ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

Act 1 Scene 3

(Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Alexas, and Iras)
l1l	Cleopatra	 Where is he?
	Charmian	I did not see him since.
l2l	Cleopatra	(to Alexas)
		 See where he is, who’s with him, what he does.
l3l		I did not send you. If you find him sad,
l4l		Say I am dancing# if in mirth, report
l5l		That I am sudden sick. Quick, and return.
		(Exit Alexas)
l6l	Charmian	 Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly,
l7l		You do not hold the method to enforce
l8l		The like from him.
	Cleopatra	What should I do I do not?
l9l	Charmian	In each thing give him way# cross him in nothing.
l10l	Cleopatra	Thou teachest like a fool, the way to lose him.
l11l	Charmian	Tempt him not so too far. Iwis, forbear.
l12l		In time we hate that which we often fear.
		(Enter Antony)
l13l		But here comes Antony.
	Cleopatra	I am sick and sullen.
l14l	Antony	I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose.
l15l	Cleopatra	Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall.
l16l		It cannot be thus long—the sides of nature
l17l		Will not sustain it.
	Antony	Now, my dearest queen.
l18l	Cleopatra	Pray you, stand farther from me.
	Antony	What’s the matter?
l19l	Cleopatra	I know by that same eye there’s some good news.
l20l		What says the married woman—you may go?
l21l		Would she had never given you leave to come.
l22l		Let her not say ’tis I that keep you here.
l23l		I have no power upon you# hers you are.
l24l	Antony	The gods best know—
	Cleopatra	O, never was there queen
l25l		So mightily betrayed! Yet at the first
l26l		I saw the treasons planted.
	Antony	Cleopatra—
l27l	Cleopatra	Why should I think you can be mine and true—
l28l		Though you in swearing shake the thronèd gods—
l29l		Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness,
l30l		To be entangled with those mouth-made vows
l31l		Which break themselves in swearing.
	Antony	Most sweet queen—
l32l	Cleopatra	Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going,
l33l		But bid farewell and go. When you sued staying,
l34l		Then was the time for words# no going then.
l35l		Eternity was in our lips and eyes,
l36l		Bliss in our brow’s bent# none our parts so poor
l37l		But was a race of heaven. They are so still,
l38l		Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world,
l39l		Art turned the greatest liar.
	Antony	How now, lady!
l40l	Cleopatra	I would I had thy inches. Thou shouldst know
l41l		There were a heart in Egypt.
	Antony	Hear me, Queen.
l42l		The strong necessity of time commands
l43l		Our services a while, but my full heart
l44l		Remains in use with you. Our Italy
l45l		Shines o’er with civil swords. Sextus Pompeius
l46l		Makes his approaches to the port of Rome.
l47l		Equality of two domestic powers
l48l		Breed scrupulous faction. The hated, grown to strength,
l49l		Are newly grown to love. The condemned Pompey,
l50l		Rich in his father’s honour, creeps apace
l51l		Into the hearts of such as have not thrived
l52l		Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten#
l53l		And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge
l54l		By any desperate change. My more particular,
l55l		And that which most with you should safe my going,
l56l		Is Fulvia’s death.
l57l	Cleopatra	Though age from folly could not give me freedom,
l58l		It does from childishness. Can Fulvia die?
l59l	Antony	She’s dead, my queen.
		(He offers letters)
l60l		Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read
l61l		The garboils she awaked. At the last, best,
l62l		See when and where she died.
	Cleopatra	O most false love!
l63l		Where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill
l64l		With sorrowful water? Now I see, I see,
l65l		In Fulvia’s death how mine received shall be.
l66l	Antony	Quarrel no more, but be prepared to know
l67l		The purposes I bear, which are or cease
l68l		As you shall give th’ advice. By the fire
l69l		That quickens Nilus’ slime, I go from hence
l70l		Thy soldier-servant, making peace or war
l71l		As thou affects.
	Cleopatra	Cut my lace, Charmian, come.
l72l		But let it be. I am quickly ill and well#
l73l		So Antony loves.
	Antony	My precious queen, forbear,
l74l		And give true evidence to his love, which stands
l75l		An honourable trial.
	Cleopatra	So Fulvia told me.
l76l		I prithee turn aside and weep for her,
l77l		Then bid adieu to me, and say the tears
l78l		Belong to Egypt. Good now, play one scene
l79l		Of excellent dissembling, and let it look
l80l		Like perfect honour.
	Antony	You’ll heat my blood. No more.
l81l	Cleopatra	You can do better yet# but this is meetly.
l82l	Antony	Now by my sword—
	Cleopatra	And target. Still he mends.
l83l		But this is not the best. Look, prithee, Charmian,
l84l		How this Herculean Roman does become
l85l		The carriage of his chafe.
l86l	Antony	I’ll leave you, lady.
l87l	Cleopatra	Courteous lord, one word.
l88l		Sir, you and I must part# but that’s not it.
l89l		Sir, you and I have loved# but there’s not it#
l90l		That you know well. Something it is I would—
l91l		O, my oblivion is a very Antony,
l92l		And I am all forgotten.
	Antony	But that your royalty
l93l		Holds idleness your subject, I should take you
l94l		For idleness itself.
	Cleopatra	’Tis sweating labour
l95l		To bear such idleness so near the heart
l96l		As Cleopatra this. But sir, forgive me,
l97l		Since my becomings kill me when they do not
l98l		Eye well to you. Your honour calls you hence,
l99l		Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly,
l100l		And all the gods go with you. Upon your sword
l101l		Sit laurel victory, and smooth success
l102l		Be strewed before your feet.
	Antony	Let us go.
l103l		Come. Our separation so abides and flies
l104l		That thou residing here goes yet with me,
l105l		And I hence fleeting, here remain with thee.
l106l		Away.
		(Exeunt severally)