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Antony and Cleopatra - Act 5, scene 1
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Antony and Cleopatra - Act 5, scene 1Act 5, scene 1
⌜Scene 1⌝
Synopsis:
Caesar expresses grief for Antony’s death. Fearing that Cleopatra will kill herself and thus prevent his displaying her in his triumphal march, he sends Proculeius to tell her that she has nothing to fear from Caesar.
Enter Caesar ⌜with⌝ Agrippa, Dolabella, ⌜Maecenas,Gallus, and Proculeius,⌝ his council of war.
CAESAR, ⌜aside to Dolabella⌝
3092 Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield.
3093 Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks
3094 The pauses that he makes.
DOLABELLA 3095 Caesar, I shall.
⌜Dolabella exits.⌝
Enter Dercetus with the sword of Antony.
CAESAR
3096 5 Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar’st
3097 Appear thus to us?
DERCETUS 3098 I am called Dercetus.
3099 Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy
3100 Best to be served. Whilst he stood up and spoke,
3101 10 He was my master, and I wore my life
3102 To spend upon his haters. If thou please
3103 To take me to thee, as I was to him
3104 I’ll be to Caesar; if thou pleasest not,
3105 I yield thee up my life.
CAESAR 3106 15 What is ’t thou say’st?
DERCETUS
3107 I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.
p.
241
CAESAR 3108 The breaking of so great a thing should make
3109 A greater crack. The round world
3110 Should have shook lions into civil streets
3111 20 And citizens to their dens. The death of Antony
3112 Is not a single doom; in the name lay
3113 A moiety of the world.
DERCETUS 3114 He is dead, Caesar,
3115 Not by a public minister of justice,
3116 25 Nor by a hirèd knife, but that self hand
3117 Which writ his honor in the acts it did
3118 Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,
3119 Splitted the heart. This is his sword.
3120 I robbed his wound of it. Behold it stained
3121 30 With his most noble blood.
CAESAR 3122 Look you sad, friends?
3123 The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
3124 To wash the eyes of kings.
⌜AGRIPPA⌝ 3125 And strange it is
3126 35 That nature must compel us to lament
3127 Our most persisted deeds.
MAECENAS 3128 His taints and honors
3129 Waged equal with him.
⌜AGRIPPA⌝ 3130 A rarer spirit never
3131 40 Did steer humanity, but you gods will give us
3132 Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touched.
MAECENAS
3133 When such a spacious mirror’s set before him,
3134 He needs must see himself.
CAESAR 3135 O Antony,
3136 45 I have followed thee to this, but we do lance
3137 Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
3138 Have shown to thee such a declining day
3139 Or look on thine. We could not stall together
3140 In the whole world. But yet let me lament
3141 50 With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts
p.
243
3142
That thou my brother, my competitor3143 In top of all design, my mate in empire,
3144 Friend and companion in the front of war,
3145 The arm of mine own body, and the heart
3146 55 Where mine his thoughts did kindle—that our stars
3147 Unreconciliable should divide
3148 Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends—
Enter an Egyptian.
3149 But I will tell you at some meeter season.
3150 The business of this man looks out of him.
3151 60 We’ll hear him what he says.—Whence are you?
EGYPTIAN
3152 A poor Egyptian yet, the Queen my mistress,
3153 Confined in all she has, her monument,
3154 Of thy intents desires instruction,
3155 That she preparedly may frame herself
3156 65 To th’ way she’s forced to.
CAESAR 3157 Bid her have good heart.
3158 She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
3159 How honorable and how kindly we
3160 Determine for her. For Caesar cannot ⌜live⌝
3161 70 To be ungentle.
EGYPTIAN 3162 So the gods preserve thee.He exits.
CAESAR
3163 Come hither, Proculeius. Go and say
3164 We purpose her no shame. Give her what comforts
3165 The quality of her passion shall require,
3166 75 Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
3167 She do defeat us, for her life in Rome
3168 Would be eternal in our triumph. Go,
3169 And with your speediest bring us what she says
3170 And how you find of her.
PROCULEIUS 3171 80 Caesar, I shall.
Proculeius exits.
p.
245
CAESAR 3172 Gallus, go you along.⌜Gallus exits.⌝
3173 Where’s Dolabella,
3174 To second Proculeius?
ALL 3175 Dolabella!
CAESAR
3176 85 Let him alone, for I remember now
3177 How he’s employed. He shall in time be ready.
3178 Go with me to my tent, where you shall see
3179 How hardly I was drawn into this war,
3180 How calm and gentle I proceeded still
3181 90 In all my writings. Go with me and see
3182 What I can show in this.
They exit.