Shakespeare Portal

Act 1, Scene 5

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

  1. [Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN.]
  2. Cleopatra
  3. 481 Charmian,—
  4. Charmian
  5. 482 Madam?
  6. Cleopatra
  7. 483 Ha, ha!—
  8. 484 Give me to drink mandragora.
  9. Charmian
  10. 485 Why, madam?
  11. Cleopatra
  12. 486 That I might sleep out this great gap of time
  13. 487 My Antony is away.
  14. Charmian
  15. 488 You think of him too much.
  16. Cleopatra
  17. 489 O, 'tis treason!
  18. Charmian
  19. 490 Madam, I trust, not so.
  20. Cleopatra
  21. 491 Thou, eunuch Mardian!
  22. Mardian
  23. 492 What's your highness' pleasure?
  24. Cleopatra
  25. 493 Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure
  26. 494 In aught an eunuch has; 'tis well for thee
  27. 495 That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts
  28. 496 May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?
  29. Mardian
  30. 497 Yes, gracious madam.
  31. Cleopatra
  32. 498 Indeed!
  33. Mardian
  34. 499 Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing
  35. 500 But what indeed is honest to be done:
  36. 501 Yet have I fierce affections, and think
  37. 502 What Venus did with Mars.
  38. Cleopatra
  39. 503 O Charmian,
  40. 504 Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he or sits he?
  41. 505 Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?
  42. 506 O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
  43. 507 Do bravely, horse! for wott'st thou whom thou mov'st?
  44. 508 The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm
  45. 509 And burgonet of men.—He's speaking now,
  46. 510 Or murmuring 'Where's my serpent of old Nile?'
  47. 511 For so he calls me.—Now I feed myself
  48. 512 With most delicious poison:—think on me,
  49. 513 That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black,
  50. 514 And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar,
  51. 515 When thou wast here above the ground I was
  52. 516 A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey
  53. 517 Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow;
  54. 518 There would he anchor his aspect and die
  55. 519 With looking on his life.
  56. [Enter ALEXAS.]
  57. Alexas
  58. 520 Sovereign of Egypt, hail!
  59. Cleopatra
  60. 521 How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
  61. 522 Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath
  62. 523 With his tinct gilded thee.—
  63. 524 How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
  64. Alexas
  65. 525 Last thing he did, dear queen,
  66. 526 He kiss'd,—the last of many doubled kisses,—
  67. 527 This orient pearl: his speech sticks in my heart.
  68. Cleopatra
  69. 528 Mine ear must pluck it thence.
  70. Alexas
  71. 529 'Good friend,' quoth he
  72. 530 'Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
  73. 531 This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,
  74. 532 To mend the petty present, I will piece
  75. 533 Her opulent throne with kingdoms; all the east,
  76. 534 Say thou, shall call her mistress.' So he nodded,
  77. 535 And soberly did mount an arm-girt steed,
  78. 536 Who neigh'd so high that what I would have spoke
  79. 537 Was beastly dumb'd by him.
  80. Cleopatra
  81. 538 What, was he sad or merry?
  82. Alexas
  83. 539 Like to the time o' the year between the extremes
  84. 540 Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry.
  85. Cleopatra
  86. 541 O well-divided disposition!—Note him,
  87. 542 Note him, good Charmian; 'tis the man; but note him:
  88. 543 He was not sad,—for he would shine on those
  89. 544 That make their looks by his; he was not merry,—
  90. 545 Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay
  91. 546 In Egypt with his joy; but between both:
  92. 547 O heavenly mingle!—Be'st thou sad or merry,
  93. 548 The violence of either thee becomes,
  94. 549 So does it no man else.—Mett'st thou my posts?
  95. Alexas
  96. 550 Ay, madam, twenty several messengers.
  97. 551 Why do you send so thick?
  98. Cleopatra
  99. 552 Who's born that day
  100. 553 When I forget to send to Antony
  101. 554 Shall die a beggar.—Ink and paper, Charmian.—
  102. 555 Welcome, my good Alexas.—Did I, Charmian,
  103. 556 Ever love Caesar so?
  104. Charmian
  105. 557 O that brave Caesar!
  106. Cleopatra
  107. 558 Be chok'd with such another emphasis!
  108. 559 Say 'the brave Antony.'
  109. Charmian
  110. 560 The valiant Caesar!
  111. Cleopatra
  112. 561 By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth
  113. 562 If thou with Caesar paragon again
  114. 563 My man of men.
  115. Charmian
  116. 564 By your most gracious pardon,
  117. 565 I sing but after you.
  118. Cleopatra
  119. 566 My salad days,
  120. 567 When I was green in judgment:—cold in blood,
  121. 568 To say as I said then!—But come, away;
  122. 569 Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day
  123. 570 A several greeting,
  124. 571 Or I'll unpeople Egypt.
  125. [Exeunt.]