The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare (book suggestions TXT) 📖

aprons, rules, and hammers, shall Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths, Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded, And forc’d to drink their vapour.

IRAS. The gods forbid!

CLEOPATRA. Nay, ‘tis most certain, Iras. Saucy lictors Will catch at us like strumpets, and scald rhymers Ballad us out o’ tune; the quick comedians Extemporally will stage us, and present Our Alexandrian revels; Antony

Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness I’ th’ posture of a whore.

IRAS. O the good gods!

CLEOPATRA. Nay, that’s certain.

IRAS. I’ll never see’t, for I am sure mine nails Are stronger than mine eyes.

CLEOPATRA. Why, that’s the way

To fool their preparation and to conquer Their most absurd intents.

 

Enter CHARMIAN

 

Now, Charmian!

Show me, my women, like a queen. Go fetch My best attires. I am again for Cydnus, To meet Mark Antony. Sirrah, Iras, go.

Now, noble Charmian, we’ll dispatch indeed; And when thou hast done this chare, I’ll give thee leave To play till doomsday. Bring our crown and all.

Exit IRAS. A noise within Wherefore’s this noise?

 

Enter a GUARDSMAN

 

GUARDSMAN. Here is a rural fellow

That will not be denied your Highness’ presence.

He brings you figs.

CLEOPATRA. Let him come in. Exit GUARDSMAN

What poor an instrument

May do a noble deed! He brings me liberty.

My resolution’s plac’d, and I have nothing Of woman in me. Now from head to foot I am marble-constant; now the fleeting moon No planet is of mine.

 

Re-enter GUARDSMAN and CLOWN, with a basket GUARDSMAN. This is the man.

CLEOPATRA. Avoid, and leave him. Exit GUARDSMAN

Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there That kills and pains not?

CLOWN. Truly, I have him. But I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those that do die of it do seldom or never recover.

CLEOPATRA. Remember’st thou any that have died on’t?

CLOWN. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but something given to lie, as a woman should not do but in the way of honesty; how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt-truly she makes a very good report o’ th’ worm. But he that will believe all that they say shall never be saved by half that they do. But this is most falliable, the worm’s an odd worm.

CLEOPATRA. Get thee hence; farewell.

CLOWN. I wish you all joy of the worm.

[Sets down the basket]

CLEOPATRA. Farewell.

CLOWN. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind.

CLEOPATRA. Ay, ay; farewell.

CLOWN. Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the keeping of wise people; for indeed there is no goodness in the worm.

CLEOPATRA. Take thou no care; it shall be heeded.

CLOWN. Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding.

CLEOPATRA. Will it eat me?

CLOWN. You must not think I am so simple but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman. I know that a woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But truly, these same whoreson devils do the gods great harm in their women, for in every ten that they make the devils mar five.

CLEOPATRA. Well, get thee gone; farewell.

CLOWN. Yes, forsooth. I wish you joy o’ th’ worm. Exit Re-enter IRAS, with a robe, crown, &c.

 

CLEOPATRA. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me. Now no more

The juice of Egypt’s grape shall moist this lip.

Yare, yare, good Iras; quick. Methinks I hear Antony call. I see him rouse himself

To praise my noble act. I hear him mock The luck of Caesar, which the gods give men To excuse their after wrath. Husband, I come.

Now to that name my courage prove my title!

I am fire and air; my other elements

I give to baser life. So, have you done?

Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips.

Farewell, kind Charmian. Iras, long farewell.

[Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies]

Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall?

If thus thou and nature can so gently part, The stroke of death is as a lover’s pinch, Which hurts and is desir’d. Dost thou lie still?

If thou vanishest, thou tell’st the world It is not worth leave-taking.

CHARMIAN. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain, that I may say The gods themselves do weep.

CLEOPATRA. This proves me base.

If she first meet the curled Antony,

He’ll make demand of her, and spend that kiss Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou mortal wretch, [To an asp, which she applies to her breast]

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate Of life at once untie. Poor venomous fool, Be angry and dispatch. O couldst thou speak, That I might hear thee call great Caesar ass Unpolicied!

