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Antony and Cleopatra: Act II, Scene 1

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Antony and Cleopatra
Act II, Scene 1

Scene 1

Messina. Pompey’s house.

  1. Enter Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas, in warlike manner.

Pompeius

1 - 2
  1. If the great gods be just, they shall assist
  2. The deeds of justest men.

Menas

3 - 4
  1.                           Know, worthy Pompey,
  2. That what they do delay, they not deny.

Pompeius

5 - 6
  1. Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays
  2. The thing we sue for.

Menecrates

7 - 10
  1.                       We, ignorant of ourselves,
  2. Beg often our own harms, which the wise pow’rs
  3. Deny us for our good; so find we profit
  4. By losing of our prayers.

Pompeius

11 - 19
  1.                           I shall do well:
  2. The people love me, and the sea is mine;
  3. My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope
  4. Says it will come to th’ full. Mark Antony
  5. In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make
  6. No wars without-doors. Caesar gets money where
  7. He loses hearts. Lepidus flatters both,
  8. Of both is flatter’d; but he neither loves,
  9. Nor either cares for him.

Menas

20 - 21
  1.                           Caesar and Lepidus
  2. Are in the field, a mighty strength they carry.

Pompeius

22
  1. Where have you this? ’Tis false.

Menas

23
  1.                                  From Silvius, sir.

Pompeius

24 - 33
  1. He dreams; I know they are in Rome together,
  2. Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love,
  3. Salt Cleopatra, soften thy wan’d lip!
  4. Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both,
  5. Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,
  6. Keep his brain fuming; epicurean cooks
  7. Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite,
  8. That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honor,
  9. Even till a Lethe’d dullness—
  10. Enter Varrius.
  11.                               How now, Varrius?
Design for a silver basin

Design for a silver basin

Includes scenes from the lives of Antony and Cleopatra

Bernardo Strozzi, circa 1619

Varrius

34 - 37
  1. This is most certain that I shall deliver:
  2. Mark Antony is every hour in Rome
  3. Expected. Since he went from Egypt, ’tis
  4. A space for farther travel.

Pompeius

38 - 45
  1.                             I could have given less matter
  2. A better ear. Menas, I did not think
  3. This amorous surfeiter would have donn’d his helm
  4. For such a petty war. His soldiership
  5. Is twice the other twain; but let us rear
  6. The higher our opinion, that our stirring
  7. Can from the lap of Egypt’s widow pluck
  8. The ne’er-lust-wearied Antony.

Menas

46 - 50
  1.                                I cannot hope
  2. Caesar and Antony shall well greet together:
  3. His wife that’s dead did trespasses to Caesar;
  4. His brother warr’d upon him, although I think
  5. Not mov’d by Antony.

Pompeius

51 - 61
  1.                      I know not, Menas,
  2. How lesser enmities may give way to greater.
  3. Were’t not that we stand up against them all,
  4. ’Twere pregnant they should square between themselves,
  5. For they have entertained cause enough
  6. To draw their swords; but how the fear of us
  7. May cement their divisions, and bind up
  8. The petty difference, we yet not know.
  9. Be’t as our gods will have’t! It only stands
  10. Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.
  11. Come, Menas.
  1. Exeunt.
Act header from Duprant & Co. edition of Antony and Cleopatra

Act header from Duprant & Co. edition of Antony and Cleopatra

W. J. Rolfe, Paul Avril, 1891

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