Antony and Cleopatra
Act I, Scene 5
Alexandria. Cleopatra’s palace.
Sarah Bernhardt as Cleopatra
Napoleon Sarony, 1891
- Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian.
Cleopatra
1- Charmian!
Charmian
2- Madam?
Cleopatra
3 - 4- Ha, ha!
- Give me to drink mandragora.
Charmian
5- Why, madam?
Cleopatra
6 - 7- That I might sleep out this great gap of time
- 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 - 16- Not now to hear thee sing. I take no pleasure
- In aught an eunuch has. ’Tis well for thee,
- That being unseminar’d, thy freer thoughts
- May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?
Mardian
17- Yes, gracious madam.
Cleopatra
18- Indeed?
Mardian
19 - 22- Not in deed, madam, for I can do nothing
- But what indeed is honest to be done;
- Yet have I fierce affections, and think
- What Venus did with Mars.
Cleopatra
23 - 39- O Charmian!
- Where think’st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he?
- Or does he walk? Or is he on his horse?
- O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
- Do bravely, horse, for wot’st thou whom thou mov’st?
- The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm
- And burgonet of men. He’s speaking now,
- Or murmuring, “Where’s my serpent of old Nile?”
- (For so he calls me). Now I feed myself
- With most delicious poison. Think on me,
- That am with Phoebus’ amorous pinches black,
- And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar,
- When thou wast here above the ground, I was
- A morsel for a monarch; and great Pompey
- Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow;
- There would he anchor his aspect, and die
- With looking on his life.
- Enter Alexas from Antony.
Alexas
40- Sovereign of Egypt, hail!
Cleopatra
41 - 44- How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
- Yet coming from him, that great med’cine hath
- With his tinct gilded thee.
- How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
Alexas
45 - 47- Last thing he did, dear Queen,
- He kiss’d—the last of many doubled kisses—
- This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.
Cleopatra
48- Mine ear must pluck it thence.
Alexas
49 - 57- “Good friend,” quoth he,
- “Say the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
- This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,
- To mend the petty present, I will piece
- Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the East,
- Say thou, shall call her mistress.” So he nodded,
- And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed,
- Who neigh’d so high that what I would have spoke
- Was beastly dumb’d by him.
Cleopatra
58- What, was he sad, or merry?
Alexas
59 - 60- Like to the time o’ th’ year between the extremes
- Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry.
Cleopatra
61 - 69- O well-divided disposition! Note him,
- Note him, good Charmian, ’tis the man; but note him:
- He was not sad, for he would shine on those
- That make their looks by his; he was not merry,
- Which seem’d to tell them his remembrance lay
- In Egypt with his joy; but between both.
- O heavenly mingle! Be’st thou sad or merry,
- The violence of either thee becomes,
- So does it no man’s else. Met’st thou my posts?
Alexas
70 - 71- Ay, madam, twenty several messengers.
- Why do you send so thick?
Cleopatra
72 - 76- Who’s born that day
- When I forget to send to Antony,
- Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
- Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
- Ever love Caesar so?
Charmian
77- O that brave Caesar!
Cleopatra
78 - 79- Be chok’d with such another emphasis!
- Say “the brave Antony.”
Charmian
80- The valiant Caesar!
Cleopatra
81 - 83- By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth,
- If thou with Caesar paragon again
- My man of men.
Charmian
84 - 85- By your most gracious pardon,
- I sing but after you.
Cleopatra
86 - 91- My salad days,
- When I was green in judgment, cold in blood,
- To say as I said then! But come, away,
- Get me ink and paper.
- He shall have every day a several greeting,
- Or I’ll unpeople Egypt.
- Exeunt.
Lady Felton as Cleopatra
Benedetto Gennari the younger, circa 1685