Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (i am reading a book TXT) 📕

Antony and Cleopatra

By William Shakespeare.

Table of Contents Titlepage Imprint Dramatis Personae Antony and Cleopatra Act I Scene I Scene II Scene III Scene IV Scene V Act II Scene I Scene II Scene III Scene IV Scene V Scene VI Scene VII Act III Scene I Scene II Scene III Scene IV Scene V Scene VI Scene VII Scene VIII Scene IX Scene X Scene XI Scene XII Scene XIII Act IV Scene I Scene II Scene III Scene IV Scene V Scene VI Scene VII Scene VIII Scene IX Scene X Scene XI Scene XII Scene XIII Scene XIV Scene XV Act V Scene I Scene II Colophon Uncopyright Imprint

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Dramatis Personae

Mark Antony, triumvir

Octavius Caesar, triumvir

M. Aemilius Lepidus, triumvir

Sextus Pompeius

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

Mecaenas, 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 Ceopatra

Mardian, a eunuch, attendant on Ceopatra

Seleucus, attendant on Ceopatra

Diomedes, attendant on Ceopatra

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: In several parts of the Roman empire.

Antony and Cleopatra 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. Enter Antony, Cleopatra, her Ladies, the Train, with Eunuchs fanning her.

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.

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 beloved. 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-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!

Antony

Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the ranged 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; when such a mutual pair Embracing.
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 every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!
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 prized 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 approves the common liar, who
Thus speaks of him at Rome: but I will hope
Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy! Exeunt.

Scene II

The same. Another room.

Enter Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and a Soothsayer. Charmian Lord Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas,