| ACT V SCENE II | Alexandria. A room in the monument. | |
| [Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS] |
| CLEOPATRA | My desolation does begin to make |
| A better life. 'Tis paltry to be Caesar; |
| Not being Fortune, he's but Fortune's knave, |
| A minister of her will: and it is great |
| To do that thing that ends all other deeds; | 5 |
| Which shackles accidents and bolts up change; |
| Which sleeps, and never palates more the dug, |
| 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; |
| And bids thee study on what fair demands | 10 |
| Thou mean'st to have him grant thee. |
| CLEOPATRA | What's thy name? |
| PROCULEIUS | My name is Proculeius. |
| CLEOPATRA | Antony |
| Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but | 15 |
| I do not greatly care to be deceived, |
| That have no use for trusting. If your master |
| Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him, |
| That majesty, to keep decorum, must |
| No less beg than a kingdom: if he please | 20 |
| To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son, |
| He gives me so much of mine own, as I |
| Will kneel to him with thanks. |
| PROCULEIUS | Be of good cheer; |
| You're fall'n into a princely hand, fear nothing: | 25 |
| Make your full reference freely to my lord, |
| Who is so full of grace, that it flows over |
| On all that need: let me report to him |
| Your sweet dependency; and you shall find |
| A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness, | 30 |
| Where he for grace is kneel'd to. |
| CLEOPATRA | Pray you, tell him |
| I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him |
| The greatness he has got. I hourly learn |
| A doctrine of obedience; and would gladly | 35 |
| Look him i' the face. |
| PROCULEIUS | This I'll report, dear lady. |
| Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied |
| Of him that caused it. |
| GALLUS | You see how easily she may be surprised: | 40 |
[
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. |
| [Exit] |
| IRAS | Royal queen! |
| CHARMIAN | O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen: |
| CLEOPATRA | Quick, quick, good hands. |
| [Drawing a dagger] |
| PROCULEIUS | Hold, worthy lady, hold: | 45 |
[Seizes and disarms her] |
| Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this |
| Relieved, but not betray'd. |
| CLEOPATRA | What, of death too, |
| That rids our dogs of languish? |
| PROCULEIUS | Cleopatra, | 50 |
| Do not abuse my master's bounty by |
| The undoing of yourself: let the world see |
| His nobleness well acted, which your death |
| Will never let come forth. |
| CLEOPATRA | Where art thou, death? | 55 |
| Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen |
| Worthy many babes and beggars! |
| PROCULEIUS | O, temperance, lady!
|
| CLEOPATRA | Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, sir; |
| If idle talk will once be necessary, | 60 |
| I'll not sleep neither: this mortal house I'll ruin, |
| Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I |
| Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court; |
| Nor once be chastised with the sober eye |
| Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up | 65 |
| And show me to the shouting varletry |
| Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt |
| Be gentle grave unto me! rather on Nilus' mud |
| Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies |
| Blow me into abhorring! rather make | 70 |
| My country's high pyramides my gibbet, |
| And hang me up in chains! |
| PROCULEIUS | You do extend |
| These thoughts of horror further than you shall |
| Find cause in Caesar. | 75 |
| [Enter DOLABELLA] |
| DOLABELLA | Proculeius, |
| What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows, |
| And he hath sent for thee: for the queen, |
| I'll take her to my guard. |
| PROCULEIUS | So, Dolabella, | 80 |
| It shall content me best: be gentle to her. |
[To CLEOPATRA] |
| To Caesar I will speak what you shall please, |
| If you'll employ me to him. |
| CLEOPATRA | Say, I would die. |
| [Exeunt PROCULEIUS and Soldiers] |
| DOLABELLA | Most noble empress, you have heard of me? | 85 |
| CLEOPATRA | I cannot tell. |
| DOLABELLA | Assuredly you know me. |
| CLEOPATRA | No matter, sir, what I have heard or known. |
| You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams; |
| Is't not your trick? | 90 |
| DOLABELLA | I understand not, madam. |
| CLEOPATRA | I dream'd there was an Emperor Antony: |
| O, such another sleep, that I might see |
| But such another man! |
| DOLABELLA | If it might please ye,-- | 95 |
| CLEOPATRA | His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck |
| A sun and moon, which kept their course, |
| and lighted |
| The little O, the earth. |
| DOLABELLA | Most sovereign creature,-- | 100 |
| CLEOPATRA | His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear'd arm |
| Crested the world: his voice was propertied |
| As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends; |
| But when he meant to quail and shake the orb, |
| He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty, | 105 |
| There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas |
| That grew the more by reaping: his delights |
| Were dolphin-like; they show'd his back above |
| The element they lived in: in his livery |
| Walk'd crowns and crownets; realms and islands were | 110 |
| As plates dropp'd from his pocket. |
| DOLABELLA | Cleopatra! |
| CLEOPATRA | Think you there was, or might be, such a man |
| As this I dream'd of? |
| DOLABELLA | Gentle madam, no. | 115 |
| CLEOPATRA | You lie, up to the hearing of the gods. |
| But, if there be, or ever were, one such, |
| It's past the size of dreaming: nature wants stuff |
| To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine |
| And Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, | 120 |
| Condemning shadows quite. |
| DOLABELLA | Hear me, good madam. |
| Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it |
| As answering to the weight: would I might never |
| O'ertake pursued success, but I do feel, | 125 |
| By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites |
| My very heart at root. |
| CLEOPATRA | I thank you, sir, |
| Know you what Caesar means to do with me? |
| DOLABELLA | I am loath to tell you what I would you knew. | 130 |
| CLEOPATRA | Nay, pray you, sir,-- |
| DOLABELLA | Though he be honourable,-- |
| CLEOPATRA | He'll lead me, then, in triumph? |
| DOLABELLA | Madam, he will; I know't. |
| [
Flourish, and shout within, 'Make way there:
Octavius Caesar!'
] |
| [
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS,
MECAENAS, SELEUCUS, and others of his Train
] |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Which is the Queen of Egypt? | 135 |
| DOLABELLA | It is the emperor, madam. |
| [CLEOPATRA kneels] |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Arise, you shall not kneel: |
| I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt. |
| CLEOPATRA | Sir, the gods |
| Will have it thus; my master and my lord | 140 |
| I must obey. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Take to you no hard thoughts: |
| The record of what injuries you did us, |
| Though written in our flesh, we shall remember |
| As things but done by chance. | 145 |
| CLEOPATRA | Sole sir o' the world, |
| I cannot project mine own cause so well |
| To make it clear; but do confess I have |
| Been laden with like frailties which before |
| Have often shamed our sex. | 150 |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Cleopatra, know, |
| We will extenuate rather than enforce: |
| If you apply yourself to our intents, |
| Which towards you are most gentle, you shall find |
| A benefit in this change; but if you seek | 155 |
| To lay on me a cruelty, by taking |
| Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself |
| Of my good purposes, and put your children |
| To that destruction which I'll guard them from, |
| If thereon you rely. I'll take my leave. | 160 |
| CLEOPATRA | And may, through all the world: 'tis yours; and we, |
| Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall |
| Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra. |
| CLEOPATRA | This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, | 165 |
| I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued; |
| Not petty things admitted. Where's Seleucus? |
| SELEUCUS | Here, madam. |
| CLEOPATRA | This is my treasurer: let him speak, my lord, |
| Upon his peril, that I have reserved | 170 |
| To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus. |
| SELEUCUS | Madam, |
| I had rather seal my lips, than, to my peril, |
| Speak that which is not. |
| CLEOPATRA | What have I kept back? | 175 |
| SELEUCUS | Enough to purchase what you have made known. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve |
| Your wisdom in the deed. |
| CLEOPATRA | See, Caesar! O, behold, |
| How pomp is follow'd! mine will now be yours; | 180 |
| And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine. |
| The ingratitude of this Seleucus does |
| Even make me wild: O slave, of no more trust |
| Than love that's hired! What, goest thou back? thou shalt |
| Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, | 185 |
| Though they had wings: slave, soulless villain, dog! |
| O rarely base! |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Good queen, let us entreat you. |
| CLEOPATRA | O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this, |
| That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me, | 190 |
| Doing the honour of thy lordliness |
| To one so meek, that mine own servant should |
| Parcel the sum of my disgraces by |
| Addition of his envy! Say, good Caesar, |
| That I some lady trifles have reserved, | 195 |
| Immoment toys, things of such dignity |
| As we greet modern friends withal; and say, |
| Some nobler token I have kept apart |
| For Livia and Octavia, to induce |
| Their mediation; must I be unfolded | 200 |
| With one that I have bred? The gods! it smites me |
| Beneath the fall I have. |
[To SELEUCUS] |
| Prithee, go hence; |
| Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits |
| Through the ashes of my chance: wert thou a man, | 205 |
| Thou wouldst have mercy on me. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Forbear, Seleucus. |
| [Exit SELEUCUS] |
| CLEOPATRA | Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought |
| For things that others do; and, when we fall, |
| We answer others' merits in our name, | 210 |
| Are therefore to be pitied. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Cleopatra, |
| Not what you have reserved, nor what acknowledged, |
| Put we i' the roll of conquest: still be't yours, |
| Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe, | 215 |
| Caesar's no merchant, to make prize with you |
| Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd; |
| Make not your thoughts your prisons: no, dear queen; |
| For we intend so to dispose you as |
| Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep: | 220 |
| Our care and pity is so much upon you, |
| That we remain your friend; and so, adieu. |
| CLEOPATRA | My master, and my lord! |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Not so. Adieu. |
| [Flourish. Exeunt OCTAVIUS CAESAR and his train] |
| CLEOPATRA | He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not | 225 |
| Be noble to myself: but, hark thee, Charmian. |
| [Whispers CHARMIAN] |
| IRAS | Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, |
| And we are for the dark. |
| CLEOPATRA | Hie thee again: |
| I have spoke already, and it is provided; | 230 |
| Go put it to the haste. |
| CHARMIAN | Madam, I will. |
| [Re-enter DOLABELLA] |
| DOLABELLA | Where is the queen? |
| CHARMIAN | Behold, sir. |
| [Exit] |
| CLEOPATRA | Dolabella! | 235 |
| DOLABELLA | Madam, as thereto sworn by your command, |
| Which my love makes religion to obey, |
| I tell you this: Caesar through Syria |
| Intends his journey; and within three days |
| You with your children will he send before: | 240 |
| Make your best use of this: I have perform'd |
| Your pleasure and my promise. |
| CLEOPATRA | Dolabella, |
| I shall remain your debtor. |
| DOLABELLA | I your servant, | 245 |
| Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Caesar. |
| CLEOPATRA | Farewell, and thanks. |
[Exit DOLABELLA] |
| Now, Iras, what think'st thou? |
| Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shown |
| In Rome, as well as I mechanic slaves | 250 |
| With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall |
| Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths, |
| Rank of gross diet, shall be enclouded, |
| And forced to drink their vapour. |
| IRAS | The gods forbid! | 255 |
| CLEOPATRA | Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: saucy lictors |
| Will catch at us, like strumpets; and scald rhymers |
| Ballad us out o' tune: the quick comedians |
| Extemporally will stage us, and present |
| Our Alexandrian revels; Antony | 260 |
| Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see |
| Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness |
| I' the posture of a whore. |
| IRAS | O the good gods! |
| CLEOPATRA | Nay, that's certain. | 265 |
| IRAS | I'll never see 't; for, I am sure, my nails |
| Are stronger than mine eyes. |
| CLEOPATRA | Why, that's the way |
| To fool their preparation, and to conquer |
| Their most absurd intents. | 270 |
[Re-enter CHARMIAN] |
| Now, Charmian! |
| Show me, my women, like a queen: go fetch |
| My best attires: I am again for Cydnus, |
| To meet Mark Antony: sirrah Iras, go. |
| Now, noble Charmian, we'll dispatch indeed; | 275 |
| And, when thou hast done this chare, I'll give thee leave |
| To play till doomsday. Bring our crown and all. |
| Wherefore's this noise? |
| [Exit IRAS. A noise within] |
| [Enter a Guardsman] |
| Guard | Here is a rural fellow |
| That will not be denied your highness presence: | 280 |
| He brings you figs. |
| CLEOPATRA | Let him come in. |
[Exit Guardsman] |
| What poor an instrument |
| May do a noble deed! he brings me liberty. |
| My resolution's placed, and I have nothing | 285 |
| Of woman in me: now from head to foot |
| I am marble-constant; now the fleeting moon |
| No planet is of mine. |
| [Re-enter Guardsman, with Clown bringing in a basket] |
| Guard | This is the man. |
| CLEOPATRA | Avoid, and leave him. | 290 |
[Exit Guardsman] |
| Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, |
| That kills and pains not? |
| Clown | Truly, I have him: but I would not be the party |
| that should desire you to touch him, for his biting |
| is immortal; those that do die of it do seldom or | 295 |
| never recover. |
| CLEOPATRA | Rememberest thou any that have died on't? |
| Clown | Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of |
| them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, |
| but something given to lie; as a woman should not | 300 |
| do, but in the way of honesty: how she died of the |
| biting of it, what pain she felt: truly, she makes |
| a very good report o' the worm; but he that will |
| believe all that they say, shall never be saved by |
| half that they do: but this is most fallible, the | 305 |
| worm's an odd worm. |
| CLEOPATRA | Get thee hence; farewell. |
| Clown | I wish you all joy of the worm. |
| [Setting down his basket] |
| CLEOPATRA | Farewell. |
| Clown | You must think this, look you, that the worm will | 310 |
| do his kind. |
| CLEOPATRA | Ay, ay; farewell. |
| Clown | Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the |
| keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no |
| goodness in worm. | 315 |
| CLEOPATRA | Take thou no care; it shall be heeded. |
| Clown | Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is |
| not worth the feeding. |
| CLEOPATRA | Will it eat me? |
| Clown | You must not think I am so simple but I know the | 320 |
| devil himself will not eat a woman: I know that a |
| woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her |
| not. But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the |
| gods great harm in their women; for in every ten |
| that they make, the devils mar five. | 325 |
| CLEOPATRA | Well, get thee gone; farewell. |
| Clown | Yes, forsooth: I wish you joy o' the worm. |
| [Exit] |
| [Re-enter IRAS with a robe, crown, &c] |
| CLEOPATRA | Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have |
| Immortal longings in me: now no more |
| The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip: | 330 |
| Yare, yare, good Iras; quick. Methinks I hear |
| Antony call; I see him rouse himself |
| To praise my noble act; I hear him mock |
| The luck of Caesar, which the gods give men |
| To excuse their after wrath: husband, I come: | 335 |
| Now to that name my courage prove my title! |
| I am fire and air; my other elements |
| I give to baser life. So; have you done? |
| Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips. |
| Farewell, kind Charmian; Iras, long farewell. | 340 |
[Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies] |
| Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall? |
| If thou and nature can so gently part, |
| The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, |
| Which hurts, and is desired. Dost thou lie still? |
| If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world | 345 |
| It is not worth leave-taking. |
| CHARMIAN | Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may say, |
| The gods themselves do weep! |
| CLEOPATRA | This proves me base: |
| If she first meet the curled Antony, | 350 |
| He'll make demand of her, and spend that kiss |
| Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou |
| mortal wretch, |
[To an asp, which she applies to her breast] |
| With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate |
| Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool | 355 |
| Be angry, and dispatch. O, couldst thou speak, |
| That I might hear thee call great Caesar ass |
| Unpolicied! |
| CHARMIAN | O eastern star! |
| CLEOPATRA | Peace, peace! | 360 |
| Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, |
| That sucks the nurse asleep? |
| CHARMIAN | O, break! O, break! |
| CLEOPATRA | As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle,-- |
| O Antony!--Nay, I will take thee too. | 365 |
[Applying another asp to her arm] |
| What should I stay-- |
| [Dies] |
| CHARMIAN | In this vile world? So, fare thee well. |
| Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies |
| A lass unparallel'd. Downy windows, close; |
| And golden Phoebus never be beheld | 370 |
| Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry; |
| I'll mend it, and then play. |
| [Enter the Guard, rushing in] |
| First Guard | Where is the queen? |
| CHARMIAN | Speak softly, wake her not. |
| First Guard | Caesar hath sent-- | 375 |
| CHARMIAN | Too slow a messenger. |
[Applies an asp] |
| O, come apace, dispatch! I partly feel thee. |
| First Guard | Approach, ho! All's not well: Caesar's beguiled. |
| Second Guard | There's Dolabella sent from Caesar; call him. |
| First Guard | What work is here! Charmian, is this well done? | 380 |
| CHARMIAN | It is well done, and fitting for a princess |
| Descended of so many royal kings. |
| Ah, soldier! |
| [Dies] |
| [Re-enter DOLABELLA] |
| DOLABELLA | How goes it here? |
| Second Guard | All dead. | 385 |
| DOLABELLA | Caesar, thy thoughts |
| Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming |
| To see perform'd the dreaded act which thou |
| So sought'st to hinder. |
| [Within 'A way there, a way for Caesar!'] |
| [Re-enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR and all his train marching] |
| DOLABELLA | O sir, you are too sure an augurer; | 390 |
| That you did fear is done. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Bravest at the last, |
| She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, |
| Took her own way. The manner of their deaths? |
| I do not see them bleed. | 395 |
| DOLABELLA | Who was last with them? |
| First Guard | A simple countryman, that brought her figs: |
| This was his basket. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Poison'd, then. |
| First Guard | O Caesar, | 400 |
| This Charmian lived but now; she stood and spake: |
| I found her trimming up the diadem |
| On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood |
| And on the sudden dropp'd. |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | O noble weakness! | 405 |
| If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear |
| By external swelling: but she looks like sleep, |
| As she would catch another Antony |
| In her strong toil of grace. |
| DOLABELLA | Here, on her breast, | 410 |
| There is a vent of blood and something blown: |
| The like is on her arm. |
| First Guard | This is an aspic's trail: and these fig-leaves |
| Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves |
| Upon the caves of Nile. | 415 |
| OCTAVIUS CAESAR | Most probable |
| That so she died; for her physician tells me |
| She hath pursued conclusions infinite |
| Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed; |
| And bear her women from the monument: | 420 |
| She shall be buried by her Antony: |
| No grave upon the earth shall clip in it |
| A pair so famous. High events as these |
| Strike those that make them; and their story is |
| No less in pity than his glory which | 425 |
| Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall |
| In solemn show attend this funeral; |
| And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see |
| High order in this great solemnity. |
| [Exeunt] |
Plutarch's Influence on Shakespeare and Other Writers of the Sixteenth Century