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ACT IV

Antony and Octavius now engage in a land battle. The first day's fight is won by Antony but on the second day the Egyptian admiral yields to the Romans and other forces deserting him, Antony is defeated and loses his courage. He accuses Cleopatra of treachery and slays himself, dying in her presence.

ACT V

After Antony's defeat and death the Egyptian queen determines to kill herself, especially since Octavius purposes that she be taken a prisoner to Rome to follow in his triumphal procession. She succeeds in her intention by causing an asp to bite her which had been brought to her in a basket of figs.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

ACT FIRST

SCENE I

Alexandria. A room in Cleopatra's palace.
Enter Demetrius and Philo.

Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now
turn,

The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
And is become the bellows and the fan
To cool a gipsy's lust.

8. "Reneges" is an old word for renounce or refuse; here to be pronounced in two syllables, as if it were spelled renegues or reneys. The word is met with in an old poem called "Skelton Laureat upon the dolourous dethe of the moost honourable Erle of Northumberlande":

"The commouns reneyed ther taxes for to pay

Of them demanded and asked by the kinge."-H. N. H.

Flourish. Enter Antony, Cleopatra, her ladies, the train, with Eunuchs fanning her.

Look, where they come: 10 Take but good note, and you shall see in him The triple pillar of the world transform'd Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see. Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon❜d.

Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be beloved. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Enter an Attendant.

Att. News, my good lord, from Rome.

Ant.

Grates me: the sum.

Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:

20

Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæsar hath not sent
His powerful mandate to you, ‘Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform 't, or else we damn thee.'

Ant.
How, my love!
Cleo. Perchance! nay, and most like:

12. "The triple pillar”; one of the three pillars, i. e. the triumvirs. Antony ruled the eastern provinces of the empire; Octavius the western; Lepidus Italy.-C. H. H.

16. "bourn"; boundary.-C. H. H.

18. "Grates me: the sum."; F. 1, "Grates me, the summe.”; Ff. 2, 3, "Rate me, the summe."; Rowe, "Rate me the sum."; Pope, “It grates me. Tell the sum."; Capell, “'T grates me:-The sum."; Steevens (1793), ""Grates me:-The sum.”—I. G.

19. “them”; “news” was sometimes used as plural in Shakespeare's time.-H. N. H.

You must not stay here longer, your dismission Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony. Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's I would say? both?

Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's
queen,

Thou blushest, Antony, and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays

shame

31

When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The mes-
sengers!

Ant. Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life
Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair

[Embracing.
And such a twain can do 't, in which I bind,
On pain of punishment, the world to weet
We stand up peerless.

Cleo.

Excellent falsehood! Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her? I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony

Will be himself.

Ant.

But stirr❜d by Cleopatra.

Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours,

40

43. "but stirr'd"; that is, not unless stirred or inspired by Cleopatra. Mason explains the passage thus: "Cleopatra means to say that Antony will act like himself, without regard to the mandates of Cæsar or the anger of Fulvia. To which he replies, 'But stirr'd by Cleopatra,' that is, Add if moved to it by Cleopatra."H. N. H.

44. "for the love of Love"; that is, for the sake of the Queen of Love.-H. N. H.

Let's not confound the time with conference

harsh:

There's not a minute of our lives should stretch Without some pleasure now. What sport tonight?

Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.

Ant.

50

Fie, wrangling queen
Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!
No messenger but thine; and all alone
To-night we 'll wander through the streets and

note

The qualities of people. Come, my queen; Last night you did desire it. Speak not to us. [Exeunt Ant, and Cleo. with their train. Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius prized so slight? Phi. Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony, He comes too short of that great property Which still should go with Antony. I am full sorry That he approves the common liar, who Thus speaks of him at Rome: but I will hope Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy! [Exeunt.

Dem.

60

50. "fully strives"; Mr. Collier's second folio reads "fitly strives." Fitly may be the better word; but the change is not needed, the sense being clear enough as it stands.-H. N. H.

58. "that great property"; that peculiar greatness.-C. H. H. 60-61. "liar, who Thus speaks of him"; Pope reads "liar Fame, Who speaks him thus."-I. G.

Of course the common liar is Fame or Rumor.-H. N. H.

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