ANTONY         Speak to me home. Mince not the general tongue— Name Cleopatra as she is called in Rome. Rail thou in Fulvia’s phrase, and taunt my faults With such full licence as both truth and malice Have power to utter. O, then we bring forth weeds When our quick minds lie still, and our ills […]

FIRST MESSENGER   Labienus— This is stiff news—hath with his Parthian force Extended Asïa; from Eúphrates His conquering banner shook, from Syria To Lydia, and to Ionia, Whilst— ANTONY                     ‘Antony’, thou wouldst say? FIRST MESSENGER   O, my lord!     (1.2.83-88)   The Messenger gets down to the nitty gritty detail of conquest, and it’s not good news. […]

FIRST MESSENGER   Fulvia thy wife first came into the field. ANTONY         Against my brother Lucius? FIRST MESSENGER   Ay, but soon that war had end, and the time’s state Made friends of them, jointing their force ’gainst Caesar, Whose better issue in the war from Italy Upon the first encounter drove them. ANTONY                                 Well, what worst? […]

Enter Cleopatra ENOBARBUS  Hush, here comes Antony. CHARMIAN                 Not he, the Queen. CLEOPATRA                                       Saw you my lord? ENOBARBUS  No, lady. CLEOPATRA               Was he not here? CHARMIAN                                         No, madam. CLEOPATRA   He was disposed to mirth, but on the sudden A Roman thought hath struck him. Enobarbus! ENOBARBUS  Madam? CLEOPATRA               Seek him, and bring him hither. Where’s […]

CHARMIAN     Alexas—come, his fortune, his fortune. O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee, and let her die too, and give him a worse, and let worse follow worse till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fiftyfold a cuckold. Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a […]

SOOTHSAYER                        Your fortunes are alike. IRAS                                        But how, but how? Give me particulars. SOOTHSAYER                        I have said. IRAS    Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? CHARMIAN     Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I, where would you choose it? IRAS    Not in my husband’s nose. CHARMIAN     Our […]

CHARMIAN     [to Soothsayer] Nay, come, tell Iras hers. ALEXAS           We’ll know all our fortunes. ENOBARBUS  Mine, and most of our fortunes, tonight shall be drunk to bed. IRAS    [showing her hand to Soothsayer] There’s a palm presages chastity, if nothing else. CHARMIAN     E’en as the o’erflowing Nilus presageth famine. IRAS    Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay. CHARMIAN     Nay, […]

SOOTHSAYER                        You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach. CHARMIAN     Then belike my children shall have no names. Prithee, how many boys and wenches must I have? SOOTHSAYER                        If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertile every wish, a millïon. CHARMIAN     Out, fool—I forgive thee […]

SOOTHSAYER                        You shall be more beloving than beloved. CHARMIAN     I had rather heat my liver with drinking. ALEXAS           Nay, hear him. CHARMIAN     Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon and widow them all. Let me have a child at fifty to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage. […]

ENOBARBUS  [calling] Bring in the banquet quickly, Wine enough Cleopatra’s health to drink. [Servants bring food and wine] CHARMIAN     [to Soothsayer] Good sir, give me good fortune. SOOTHSAYER                        I make not, but foresee. CHARMIAN     Pray then, foresee me one. SOOTHSAYER                        You shall be yet Far fairer than you are. CHARMIAN                             He means in flesh. IRAS    […]