Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

Act 5 - Scene 1

Alexandria. OCTAVIUS CAESAR’s camp.

Dolabella : Caesar, I shall.

Dercetas : I am call'd Dercetas; [p]Mark Antony I served, who best was
worthy [p]Best to be served: whilst he stood up and spoke, [p]He was
my master; and I wore my life [p]To spend upon his haters. If thou
please [p]To take me to thee, as I was to him [p]I'll be to Caesar; if
thou pleasest not, [p]I yield thee up my life.

Dercetas : I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.

Dercetas : He is dead, Caesar: [p]Not by a public minister of justice, [p]Nor by
a hired knife; but that self hand, [p]Which writ his honour in the
acts it did, [p]Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend
it, [p]Splitted the heart. This is his sword; [p]I robb'd his wound of
it; behold it stain'd [p]With his most noble blood.

Agrippa : And strange it is, [p]That nature must compel us to lament [p]Our most
persisted deeds.

Mecaenas : His taints and honours [p]Waged equal with him.

Agrippa : A rarer spirit never [p]Did steer humanity: but you, gods, will give
us [p]Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touch'd.

Mecaenas : When such a spacious mirror's set before him, [p]He needs must see
himself.

Egyptian : A poor Egyptian yet. The queen my mistress, [p]Confined in all she
has, her monument, [p]Of thy intents desires instruction, [p]That she
preparedly may frame herself [p]To the way she's forced to.

Egyptian : So the gods preserve thee!

Proculeius : Caesar, I shall.

All : Dolabella!

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