The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 472
This case of that huge spirit now is cold:
The container of that huge spirit, his body, is cold now:
Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend
Ah, women, women! Come; we have no friendBut resolution, and the briefest end.
But tying up loose ends, and dying quickly.
Exeunt; those above bearing off MARK ANTONY's body
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, MECAENAS, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, and others, his council of war
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield;
Go to him, Dolabella, tell him to give in;
Being so frustrate, tell him he mocks
Being so frustrating, tell him he mocks
The pauses that he makes.
DOLABELLA
Caesar, I shall.
Caesar, I will.
Exit
Enter DERCETAS, with the sword of MARK ANTONY
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Wherefore is that? and what art thou that darest
What is that? And who are you that dares
Appear thus to us?
Appear to us like that?
DERCETAS
I am call'd Dercetas;
I am called Dercetas:Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy
I served Mark Antony, who was the best
Best to be served: whilst he stood up and spoke,
I could have served: while he stood up and spoke,
He was my master; and I wore my life
He was my master; and I considered my life
To spend upon his haters. If thou please
Worth giving up on his haters. If you would like
To take me to thee, as I was to him
To have me for you, the way I was to him
I'll be to Caesar; if thou pleasest not,
I'll be for Caesar; if you do not wish it,
I yield thee up my life.
I give my life up to you.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
What is't thou say'st?
What are you saying?
DERCETAS
I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.
I say, oh Caesar, Mark Antony is dead.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
The breaking of so great a thing should make
The death of such a great thing should make
A greater crack: the round world
A louder crack: the round world
Should have shook lions into civil streets,
Should have shaken lions into the streets,And citizens to their dens: the death of Antony
And citizens to their dens: the death of Mark AntonyIs not a single doom; in the name lay
Is not the doom of one man; in the name lay
A moiety of the world.
A portion of the world.
DERCETAS
He is dead, Caesar:
He is dead, Caesar:Not by a public minister of justice,
Not by a public minister of justice,Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand,
Not by an assassin; but that same hand
Which writ his honour in the acts it did,
Which wrote his honor in the things it did,
Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,
Has, with the courage which his heart lended it,
Splitted the heart. This is his sword;
Split the heart. This is his sword;
I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd
I pulled it out of his wound; see how it is stained
With his most noble blood.
With his most noble blood.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Look you sad, friends?
Do you look sad, friends?
The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
The gods may criticize me, but it is news
To wash the eyes of kings.
To make kings teary.
AGRIPPA
And strange it is,
And it is strange,
That nature must compel us to lament
That nature brings us to be sad
Our most persisted deeds.
About things we were trying to do.
MECAENAS
His taints and honours
His flaws and qualities
Waged equal with him.
Fought equally with him.
AGRIPPA
A rarer spirit never
A more unique spirit never
Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give us
Steered humanity: but you, gods, give us
Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touch'd.
A few flaws to make us mortal. Caesar is touched.
MECAENAS
When such a spacious mirror's set before him,
When such a big and wide mirror is placed in front of him,
He needs must see himself.
He of course will see himself.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
O Antony!
Oh, Antony!I have follow'd thee to this; but we do lance
I have pushed you to this; but we force out
Diseases in our bodies: I must perforce
Diseases in our bodies: I must have otherwise
Have shown to thee such a declining day,
Shown to you such a day,
Or look on thine; we could not stall together
Or look at yours; we could not coexist together
In the whole world: but yet let me lament,
In the whole world: but still let me mourn,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
With tears as genuine as the blood of hearts,
That thou, my brother, my competitor
That you, my brother, my competitor
Friend and companion in the front of war,
Friend and companion in the thick of war
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
The arm of my own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle,--that our stars,
Where I shared thoughts with him, -- that our destiny,
Unreconciliable, should divide
Impossible to reconcile, would divide
Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends--
Our equality to this. Hear me, good friends --
But I will tell you at some meeter season:
But I will tell you at a more appropriate time:
Enter an Egyptian
The business of this man looks out of him;
This man looks like he has important business;
We'll hear him what he says. Whence are you?
We'll listen to what he has to say. Where did you come from?
Egyptian
A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress,
I am still a poor Egyptian. My lady the queen,
Confined in all she has, her monument,
Locked up with all she has, her monument,
Of thy intents desires instruction,
Wants to know what you plan for her,
That she preparedly may frame herself
That she can prepare herself
To the way she's forced to.
To whatever you will force her.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Bid her have good heart:
Tell her to have confidence:
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
She will soon know from us, by some of ours,
How honourable and how kindly we
How honorably and how kindly we
Determine for her; for Caesar cannot live
Have plans for her; for Caesar cannot live
To be ungentle.
To not be gentle.
Egyptian
So the gods preserve thee!
May the gods care for you!
Exit
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Come hither, Proculeius. Go and say,
Come here, Proculeius. Go and say,
We purpose her n
o shame: give her what comforts
We have no shame for her: give her what comforts
The quality of her passion shall require,
She wants,Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
To prevent the possibility that, in her greatness, by some luck
She do defeat us; for her life in Rome
She defeats us; for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in our triumph: go,
Would be forever in our victory: go,
And with your speediest bring us what she says,
And as quickly as you can bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.
And how she is.
PROCULEIUS
Caesar, I shall.
Caesar, I will.
Exit
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Gallus, go you along.
Gallus, go with him.
Exit GALLUS
Where's Dolabella,
Where's Dolabella,To second Proculeius?
To serve for Proculeius?
All
Dolabella!
Dolabella!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Let him alone, for I remember now
Leave him alone, for I remember now
How he's employ'd: he shall in time be ready.
What he is doing: he will eventually be ready.
