Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 2

Alexandria. A Room in the Palace.

  1. [Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, and others.]
  2. Mark Antony
  3. 2334 He will not fight with me, Domitius?
  4. Enobarbus
  5. 2335 No.
  6. Mark Antony
  7. 2336 Why should he not?
  8. Enobarbus
  9. 2337 He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,
  10. 2338 He is twenty men to one.
  11. Mark Antony
  12. 2339 To-morrow, soldier,
  13. 2340 By sea and land I'll fight; or I will live,
  14. 2341 Or bathe my dying honour in the blood
  15. 2342 Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well?
  16. Enobarbus
  17. 2343 I'll strike, and cry 'Take all.'
  18. Mark Antony
  19. 2344 Well said; come on.—
  20. 2345 Call forth my household servants: let's to-night
  21. 2346 Be bounteous at our meal.—
  22. [Enter Servants.]
  23. Mark Antony
  24. 2347 Give me thy hand,
  25. 2348 Thou has been rightly honest;—so hast thou;—
  26. 2349 Thou,—and thou,—and thou;—you have serv'd me well,
  27. 2350 And kings have been your fellows.
  28. [Aside to ENOBARBUS.]
  29. Cleopatra
  30. 2351 What means this?
  31. [Aside to CLEOPATRA.]
  32. Enobarbus
  33. 2352 'Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow
  34. 2353 shoots
  35. 2354 Out of the mind.
  36. Mark Antony
  37. 2355 And thou art honest too.
  38. 2356 I wish I could be made so many men,
  39. 2357 And all of you clapp'd up together in
  40. 2358 An Antony, that I might do you service
  41. 2359 So good as you have done.
  42. Servant
  43. 2360 The gods forbid!
  44. Mark Antony
  45. 2361 Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night:
  46. 2362 Scant not my cups; and make as much of me
  47. 2363 As when mine empire was your fellow too,
  48. 2364 And suffer'd my command.
  49. [Aside to ENOBARBUS.]
  50. Cleopatra
  51. 2365 What does he mean?
  52. [Aside to CLEOPATRA.]
  53. Enobarbus
  54. 2366 To make his followers weep.
  55. Mark Antony
  56. 2367 Tend me to-night;
  57. 2368 May be it is the period of your duty:
  58. 2369 Haply you shall not see me more; or if,
  59. 2370 A mangled shadow: perchance to-morrow
  60. 2371 You'll serve another master. I look on you
  61. 2372 As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends,
  62. 2373 I turn you not away; but, like a master
  63. 2374 Married to your good service, stay till death:
  64. 2375 Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
  65. 2376 And the gods yield you for't!
  66. Enobarbus
  67. 2377 What mean you, sir,
  68. 2378 To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep;
  69. 2379 And I, an ass, am onion-ey'd: for shame,
  70. 2380 Transform us not to women.
  71. Mark Antony
  72. 2381 Ho, ho, ho!
  73. 2382 Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus!
  74. 2383 Grace grow where those drops fall! My hearty friends,
  75. 2384 You take me in too dolorous a sense;
  76. 2385 For I spake to you for your comfort,—did desire you
  77. 2386 To burn this night with torches: know, my hearts,
  78. 2387 I hope well of to-morrow; and will lead you
  79. 2388 Where rather I'll expect victorious life
  80. 2389 Than death and honour. Let's to supper; come,
  81. 2390 And drown consideration.
  82. [Exeunt.]