Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, Mardian CLEOPATRA   Help me, my women! O, he’s more mad Than Telamon for his shield; the boar of Thessaly Was never so embossed. CHARMIAN                 To th’ monument! There lock yourself, and send him word you are dead. The soul and body rive not more in parting Than greatness going off. CLEOPATRA   […]

ANTONY                     ’Tis well thou’rt gone, If it be well to live. But better ’twere Thou fell’st into my fury, for one death Might have prevented many. Eros, ho! The shirt of Nessus is upon me. Teach me, Alcides, thou mine ancestor, thy rage. Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o’th’ moon, And with those […]

CLEOPATRA   Why is my lord enraged against his love? ANTONY         Vanish, or I shall give thee thy deserving And blemish Caesar’s triumph. Let him take thee And hoist thee up to the shouting plebeians; Follow his chariot, like the greatest spot Of all thy sex; most monster-like be shown For poor’st diminutives, for dolts, and […]

ANTONY                                             Betrayed I am. O this false soul of Egypt! This grave charm, Whose eye becked forth my wars and called them home, Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end, Like a right gipsy hath at fast and loose Beguiled me to the very heart of loss. What, Eros, Eros! Enter Cleopatra Ah, thou […]

ANTONY         O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more. Fortune and Antony part here; even here Do we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts That spanieled me at heels, to whom I gave Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets On blossoming Caesar; and this pine is barked That overtopped them all.   […]

Enter Antony ANTONY                                 All is lost. This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me. My fleet hath yielded to the foe, and yonder They cast their caps up, and carouse together Like friends long lost. Triple-turned whore! ’Tis thou Hast sold me to this novice, and my heart Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly; […]

Alarum afar off, as at a sea fight. Enter Antony and Scarus ANTONY         Yet they are not joined. Where yon pine does stand I shall discover all. I’ll bring thee word Straight how ’tis like to go. Exit SCARUS                      Swallows have built In Cleopatra’s sails their nests. The augurers Say they know not, they cannot […]

Enter Caesar and his army CAESAR          But being charged, we will be still by land— Which, as I take’t, we shall, for his best force Is forth to man his galleys. To the vales, And hold our best advantage. Exeunt                         (4.12.1-4)   More rapid cutting between scenes; the action’s continuous, pretty much, and it wouldn’t […]

Enter Antony and Scarus with their army ANTONY         Their preparation is today by sea; We please them not by land. SCARUS                      For both, my lord. ANTONY         I would they’d fight i’th’ fire or i’th’ air; We’d fight there too. But this it is: our foot Upon the hills adjoining to the city Shall stay with […]

FIRST WATCH                       Let’s speak to him. SENTRY          Let’s hear him, for the things he speaks May concern Caesar. SECOND WATCH       Let’s do so. But he sleeps. SENTRY Swoons, rather, for so bad a prayer as his Was never yet for sleep. FIRST WATCH Go we to him. SECOND WATCH Awake, sir, awake; speak to us. […]