Antony and Cleopatra William Shakespeare (easy readers TXT) 📖

breathed,
And fight maliciously: for when mine hours
Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives
Of me for jests; but now I’ll set my teeth,
And send to darkness all that stop me. Come,
Let’s have one other gaudy night: call to me
All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more;
Let’s mock the midnight bell. Cleopatra

It is my birth-day:
I had thought to have held it poor; but, since my lord
Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

Antony We will yet do well. Cleopatra Call all his noble captains to my lord. Antony

Do so, we’ll speak to them; and to-night I’ll force
The wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen;
There’s sap in’t yet. The next time I do fight,
I’ll make death love me; for I will contend
Even with his pestilent scythe. Exeunt all but Enobarbas.

Enobarbas

Now he’ll outstare the lightning. To be furious,
Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood
The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still,
A diminution in our captain’s brain
Restores his heart: when valour preys on reason,
It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek
Some way to leave him. Exit.

Act IV Scene I

Before Alexandria. Caesar’s camp.

Enter Caesar, Agrippa, and Mecaenas, with his Army; Caesar reading a letter. Caesar

He calls me boy; and chides, as he had power
To beat me out of Egypt; my messenger
He hath whipp’d with rods; dares me to personal combat,
Caesar to Antony: let the old ruffian know
I have many other ways to die; meantime
Laugh at his challenge.

Mecaenas

Caesar must think,
When one so great begins to rage, he’s hunted
Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now
Make boot of his distraction: never anger
Made good guard for itself.

Caesar

Let our best heads
Know, that to-morrow the last of many battles
We mean to fight: within our files there are,
Of those that served Mark Antony but late,
Enough to fetch him in. See it done:
And feast the army; we have store to do’t,
And they have earn’d the waste. Poor Antony! Exeunt.

Scene II

Alexandria. Cleopatra’s palace.

Enter Antony, Cleopatra, Enobarbas, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, with others. Antony He will not fight with me, Domitius. Enobarbas No. Antony Why should he not? Enobarbas

He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,
He is twenty men to one.

Antony

To-morrow, soldier,
By sea and land I’ll fight: or I will live,
Or bathe my dying honour in the blood
Shall make it live again. Woo’t thou fight well?

Enobarbas I’ll strike, and cry “Take all.” Antony

Well said; come on.
Call forth my household servants: let’s to-night
Be bounteous at our meal.

Enter three or four Servitors.

Give me thy hand,
Thou hast been rightly honest;⁠—so hast thou;⁠—
Thou⁠—and thou⁠—and thou:⁠—you have served me well,
And kings have been your fellows.

Cleopatra Aside to Enobarbas. What means this? Enobarbas

Aside to Cleopatra. ’Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots
Out of the mind.

Antony

And thou art honest too.
I wish I could be made so many men,
And all of you clapp’d up together in
An Antony, that I might do you service
So good as you have done.

All The gods forbid! Antony

Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night:
Scant not my cups; and make as much of me
As when mine empire was your fellow too,
And suffer’d my command.

Cleopatra Aside to Enobarbas. What does he mean? Enobarbas Aside to Cleopatra. To make his followers weep. Antony

Tend me to-night;
May be it is the period of your duty:
Haply you shall not see me more; or if,
A mangled shadow: perchance to-morrow
You’ll serve another master. I look on you
As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
I turn you not away; but, like a master
Married to your good service, stay till death:
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield you for’t!

Enobarbas

What mean you, sir,
To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;
And I, an ass, am onion-eyed: for shame,
Transform us not to women.

Antony

Ho, ho, ho!
Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus!
Grace grow where those drops fall! My hearty friends,
You take me in too dolorous a sense;
For I spake to you for your comfort; did desire you
To burn this night with torches: know, my hearts,
I hope well of to-morrow; and will lead you
Where rather I’ll expect victorious life
Than death and honour. Let’s to supper, come,
And drown consideration. Exeunt.

Scene III

The same. Before the palace.

Enter two Soldiers to their guard. First Soldier Brother, good night: to-morrow is the day. Second Soldier

It will determine one way: fare you well.
Heard you of nothing strange about the streets?

First Soldier Nothing. What news? Second Soldier Belike ’tis but a rumour. Good night to you. First Soldier Well, sir, good night. Enter two other Soldiers. Second Soldier Soldiers, have careful watch. Third Soldier And you. Good night, good night. They place themselves in every corner of the stage. Fourth Soldier

Here we: and if to-morrow
Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope
Our landmen will stand up.

Third Soldier

’Tis a brave army,
And full of purpose. Music of the hautboys as under the stage.

Fourth Soldier Peace! what noise? First Soldier List, list! Second Soldier Hark! First Soldier Music i’ the air. Third Soldier Under the earth. Fourth Soldier It signs well, does it not? Third Soldier No. First Soldier

Peace, I say!
What should this mean?

Second Soldier

’Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony loved,
Now leaves him.

First Soldier

Walk; let’s see if other watchmen
Do hear what we do? They advance to another post.

Second Soldier How now, masters! All

Speaking together. How now!
How now! do you hear this?

First Soldier Ay; is’t not strange? Third Soldier Do you hear, masters? do you hear? First Soldier

Follow the noise so far as we have quarter;
Let’s see how it will give off.

All Content. ’Tis strange. Exeunt. Scene IV

The same. A room in the palace.

Enter Antony and Cleopatra, Charmian, and