CHARMIAN. O Eastern star!

CLEOPATRA. Peace, peace!

Dost thou not see my baby at my breast That sucks the nurse asleep?

CHARMIAN. O, break! O, break!

CLEOPATRA. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle-O Antony! Nay, I will take thee too:

[Applying another asp to her arm]

What should I stay- [Dies]

CHARMIAN. In this vile world? So, fare thee well.

Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies A lass unparallel’d. Downy windows, close; And golden Phoebus never be beheld

Of eyes again so royal! Your crown’s awry; I’ll mend it and then play-Enter the guard, rushing in FIRST GUARD. Where’s the Queen?

CHARMIAN. Speak softly, wake her not.

FIRST GUARD. Caesar hath sent—

CHARMIAN. Too slow a messenger. [Applies an asp]

O, come apace, dispatch. I partly feel thee.

FIRST GUARD. Approach, ho! All’s not well: Caesar’s beguil’d.

SECOND GUARD. There’s Dolabella sent from Caesar; call him.

FIRST GUARD. What work is here! Charmian, is this well done?

CHARMIAN. It is well done, and fitting for a princes Descended of so many royal kings.

Ah, soldier! [CHARMIAN dies]

 

Re-enter DOLABELLA

 

DOLABELLA. How goes it here?

SECOND GUARD. All dead.

DOLABELLA. Caesar, thy thoughts

Touch their effects in this. Thyself art coming To see perform’d the dreaded act which thou So sought’st to hinder.

[Within: ‘A way there, a way for Caesar!’]

 

Re-enter CAESAR and all his train DOLABELLA. O sir, you are too sure an augurer: That you did fear is done.

CAESAR. Bravest at the last,

She levell’d at our purposes, and being royal, Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?

I do not see them bleed.

DOLABELLA. Who was last with them?

FIRST GUARD. A simple countryman that brought her figs.

This was his basket.

CAESAR. Poison’d then.

FIRST GUARD. O Caesar,

This Charmian liv’d but now; she stood and spake.

I found her trimming up the diadem

On her dead mistress. Tremblingly she stood, And on the sudden dropp’d.

CAESAR. O noble weakness!

If they had swallow’d poison ‘twould appear By external swelling; but she looks like sleep, As she would catch another Antony

In her strong toil of grace.

DOLABELLA. Here on her breast

There is a vent of blood, and something blown; The like is on her arm.

FIRST GUARD. This is an aspic’s trail; and these fig-leaves Have slime upon them, such as th’ aspic leaves Upon the caves of Nile.

CAESAR. Most probable

That so she died; for her physician tells me She hath pursu’d conclusions infinite Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed, And bear her women from the monument.

She shall be buried by her Antony;

No grave upon the earth shall clip in it A pair so famous. High events as these Strike those that make them; and their story is No less in pity than his glory which

Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall In solemn show attend this funeral,

And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see High order in this great solemnity. Exeunt THE END

 

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1601

 

AS YOU LIKE IT

 

by William Shakespeare

 

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

 

DUKE, living in exile

FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke JAQUES, ” ” ” ” ” “

LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick

OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys

JAQUES, ” ” ” ” ” “

ORLANDO, ” ” ” ” ” “

ADAM, servant to Oliver

DENNIS, ” ” “

TOUCHSTONE, the court jester

SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar

CORIN, shepherd

SILVIUS, “

WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey A person representing HYMEN

 

ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke CELIA, daughter to Frederick

PHEBE, a shepherdes

AUDREY, a country wench

 

Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants

<<THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS

PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF ILLINOIS BENEDICTINE COLLEGE

WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE

DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS

PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED

COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY

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SCENE:

OLIVER’S house; FREDERICK’S court; and the Forest of Arden ACT I. SCENE I.

Orchard of OLIVER’S house

 

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM

 

ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say’st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir’d; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.

 

Enter OLIVER

 

ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother.

ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires]

OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here?

ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing.

OLIVER. What mar you then, sir?

ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile.

ORLANDO. Shall I keep your