirs, take heart,
We'll bury him; and then, what's brave, what's noble,
We'll bury him; and then, what's brave, what's noble,Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
Let's do with the way noble Romans do,
And make death proud to take us. Come, away:
And make death proud to take us. Let's go: