Antony and Cleopatra

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

by William Shakespeare




Contents

ACT I
Scene I.
Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra’s palace.
Scene II.
Alexandria. Another Room in Cleopatra’s palace.
Scene III.
Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra’s palace.
Scene IV.
Rome. An Apartment in Caesar’s House
Scene V.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

ACT II
Scene I.
Messina. A Room in Pompey’s house.
Scene II.
Rome. A Room in the House of Lepidus.
Scene III.
Rome. A Room in Caesar’s House.
Scene IV.
Rome. A street.
Scene V.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene VI.
Near Misenum.
Scene VII.
On board Pompey’s Galley, lying near Misenum.

ACT III
Scene I.
A plain in Syria.
Scene II.
Rome. An Ante-chamber in Caesar’s house.
Scene III.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene IV.
Athens. A Room in Antony’s House.
Scene V.
Athens. Another Room in Antony’s House.
Scene VI.
Rome. A Room in Caesar’s House.
Scene VII.
Antony’s Camp near the Promontory of Actium.
Scene VIII.
A plain near Actium.
Scene IX.
Another part of the Plain.
Scene X.
Another part of the Plain.
Scene XI.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene XII.
Caesar’s camp in Egypt.
Scene XIII.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

ACT IV
Scene I.
Caesar’s Camp at Alexandria.
Scene II.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene III.
Alexandria. Before the Palace.
Scene IV.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene V.
Antony’s camp near Alexandria.
Scene VI.
Alexandria. Caesar’s camp.
Scene VII.
Field of battle between the Camps.
Scene VIII.
Under the Walls of Alexandria.
Scene IX.
Caesar’s camp.
Scene X.
Ground between the two Camps.
Scene XI.
Another part of the Ground.
Scene XII.
Another part of the Ground.
Scene XIII.
Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.
Scene XIV.
Alexandria. Another Room.
Scene XV.
Alexandria. A monument.

ACT V
Scene I.
Caesar’s Camp before Alexandria.
Scene II.
Alexandria. A Room in the Monument.


Dramatis Personæ

MARK ANTONY, Triumvir
OCTAVIUS CAESAR, Triumvir
LEPIDUS, Triumvir
SEXTUS POMPEIUS,
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, friend to Antony
VENTIDIUS, friend to Antony
EROS, friend to Antony
SCARUS, friend to Antony
DERCETUS, 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
THIDIAS, 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 glowed 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 and 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 reckoned.

CLEOPATRA.
I’ll set a bourn how far to be beloved.

ANTONY.
Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

 Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGER.
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 [_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.