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Antony and Cleopatra: Act II, Scene 5

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Antony and Cleopatra
Act II, Scene 5

Alexandria. Cleopatra’s palace.

Sarah Bernhardt as Cleopatra

Sarah Bernhardt as Cleopatra

Georges Clairin, Selmar Hess, 1894

  1. Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas.

Cleopatra

1 - 2
  1. Give me some music; music, moody food
  2. Of us that trade in love.

Charmian, Iras, and Alexas

3
  1.                           The music, ho!
  1. Enter Mardian the Eunuch.

Cleopatra

4
  1. Let it alone, let’s to billards. Come, Charmian.

Charmian

5
  1. My arm is sore, best play with Mardian.

Cleopatra

6 - 7
  1. As well a woman with an eunuch play’d
  2. As with a woman. Come, you’ll play with me, sir?

Mardian

8
  1. As well as I can, madam.

Cleopatra

9 - 16
  1. And when good will is show’d, though’t come too short,
  2. The actor may plead pardon. I’ll none now.
  3. Give me mine angle, we’ll to th’ river; there,
  4. My music playing far off, I will betray
  5. Tawny-finn’d fishes; my bended hook shall pierce
  6. Their slimy jaws; and as I draw them up,
  7. I’ll think them every one an Antony,
  8. And say, “Ah, ha! Y’ are caught.”

Charmian

17 - 20
  1.                                   ’Twas merry when
  2. You wager’d on your angling; when your diver
  3. Did hang a salt-fish on his hook, which he
  4. With fervency drew up.

Cleopatra

21 - 29
  1.                        That time? O times!
  2. I laugh’d him out of patience; and that night
  3. I laugh’d him into patience; and next morn,
  4. Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed;
  5. Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst
  6. I wore his sword Philippan.
  7. Enter an Egyptian Messenger.
  8.                             O, from Italy!
  9. Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears,
  10. That long time have been barren.

Egyptian Messenger

30
  1.                                  Madam, madam—

Cleopatra

31 - 35
  1. Antonio’s dead! If thou say so, villain,
  2. Thou kill’st thy mistress; but well and free,
  3. If thou so yield him, there is gold, and here
  4. My bluest veins to kiss—a hand that kings
  5. Have lipp’d, and trembled kissing.

Egyptian Messenger

36
  1. First, madam, he is well.

Cleopatra

37 - 41
  1.                           Why, there’s more gold.
  2. But, sirrah, mark, we use
  3. To say the dead are well. Bring it to that,
  4. The gold I give thee will I melt and pour
  5. Down thy ill-uttering throat.

Egyptian Messenger

42
  1. Good madam, hear me.

Cleopatra

43 - 48
  1.                      Well, go to, I will.
  2. But there’s no goodness in thy face, if Antony
  3. Be free and healthful—so tart a favor
  4. To trumpet such good tidings! If not well,
  5. Thou shouldst come like a Fury crown’d with snakes,
  6. Not like a formal man.

Egyptian Messenger

49
  1.                        Will’t please you hear me?

Cleopatra

50 - 54
  1. I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak’st;
  2. Yet if thou say Antony lives, ’tis well,
  3. Or friends with Caesar, or not captive to him,
  4. I’ll set thee in a shower of gold, and hail
  5. Rich pearls upon thee.

Egyptian Messenger

55
  1.                        Madam, he’s well.

Cleopatra

56
  1.                   Well said.

Egyptian Messenger

57
  1. And friends with Caesar.

Cleopatra

58
  1.                          Th’ art an honest man.

Egyptian Messenger

59
  1. Caesar and he are greater friends than ever.

Cleopatra

60
  1. Make thee a fortune from me.

Egyptian Messenger

61
  1.                              But yet, madam—

Cleopatra

62 - 68
  1. I do not like “but yet,” it does allay
  2. The good precedence; fie upon ’but yet’!
  3. “But yet” is as a jailer to bring forth
  4. Some monstrous malefactor. Prithee, friend,
  5. Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear,
  6. The good and bad together: he’s friends with Caesar,
  7. In state of health thou say’st, and thou say’st free.

Egyptian Messenger

69 - 70
  1. Free, madam, no; I made no such report.
  2. He’s bound unto Octavia.

Cleopatra

71
  1.                          For what good turn?

Egyptian Messenger

72
  1. For the best turn i’ th’ bed.

