CLEOPATRA   By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth

If thou with Caesar paragon again

My man of men.

CHARMIAN                 By your most gracious pardon,

I sing but after you.

CLEOPATRA               My salad days,

When I was green in judgement, cold in blood,

To say as I said then. But come, away,

Get me ink and paper.

He shall have every day a several greeting,

Or I’ll unpeople Egypt.

Exeunt (1.5.69-77)

By Isis (a little Egyptianising-orientalising touch, swearing by that particular goddess) I will give you bloody teeth: is Cleopatra really threatening physical violence? Probably not, but keep the possibility open; it’s more play-fighting, as yet, I’ll give you a slap rather than, I’ll give you a punch in the face. I’ll make you eat your words, make you regret it if you paragon again, again describe as being of equal and surpassing greatness my man of men (MY man, THE man, the only man) with Caesar. They’re nothing like. Nothing at all. By your most gracious pardon, retorts Charmian, I sing but after you. I’m just going by what you used to say, when Caesar was your man, your only man; I’m singing your tune, playing your song, I learned it from you after all. (Love Charmian.)

 

Cleopatra does seem to concede that this, regrettably, is true, but she has an excuse ready: that was my salad days, when I was green in judgement, cold in blood, to say as I said then. I was MUCH younger then, green, immature, my blood as yet unheated (salads are green and cold, but also insubstantial, perhaps easily digested); I didn’t know what love and passion can be, what can truly heat the blood. I was a girl; now I am very much a grown woman. It’s one of the points where Cleopatra does admit to, even celebrate, her maturity (albeit obliquely), as well as owning her desires and how Antony fulfils them. People can change, she says, and I’m allowed to love wholeheartedly more than once in my life. But come, away, get me ink and paper. Jump to it (no more time for self-reflection, after this little moment of vulnerability). Antony shall have every day a several greeting, I must write to him every day, or I’ll unpeople Egypt! Every Egyptian will be pressed into service as a messenger, so that she can be in constant communication with him.

 

And that, amazingly, is the end of the first act, at least in modern editions (the action is continuous, more or less). Five utterly bravura scenes, two extraordinary characters (and the rest: Charmian! Octavius Caesar! and Enobarbus has barely got going yet).

 

#BurningBarge is taking a Christmas break and will resume, with Act 2, in the New Year.