Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Randall Martin
Not Peer Reviewed

Anthony and Cleopatra (Modern)

[5.1]
Enter Caesar with his council of war: Agrippa, Dolabella [Maecenas, Gallus, Proculeius].
3110Caesar
Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield.
Being so frustrate, tell him he mocks
The pauses that he makes.
Dolabella
Caesar, I shall.
[Exit.]
Enter Dercetus with the sword of Antony.
3115Caesar
Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar'st
Appear thus to us?
Dercetus
I am called Dercetus.
Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy
Best to be served; whilst he stood up and spoke
3120He was my master, and I wore my life
To spend upon his haters. If thou please
To take me to thee as I was to him,
I'll be to Caesar; if you pleasest not,
I yield thee up my life.
Caesar
What is't thou say'st?
3125Dercetus
I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.
Caesar
The breaking of so great a thing should make
A greater crack. The round world
Should have shook lions into civil streets
And citizens to their dens. The death of Antony
3130Is not a single doom; in the name lay
A moiety of the world.
Dercetus
He is dead, Caesar,
Not by a public minister of justice,
Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand
3135Which writ his honor in the acts it did
Hath with the courage which the heart did lend it
Splitted the heart. This is his sword:
I robbed his wound of it. Behold it stained
With his most noble blood.
3140Caesar
Look you sad, friends?
The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
To wash the eyes of kings.
Agrippa
And strange it is,
That Nature must compel us to lament
3145Our most persisted deeds.
Maecenas
His taints and honors
Waged equal with him.
Agrippa
A rarer spirit never
Did steer humanity; but you gods will give us
Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touched.
3150Maecenas
When such a spacious mirror's set before him,
He needs must see himself.
Caesar
Oh, Antony,
I have followed thee to this; but we do lance
Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
3155Have shown to thee such a declining day
Or looked on thine; we could not stall together
In the whole world. But yet let me lament,
With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
That thou my brother, my competitor
3160In top of all design, my mate in empire,
Friend and companion in the front of war,
The arm of mine own body, and the heart
Where mine his thoughts did kindle, that our stars
Unreconciliable should divide our equalness
To this. 3165Hear me, good friends--
Enter an Egyptian.
But I will tell you at some meeter season.
The business of this man looks out of him,
We'll hear him what he says.--3170Whence are you?
Egyptian
A poor Egyptian yet. The Queen my mistress,
Confined in all she has--her monument--
Of thy intents desires instruction,
That she preparedly may frame herself
3175To'th'way she's forced to.
Caesar
Bid her have good heart.
She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
How honorable and how kindly we
Determine for her. For Caesar cannot live
To be ungentle.
3180Egyptian
So the gods preserve thee.
Exit.
Caesar
Come hither, Proculeius. Go and say
We purpose her no shame. Give her what comforts
The quality of her passion shall require,
Lest in her greatness, by some mortal stroke,
3185She do defeat us--for her life in Rome
Would be eternal in our triumph. Go,
And with your speediest bring us what she says,
And how you find of her.
Proculeius
Caesar, I shall.
Exit Proculeius.
3190Caesar
Gallus, go you along.
[Exit Gallus.]
Where's Dolabella,
To second Proculeius?
All [but Caesar]
Dolabella!
Caesar
Let him alone, for I remember now
How he's employed. He shall in time be ready.
3195Go with me to my tent, where you shall see
How hardly I was drawn into this war,
How calm and gentle I proceeded still
In all my writings. Go with me, and see
What I can show in this.
Exeunt.