Go with me to my tent; where you shall see
Go with me to my tent, where you will seeHow hardly I was drawn into this war;
How rudely I was pulled into this war;
How calm and gentle I proceeded still
How calm and gentle I continued despite it
In all my writings: go with me, and see
In all my writings: go with me, and seeWhat I can show in this.
What I can show in this.
Exeunt
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS
CLEOPATRA
My desolation does begin to make
My ruin begins to make
A better life. 'Tis paltry to be Caesar;
A better life. It is not much to be Caesar;
Not being Fortune, he's but Fortune's knave,
Not being Fortune, he is only Fortune's servant,
A minister of her will: and it is great
Doing her will: and it is great
To do that thing that ends all other deeds;
To do that thing that ends all other actions,Which shackles accidents and bolts up change;
Which chains accidents and strengthens change;
Which sleeps, and never palates more the dug,
Which sleeps, and never wants more dug up,
The beggar's nurse and Caesar's.
Enter, to the gates of the monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS and Soldiers
PROCULEIUS
Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt;
Caesar sends greetings to the Queen of Egypt;And bids thee study on what fair demands
And wishes you to think about what fair demands
Thou mean'st to have him grant thee.
You mean to have him give you.
CLEOPATRA
What's thy name?
What is your name?
PROCULEIUS
My name is Proculeius.
My name is Proculeius.
CLEOPATRA
Antony
Mark AntonyDid tell me of you, bade me trust you; but
Told me about you, told me to trust you; but
I do not greatly care to be deceived,
I am not very much worried about being deceived,
That have no use for trusting. If your master
Since I have no use for trusting. If your master
Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him,
Wants a queen to beg him, you must tell him,
That majesty, to keep decorum, must
That royalty, to be proper, must
No less beg than a kingdom: if he please
Beg for nothing less than a kingdom: if he would be willing
To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son,
To give me conquered Egypt for my son,
He gives me so much of mine own, as I
He gives me enough of my own, that I
Will kneel to him with thanks.
Will kneel to him with thanks.
PROCULEIUS
Be of good cheer;
Be cheerful;
You're fall'n into a princely hand, fear nothing:
You have fallen into a princely hand, do not fear:
Make your full reference freely to my lord,
Talk freely to my lord,
Who is so full of grace, that it flows over
Who is so full of kindness, that it flows overOn all that need: let me report to him
On everyone in need: let me report to him
Your sweet dependency; and you shall find
Your humility; and you will find
A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness,
A conqueror that will treat others with kindness,
Where he for grace is kneel'd to.
When he is kneeled to graciously.
CLEOPATRA
Pray you, tell him
Please, tell him
I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him
I am his destiny's underling, and I send him
The greatness he has got. I hourly learn
The greatness he has. Each hour I learn
A doctrine of obedience; and would gladly
A lesson of obedience; and would gladly
Look him i' the face.
Look him in the face.
PROCULEIUS
This I'll report, dear lady.
This I will report, dear lady.
Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied
Be comforted, for I know your situation is pitied
Of him that caused it.
By him who caused it.
GALLUS
You see how easily she may be surprised:
You see how easily she may be surprised:
Here PROCULEIUS and two of the Guard ascend the monument by a ladder placed against a window, and, having descended, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the Guard unbar and open the gates
To PROCULEIUS and the Guard
Guard her till Caesar come.
Guard her until Caesar comes.
Exit
IRAS
Royal queen!
Royal queen!
CHARMIAN
O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen:
Oh, Cleopatra! You have been captured, queen:
CLEOPATRA
Quick, quick, good hands.
Drawing a dagger
PROCULEIUS
Hold, worthy lady, hold:
Stop, worthy lady, stop:
Seizes and disarms her
Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this
Do not wrong yourself like this, who are
Relieved, but not betray'd.
Kept safe, not betrayed.
CLEOPATRA
What, of death too,
What, from death too,
That rids our dogs of languish?
That releases our dogs from suffering?
PROCULEIUS
Cleopatra,
Cleopatra,Do not abuse my master's bounty by
Do not abuse my master's generosity by
The undoing of yourself: let the world see
Destroying yourself: let the world see
His nobleness well acted, which your death
His nobility acted upon, which your death
Will never let come forth.
Will not allow to happen.
CLEOPATRA
Where art thou, death?
Where are you, death?
Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen
Come here, come! Come, come, and take a queen
Worthy many babes and beggars!
Worth many babies and
beggars!
PROCULEIUS
O, temperance, lady!
Oh, calm down, lady!
CLEOPATRA
Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, sir;
Sir, I will eat no food, I won't drink, sir;
If idle talk will once be necessary,
If talking is ever necessary,
I'll not sleep neither: this mortal house I'll ruin,
I won't sleep either: my body I'll ruin,
Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I
Caesar can do what he likes. Know, sir, that I
Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court;
Will not wait chained at your master's court;
Nor once be chastised with the sober eye
Or once be criticized by the calm eye
Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up
Of dull Octavia. Will they put me up
And show me to the shouting varletry
And show me to the shouting people
Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Of critical Rome? I would rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave unto me! rather on Nilus' mud
Be a gentle grave to me! I would rather be lain
Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
On the Nile's mud, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring! rather make
Bite me to death! I would rather make
My country's high pyramides my gibbet,
My country's high pyramids my scaffold,
And hang me up in chains!
And hang me up in chains!
PROCULEIUS
You do extend
You have much more elaborate
These thoughts of horror further than you shall
Thoughts of horror than you shall
Find cause in Caesar.
Find reason to from Caesar.
Enter DOLABELLA
DOLABELLA
Proculeius,
Proculeius.What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows,
Caesar knows what you have done for your master,
And he hath sent for thee: for the queen,
And he has asked for you: for the queen,
I'll take her to my guard.
I'll take her to my guard.