Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
Act 3 - Scene 13
Alexandria. CLEOPATRA’s palace.
Cleopatra : What shall we do, Enobarbus?
Domitius Enobarus : Think, and die.
Cleopatra : Is Antony or we in fault for this?
Domitius Enobarus : Antony only, that would make his will
[p]Lord of his reason. What
though you fled
[p]From that great face of war, whose several
ranges
[p]Frighted each other? why should he follow?
[p]The itch of
his affection should not then
[p]Have nick'd his captainship; at such
a point,
[p]When half to half the world opposed, he being
[p]The
meered question: 'twas a shame no less
[p]Than was his loss, to course
your flying flags,
[p]And leave his navy gazing.
Cleopatra : Prithee, peace.
Euphronius : Ay, my lord.
Euphronius : He says so.
Cleopatra : That head, my lord?
Domitius Enobarus : [Aside] Yes, like enough, high-battled Caesar will
[p]Unstate his
happiness, and be staged to the show,
[p]Against a sworder! I see
men's judgments are
[p]A parcel of their fortunes; and things
outward
[p]Do draw the inward quality after them,
[p]To suffer all
alike. That he should dream,
[p]Knowing all measures, the full Caesar
will
[p]Answer his emptiness! Caesar, thou hast subdued
[p]His
judgment too.
Attendant : A messenger from CAESAR.
Cleopatra : What, no more ceremony? See, my women!
[p]Against the blown rose may
they stop their nose
[p]That kneel'd unto the buds. Admit him, sir.
Domitius Enobarus : [Aside] Mine honesty and I begin to square.
[p]The loyalty well held
to fools does make
[p]Our faith mere folly: yet he that can
endure
[p]To follow with allegiance a fall'n lord
[p]Does conquer him
that did his master conquer
[p]And earns a place i' the story.
Cleopatra : Caesar's will?
Thyreus : Hear it apart.
Cleopatra : None but friends: say boldly.
Thyreus : So, haply, are they friends to Antony.
Domitius Enobarus : He needs as many, sir, as Caesar has;
[p]Or needs not us. If Caesar
please, our master
[p]Will leap to be his friend: for us, you
know,
[p]Whose he is we are, and that is, Caesar's.
Thyreus : So.
[p]Thus then, thou most renown'd: Caesar entreats,
[p]Not to
consider in what case thou stand'st,
[p]Further than he is Caesar.
Cleopatra : Go on: right royal.
Thyreus : He knows that you embrace not Antony
[p]As you did love, but as you
fear'd him.
Cleopatra : O!
Thyreus : The scars upon your honour, therefore, he
[p]Does pity, as constrained
blemishes,
[p]Not as deserved.
Cleopatra : He is a god, and knows
[p]What is most right: mine honour was not
yielded,
[p]But conquer'd merely.
Domitius Enobarus : [Aside] To be sure of that,
[p]I will ask Antony. Sir, sir, thou art
so leaky,
[p]That we must leave thee to thy sinking, for
[p]Thy
dearest quit thee.
Thyreus : Shall I say to Caesar
[p]What you require of him? for he partly
begs
[p]To be desired to give. It much would please him,
[p]That of
his fortunes you should make a staff
[p]To lean upon: but it would
warm his spirits,
[p]To hear from me you had left Antony,
[p]And put
yourself under his shrowd,
[p]The universal landlord.
Cleopatra : What's your name?
Thyreus : My name is Thyreus.
Cleopatra : Most kind messenger,
[p]Say to great Caesar this: in deputation
[p]I
kiss his conquering hand: tell him, I am prompt
[p]To lay my crown at
's feet, and there to kneel:
[p]Tell him from his all-obeying breath I
hear
[p]The doom of Egypt.
Thyreus : 'Tis your noblest course.
[p]Wisdom and fortune combating
together,
[p]If that the former dare but what it can,
[p]No chance may
shake it. Give me grace to lay
[p]My duty on your hand.
Cleopatra : Your Caesar's father oft,
[p]When he hath mused of taking kingdoms
in,
[p]Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place,
[p]As it rain'd
kisses.
Thyreus : One that but performs
[p]The bidding of the fullest man, and
worthiest
[p]To have command obey'd.
Domitius Enobarus : [Aside] You will be whipp'd.
Domitius Enobarus : [Aside] 'Tis better playing with a lion's whelp
[p]Than with an old
one dying.
Thyreus : Mark Antony!
Cleopatra : Good my lord,--
Cleopatra : O, is't come to this?
Cleopatra : Wherefore is this?
First Attendant : Soundly, my lord.
First Attendant : He did ask favour.
Cleopatra : Have you done yet?
Cleopatra : I must stay his time.
Cleopatra : Not know me yet?
Cleopatra : Ah, dear, if I be so,
[p]From my cold heart let heaven engender
hail,
[p]And poison it in the source; and the first stone
[p]Drop in
my neck: as it determines, so
[p]Dissolve my life! The next Caesarion
smite!
[p]Till by degrees the memory of my womb,
[p]Together with my
brave Egyptians all,
[p]By the discandying of this pelleted
storm,
[p]Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile
[p]Have
buried them for prey!
Cleopatra : That's my brave lord!
Cleopatra : It is my birth-day:
[p]I had thought to have held it poor: but, since
my lord
[p]Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.
Cleopatra : Call all his noble captains to my lord.
Domitius Enobarus : Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious,
[p]Is to be frighted
out of fear; and in that mood
[p]The dove will peck the estridge; and
I see still,
[p]A diminution in our captain's brain
[p]Restores his
heart: when valour preys on reason,
[p]It eats the sword it fights
with. I will seek
[p]Some way to leave him.
Previous: Act 3 - Scene 12
Next: Act 4 - Scene 1
