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Act 4, Scene 15

Alexandria. A monument.

  1. [Enter, above, CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN and IRAS.]
  2. Cleopatra
  3. 2901 O Charmian, I will never go from hence!
  4. Charmian
  5. 2902 Be comforted, dear madam.
  6. Cleopatra
  7. 2903 No, I will not:
  8. 2904 All strange and terrible events are welcome,
  9. 2905 But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow,
  10. 2906 Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great
  11. 2907 As that which makes it.—
  12. [Enter, below, DIOMEDES.]
  13. Cleopatra
  14. 2908 How now! is he dead?
  15. Diomedes
  16. 2909 His death's upon him, but not dead.
  17. 2910 Look out o' the other side your monument;
  18. 2911 His guard have brought him thither.
  19. [Enter, below, ANTONY, borne by the Guard.]
  20. Cleopatra
  21. 2912 O sun,
  22. 2913 Burn the great sphere thou mov'st in!—darkling stand
  23. 2914 The varying shore o' theworld.—O Antony,
  24. 2915 Antony, Antony!—Help, Charmian; help, Iras, help,—
  25. 2916 Help, friends below;—let's draw him hither.
  26. Mark Antony
  27. 2917 Peace!
  28. 2918 Not Caesar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,
  29. 2919 But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.
  30. Cleopatra
  31. 2920 So it should be, that none but Antony
  32. 2921 Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!
  33. Mark Antony
  34. 2922 I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
  35. 2923 I here importune death awhile, until
  36. 2924 Of many thousand kisses the poor last
  37. 2925 I lay upon thy lips.
  38. Cleopatra
  39. 2926 I dare not, dear,—
  40. 2927 Dear my lord, pardon,—I dare not,
  41. 2928 Lest I be taken: not the imperious show
  42. 2929 Of the full-fortun'd Caesar ever shall
  43. 2930 Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs, serpents, have
  44. 2931 Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe;
  45. 2932 Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes
  46. 2933 And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour
  47. 2934 Demuring upon me.—But come, come, Antony,—
  48. 2935 Help me, my women,—we must draw thee up;
  49. 2936 Assist, good friends.
  50. Mark Antony
  51. 2937 O, quick, or I am gone.
  52. Cleopatra
  53. 2938 Here's sport indeed!—How heavy weighs my lord!
  54. 2939 Our strength is all gone into heaviness;
  55. 2940 That makes the weight: had I great Juno's power,
  56. 2941 The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee up,
  57. 2942 And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little,—
  58. 2943 Wishers were ever fools,—O come, come;
  59. [They draw ANTONY up.]
  60. Cleopatra
  61. 2944 And welcome, welcome! die where thou hast liv'd:
  62. 2945 Quicken with kissing: had my lips that power,
  63. 2946 Thus would I wear them out.
  64. All
  65. 2947 A heavy sight!
  66. Mark Antony
  67. 2948 I am dying, Egypt, dying:
  68. 2949 Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.
  69. Cleopatra
  70. 2950 No, let me speak; and let me rail so high
  71. 2951 That the false huswife Fortune break her wheel,
  72. 2952 Provok'd by my offence.
  73. Mark Antony
  74. 2953 One word, sweet queen:
  75. 2954 Of Caesar seek your honour, with your safety.—O!
  76. Cleopatra
  77. 2955 They do not go together.
  78. Mark Antony
  79. 2956 Gentle, hear me:
  80. 2957 None about Caesar trust but Proculeius.
  81. Cleopatra
  82. 2958 My resolution and my hands I'll trust;
  83. 2959 None about Caesar.
  84. Mark Antony
  85. 2960 The miserable change now at my end
  86. 2961 Lament nor sorrow at: but please your thoughts
  87. 2962 In feeding them with those my former fortunes
  88. 2963 Wherein I liv'd, the greatest prince o' the world,
  89. 2964 The noblest; and do now not basely die,
  90. 2965 Not cowardly put off my helmet to
  91. 2966 My countryman, a Roman by a Roman
  92. 2967 Valiantly vanquish'd. Now my spirit is going:
  93. 2968 I can no more.
  94. Cleopatra
  95. 2969 Noblest of men, woo't die?
  96. 2970 Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide
  97. 2971 In this dull world, which in thy absence is
  98. 2972 No better than a sty?—O, see, my women,
  99. [Antony dies.]
  100. Cleopatra
  101. 2973 The crown o' the earth doth melt.—My lord!—
  102. 2974 O, wither'd is the garland of the war,
  103. 2975 The soldier's pole is fallen: young boys and girls
  104. 2976 Are level now with men: the odds is gone,
  105. 2977 And there is nothing left remarkable
  106. 2978 Beneath the visiting moon.
  107. [Faints.]
  108. Charmian
  109. 2979 O, quietness, lady!
  110. Iras
  111. 2980 She is dead too, our sovereign.
  112. Charmian
  113. 2981 Lady!—
  114. Iras
  115. 2982 Madam!—
  116. Charmian
  117. 2983 O madam, madam, madam!—
  118. Iras
  119. 2984 Royal Egypt, Empress,—
  120. Charmian
  121. 2985 Peace, peace, Iras!
  122. Cleopatra
  123. 2986 No more but e'en a woman, and commanded
  124. 2987 By such poor passion as the maid that milks
  125. 2988 And does the meanest chares.—It were for me
  126. 2989 To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;
  127. 2990 To tell them that this world did equal theirs
  128. 2991 Till they had stol'n our jewel. All's but naught;
  129. 2992 Patience is sottish, and impatience does
  130. 2993 Become a dog that's mad: then is it sin
  131. 2994 To rush into the secret house of death
  132. 2995 Ere death dare come to us?—How do you, women?
  133. 2996 What, what! good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian!
  134. 2997 My noble girls!—Ah, women, women, look,
  135. 2998 Our lamp is spent, it's out!—Good sirs, take heart:—
  136. 2999 We'll bury him; and then, what's brave, what's noble,
  137. 3000 Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
  138. 3001 And make death proud to take us. Come, away:
  139. 3002 This case of that huge spirit now is cold:
  140. 3003 Ah, women, women!—Come; we have no friend
  141. 3004 But resolution, and the briefest end.
  142. [Exeunt; those above bearing off ANTONY'S body.]