POMPEY                     You have made me offer Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must Rid all the sea of pirates; then to send Measures of wheat to Rome; this ’greed upon, To part with unhacked edges, and bear back Our targes undinted. CAESAR, ANTONY and LEPIDUS      That’s our offer.        (2.6.34-9)   Pompey’s said his piece, and gets […]

ANTONY         Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails. We’ll speak with thee at sea. At land thou know’st How much we do o’ercount thee. POMPEY                                 At land indeed Thou dost o’ercount me of my father’s house, But since the cuckoo builds not for himself, Remain in’t as thou mayst. LEPIDUS                                 Be pleased to […]

POMPEY                                 To you all three, The senators alone of this great world, Chief factors for the gods: I do not know Wherefore my father should revengers want, Having a son and friends, since Julius Caesar, Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted, There saw you labouring for him. What was’t That moved pale Cassius to […]

Flourish. Enter Pompey and Menas at one door, with drum and trumpet; at another, Caesar, Lepidus, Antony, Enobarbus, Maecenas, Agrippa, with soldiers marching POMPEY         Your hostages I have, so have you mine, And we shall talk before we fight. CAESAR                                  Most meet That first we come to words, and therefore have we Our written purposes before us […]

CLEOPATRA               Lead me from hence. I faint. O, Iras, Charmian—’tis no matter. Go to the fellow, good Alexas, bid him Report the feature of Octavia: her years, Her inclination; let him not leave out The colour of her hair. Bring me word quickly. [Exit Alexas] Let him for ever go—let him not, Charmian; Though he […]

CLEOPATRA   O that his fault should make a knave of thee, That act not what thou’rt sure of! Get thee hence. The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome Are all too dear for me. Lie they upon thy hand, And be undone by ’em.                         [Exit Messenger] CHARMIAN                             Good your highness, patience. CLEOPATRA   In […]

CLEOPATRA   The gods confound thee! Dost thou hold there still? MESSENGER  Should I lie, madam? CLEOPATRA                                       O, I would thou didst, So half my Egypt were submerged and made A cistern for scaled snakes. Go, get thee hence. Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married? MESSENGER  […]

[Enter the Messenger again with Charmian] CLEOPATRA                           Come hither, sir. Though it be honest, it is never good To bring bad news. Give to a gracious message An host of tongues, but let ill tidings tell Themselves when they be felt. MESSENGER                          I have done my duty. CLEOPATRA   Is he married? I cannot hate thee […]

CHARMIAN     Good madam, keep yourself within yourself. The man is innocent. CLEOPATRA   Some innocents ’scape not the thunderbolt. Melt Egypt into Nile, and kindly creatures Turn all to serpents! Call the slave again. Though I am mad I will not bite him. Call! CHARMIAN                 He is afeard to come. CLEOPATRA                           I will not hurt him. […]

MESSENGER              Gracious madam, I that do bring the news made not the match. CLEOPATRA   Say ’tis not so, a province I will give thee, And make thy fortunes proud. The blow thou hadst Shall make thy peace for moving me to rage, And I will boot thee with what gift beside Thy modesty can beg. […]