Cleopatra

73
  1.                               I am pale, Charmian.

Egyptian Messenger

74
  1. Madam, he’s married to Octavia.

Cleopatra

75
  1. The most infectious pestilence upon thee!
  1. Strikes him down.

Egyptian Messenger

76
  1. Good madam, patience.

Cleopatra

77 - 82
  1.                       What say you?
  2. Strikes him.
  3.               Hence,
  4. Horrible villain, or I’ll spurn thine eyes
  5. Like balls before me; I’ll unhair thy head,
  6. She hales him up and down.
  7. Thou shalt be whipt with wire, and stew’d in brine,
  8. Smarting in ling’ring pickle.

The most infectious pestilence upon thee!

W. J. Rolfe, Paul Avril, 1891

Egyptian Messenger

83 - 84
  1.                               Gracious madam,
  2. I that do bring the news made not the match.

Cleopatra

85 - 89
  1. Say ’tis not so, a province I will give thee,
  2. And make thy fortunes proud; the blow thou hadst
  3. Shall make thy peace for moving me to rage,
  4. And I will boot thee with what gift beside
  5. Thy modesty can beg.

Egyptian Messenger

90
  1.                      He’s married, madam.

Cleopatra

91
  1. Rogue, thou hast liv’d too long.
  1. Draw a knife.

Egyptian Messenger

92 - 93
  1.                                  Nay then I’ll run.
  2. What mean you, madam? I have made no fault.
  1. Exit.

Charmian

94 - 95
  1. Good madam, keep yourself within yourself,
  2. The man is innocent.

Cleopatra

96 - 99
  1. Some innocents scape not the thunderbolt.
  2. Melt Egypt into Nile! And kindly creatures
  3. Turn all to serpents! Call the slave again,
  4. Though I am mad, I will not bite him. Call!

Charmian

100
  1. He is afeard to come.

Cleopatra

101 - 108
  1.                       I will not hurt him.
  2. These hands do lack nobility that they strike
  3. A meaner than myself, since I myself
  4. Have given myself the cause. Come hither, sir.
  5. Enter the Egyptian Messenger again.
  6. Though it be honest, it is never good
  7. To bring bad news. Give to a gracious message
  8. An host of tongues, but let ill tidings tell
  9. Themselves when they be felt.

Egyptian Messenger

109
  1.                               I have done my duty.

Cleopatra

110 - 112
  1. Is he married?
  2. I cannot hate thee worser than I do,
  3. If thou again say yes.

Egyptian Messenger

113
  1.                        He’s married, madam.

Cleopatra

114
  1. The gods confound thee, dost thou hold there still?

Egyptian Messenger

115
  1. Should I lie, madam?

Cleopatra

116 - 120
  1.                      O, I would thou didst;
  2. So half my Egypt were submerg’d and made
  3. A cistern for scal’d snakes! Go get thee hence!
  4. Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me
  5. Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married?

Egyptian Messenger

121
  1. I crave your Highness’ pardon.

Cleopatra

122
  1.                                He is married?

Egyptian Messenger

123 - 125
  1. Take no offense that I would not offend you;
  2. To punish me for what you make me do
  3. Seems much unequal. He’s married to Octavia.

Cleopatra

126 - 130
  1. O, that his fault should make a knave of thee,
  2. That art not what th’ art sure of. Get thee hence;
  3. The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome
  4. Are all too dear for me. Lie they upon thy hand,
  5. And be undone by ’em!
  1. Exit Egyptian Messenger.

Charmian

131
  1.                       Good your Highness, patience.

Cleopatra

132
  1. In praising Antony I have disprais’d Caesar.

Charmian

133
  1. Many times, madam.

Cleopatra

134 - 146
  1.                    I am paid for’t now.
  2. Lead me from hence;
  3. I faint, O Iras, Charmian! ’Tis no matter.
  4. Go to the fellow, good Alexas, bid him
  5. Report the feature of Octavia, her years,
  6. Her inclination; let him not leave out
  7. The color of her hair. Bring me word quickly.
  8. Exit Alexas.
  9. Let him forever go—let him not, Charmian—
  10. Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon,
  11. The other way’s a Mars.
  12. To Mardian.
  13.                         Bid you Alexas
  14. Bring me word how tall she is. Pity me, Charmian,
  15. But do not speak to me. Lead me to my chamber.
  1. Exeunt.
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