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Home > Anthony and Cleopatra > ACT I - SCENE V. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace.

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ACT I - SCENE V. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace.
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN

CLEOPATRA
1    Charmian!
CHARMIAN
2    Madam?
CLEOPATRA
3    Ha, ha!
4    Give me to drink mandragora.
CHARMIAN
5    Why, madam?
CLEOPATRA
6    That I might sleep out this great gap of time
7    My Antony is away.
CHARMIAN
8    You think of him too much.
CLEOPATRA
9    O, 'tis treason!
CHARMIAN
10   Madam, I trust, not so.
CLEOPATRA
11   Thou, eunuch Mardian!
MARDIAN
12   What's your highness' pleasure?
CLEOPATRA
13   Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure
14   In aught an eunuch has: 'tis well for thee,
15   That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts
16   May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?
MARDIAN
17   Yes, gracious madam.
CLEOPATRA
18   Indeed!
MARDIAN
19   Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing
20   But what indeed is honest to be done:
21   Yet have I fierce affections, and think
22   What Venus did with Mars.
CLEOPATRA
23   O Charmian,
24   Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he?
25   Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?
26   O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
27   Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou movest?
28   The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm
29   And burgonet of men. He's speaking now,
30   Or murmuring 'Where's my serpent of old Nile?'
31   For so he calls me: now I feed myself
32   With most delicious poison. Think on me,
33   That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black,
34   And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar,
35   When thou wast here above the ground, I was
36   A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey
37   Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow;
38   There would he anchor his aspect and die
39   With looking on his life.
Enter ALEXAS, from OCTAVIUS CAESAR

ALEXAS
40   Sovereign of Egypt, hail!
CLEOPATRA
41   How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
42   Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath
43   With his tinct gilded thee.
44   How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
ALEXAS
45   Last thing he did, dear queen,
46   He kiss'd,--the last of many doubled kisses,--
47   This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.
CLEOPATRA
48   Mine ear must pluck it thence.
ALEXAS
49   'Good friend,' quoth he,
50   'Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
51   This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,
52   To mend the petty present, I will piece
53   Her opulent throne with kingdoms; all the east,
54   Say thou, shall call her mistress.' So he nodded,
55   And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed,
56   Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke
57   Was beastly dumb'd by him.
CLEOPATRA
58   What, was he sad or merry?
ALEXAS
59   Like to the time o' the year between the extremes
60   Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry.
CLEOPATRA
61   O well-divided disposition! Note him,
62   Note him good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him:
63   He was not sad, for he would shine on those
64   That make their looks by his; he was not merry,
65   Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay
66   In Egypt with his joy; but between both:
67   O heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad or merry,
68   The violence of either thee becomes,
69   So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts?
ALEXAS
70   Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
71   Why do you send so thick?
CLEOPATRA
72   Who's born that day
73   When I forget to send to Antony,
74   Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
75   Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
76   Ever love Caesar so?
CHARMIAN
77   O that brave Caesar!
CLEOPATRA
78   Be choked with such another emphasis!
79   Say, the brave Antony.
CHARMIAN
80   The valiant Caesar!
CLEOPATRA
81   By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth,
82   If thou with Caesar paragon again
83   My man of men.
CHARMIAN
84   By your most gracious pardon,
85   I sing but after you.
CLEOPATRA
86   My salad days,
87   When I was green in judgment: cold in blood,
88   To say as I said then! But, come, away;
89   Get me ink and paper:
90   He shall have every day a several greeting,
91   Or I'll unpeople Egypt.
Exeunt

< (Previous) ACT I, SCENE IVACT II, I (Next) >
Scene Index
ACT I
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V


  • ACT II
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII


  • ACT III
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII
  • SCENE VIII
  • SCENE IX
  • SCENE X
  • SCENE XI
  • SCENE XII
  • SCENE XIII


  • ACT IV
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII
  • SCENE VIII
  • SCENE IX
  • SCENE X
  • SCENE XI
  • SCENE XII
  • SCENE XIII
  • SCENE XIV
  • SCENE XV


  • ACT V
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II

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