The Tragedie of Anthony and Cleopatra - ebook

Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT I

SCENE I. Alexandria. A Room in CLEOPATRA'S palace.

SCENE II. Alexandria. Another Room in CLEOPATRA'S palace.

SCENE III. Alexandria. A Room in CLEOPATRA'S palace.

SCENE IV. Rome. An Apartment in CAESAR'S House.

SCENE V. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

ACT II

SCENE I. Messina. A Room in POMPEY'S house.

SCENE II. Rome. A Room in the House of LEPIDUS.

SCENE III. Rome. A Room in CAESAR'S House.

SCENE IV. Rome. A street.

SCENE V. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

SCENE VI. Near Misenum.

SCENE VII. On board POMPEY'S Galley, lying near Misenum.

ACT III

SCENE I. A plain in Syria.

SCENE II. Rome. An Ante-chamber in CAESAR'S house.

SCENE III. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

SCENE IV. Athens. A Room in ANTONY'S House.

SCENE V. Athens. Another Room in ANTONY'S House.

SCENE VI. Rome. A Room in CAESAR'S House.

SCENE VII. ANTONY'S Camp near the Promontory of Actium.

SCENE VIII. A plain near Actium.

SCENE IX. Another part of the Plain.

SCENE X. Another part of the Plain.

SCENE XI. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

SCENE XII. CAESAR'S camp in Egypt.

SCENE XIII. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

ACT IV

SCENE I. CAESAR'S Camp at Alexandria.

SCENE II. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

SCENE III. Alexandria. Before the Palace.

SCENE IV. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

SCENE V. ANTONY'S camp near Alexandria.

SCENE VI. Alexandria. CAESAR'S camp.

SCENE VII. Field of battle between the Camps.

SCENE VIII. Under the Walls of Alexandria.

SCENE IX. CAESAR'S camp.

SCENE X. Ground between the two Camps.

SCENE XI. Another part of the Ground.

SCENE XII. Another part of the Ground.

SCENE XIII. Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

SCENE XIV. Alexandria. Another Room.

SCENE XV. Alexandria. A monument.

ACT V

SCENE I. CAESAR'S Camp before Alexandria.

SCENE II. Alexandria. A Room in the Monument.DRAMATIS PERSONAE

M.ANTONY, Triumvir

OCTAVIUS CAESAR, Triumvir

M. AEMIL. LEPIDUS, Triumvir

SEXTUS POMPEIUS

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, friend to Antony

VENTIDIUS, friend to Antony

EROS, friend to Antony

SCARUS, friend to Antony

DERCETAS, friend to Antony

DEMETRIUS, friend to Antony

PHILO, friend to Antony

MAECENAS, friend to Caesar

AGRIPPA, friend to Caesar

DOLABELLA, friend to Caesar

PROCULEIUS, friend to Caesar

THYREUS, friend to Caesar

GALLUS, friend to Caesar

MENAS, friend to Pompey

MENECRATES, friend to Pompey

VARRIUS, friend to Pompey

TAURUS, Lieutenant-General to Caesar

CANIDIUS, Lieutenant-General to Antony

SILIUS, an Officer in Ventidius’s army

EUPHRONIUS, an Ambassador from Antony to Caesar

ALEXAS, attendant on Cleopatra

MARDIAN, attendant on Cleopatra

SELEUCUS, treasurer to Cleopatra

DIOMEDES, attendant on Cleopatra

A SOOTHSAYER

A CLOWN

CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt

OCTAVIA, Sister to Caesar

CHARMIAN, Attendant on Cleopatra

IRAS, Attendant on Cleopatra

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants

SCENE: Dispersed, in several parts of the Roman Empire.ACT I

SCENE I. Alexandria. A Room in CLEOPATRA’S palace

PHILO.

Nay, but this dotage of our general’s

O’erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,

That o’er the files and musters of the war

Have glow’d like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,

The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front: his captain’s heart,

Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst

The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,

And is become the bellows and the fan

To cool a gipsy’s lust.

Look where they come:

Take but good note, and you shall see in him

The triple pillar of the world transform’d

Into a strumpet’s fool: behold and see.

CLEOPATRA.

If it be love indeed, tell me how much.

ANTONY.

There’s beggary in the love that can be reckon’d.

CLEOPATRA.

I’ll set a bourn how far to be belov’d.

ANTONY.

Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

ATTENDANT.

News, my good lord, from Rome.

ANTONY.

Grates me:–the sum.

CLEOPATRA.

Nay, hear them, Antony:

Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows

If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent

His powerful mandate to you: ‘Do this or this;

Take in that kingdom and enfranchise that;

Perform’t, or else we damn thee.’

ANTONY.

How, my love!

CLEOPATRA.

Perchance! Nay, and most like:–

You must not stay here longer,–your dismission

Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony.–

Where’s Fulvia’s process?–Caesar’s I would say?–Both?–

Call in the messengers.–As I am Egypt’s queen,

Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine

Is Caesar’s homager: else so thy cheek pays shame

When shrill-tongu’d Fulvia scolds.–The messengers!

ANTONY.

Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch

Of the rang’d empire fall! Here is my space.

Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike

Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life

Is to do thus ; when such a mutual pair

And such a twain can do’t, in which I bind,

On pain of punishment, the world to weet

We stand up peerless.

CLEOPATRA.

Excellent falsehood!

Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?–

I’ll seem the fool I am not; Antony

Will be himself.

ANTONY.

But stirr’d by Cleopatra.–

Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,

Let’s not confound the time with conference harsh:

There’s not a minute of our lives should stretch

Without some pleasure now:–what sport to-night?

CLEOPATRA.

Hear the ambassadors.

ANTONY.

Fie, wrangling queen!

Whom everything becomes,–to chide, to laugh,

To weep; whose every passion fully strives

To make itself in thee fair and admir’d!

No messenger; but thine, and all alone

To-night we’ll wander through the streets and note

The qualities of people. Come, my queen;

Last night you did desire it:–speak not to us.

DEMETRIUS.

Is Caesar with Antonius priz’d so slight?

PHILO.

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