Antony and Cleopatra | Page 3

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ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
by William Shakespeare
PERSONS REPRESENTED.
M.ANTONY, Triumvir?OCTAVIUS CAESAR, Triumvir?M. AEMIL. LEPIDUS, Triumvir?SEXTUS POMPEIUS Triumvir?DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, friend to Antony?VENTIDIUS, friend to Antony
EROS, friend to Antony
SCARUS, friend to Antony
DERCETAS, friend to Antony?DEMETRIUS, friend to Antony?PHILO, friend to Antony?MAECENAS, friend to Caesar?AGRIPPA, friend to Caesar?DOLABELLA, friend to Caesar?PROCULEIUS, friend to Caesar?THYREUS, friend to Caesar?GALLUS, friend to Caesar?MENAS, friend to Pompey?MENECRATES, friend to Pompey?VARRIUS, friend to Pompey?TAURUS, Lieutenant-General to Caesar?CANIDIUS, Lieutenant-General to Antony?SILIUS, an Officer in Ventidius's army?EUPHRONIUS, an Ambassador from Antony to Caesar?ALEXAS, attendant on Cleopatra?MARDIAN, attendant on Cleopatra?SELEUCUS, attendant on Cleopatra?DIOMEDES, attendant on Cleopatra?A SOOTHSAYER?A CLOWN
CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt?OCTAVIA, sister to Caesar and wife to Antony?CHARMIAN, Attendant on Cleopatra?IRAS, Attendant on Cleopatra
Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants
SCENE: Dispersed, in several parts of the Roman Empire.
ACT I.
SCENE I. Alexandria. A Room in CLEOPATRA'S palace.
[Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.]
PHILO.?Nay, but this dotage of our general's?O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,?That o'er the files and musters of the war?Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,?The office and devotion of their view?Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,?Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst?The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,?And is become the bellows and the fan?To cool a gipsy's lust.
[Flourish within.]
Look where they come:?Take but good note, and you shall see in him?The triple pillar of the world transform'd?Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.
[Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their trains; Eunuchs fanning her.]
CLEOPATRA.?If it be love indeed, tell me how much.
ANTONY.?There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.
CLEOPATRA.?I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd.
ANTONY.?Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.
[Enter an Attendant.]
ATTENDANT.?News, my good lord, from Rome.
ANTONY.?Grates me:--the sum.
CLEOPATRA.?Nay, hear them, Antony:?Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows?If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent?His powerful mandate to you: 'Do this or this;?Take in that kingdom and enfranchise that;?Perform't, or else we damn thee.'
ANTONY.?How, my love!
CLEOPATRA.?Perchance! Nay, and most like:--?You must not stay here longer,--your dismission?Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony. --?Where's Fulvia's process?--Caesar's I would say?--Both?--?Call in the messengers.--As I am Egypt's queen,?Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine?Is Caesar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame?When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds.--The messengers!
ANTONY.?Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch?Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space.?Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike?Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life?Is to do thus [Embracing]; when such a mutual pair?And such a twain can do't, in which I bind,?On pain of punishment, the world to weet?We stand up peerless.
CLEOPATRA.?Excellent falsehood!?Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?--?I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony?Will be himself.
ANTONY.?But stirr'd by Cleopatra.--?Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,?Let's not confound the time with conference harsh:?There's not a minute of our lives should stretch?Without some pleasure now:--what sport to-night?
CLEOPATRA.?Hear the ambassadors.
ANTONY.?Fie, wrangling queen!?Whom everything becomes,--to chide, to laugh,?To weep; whose every passion fully strives?To make itself in thee fair and admir'd!?No messenger; but thine, and all alone?To-night we'll wander through the streets and note?The qualities of people. Come, my queen;?Last night you did desire it:--speak not to us.
[Exeunt ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their Train.]
DEMETRIUS.?Is Caesar with Antonius priz'd so slight?
PHILO.?Sir, sometimes when he is not Antony,?He comes too short of that great property?Which still should go with Antony.
DEMETRIUS.?I am full sorry?That he