The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (773 page)

Like to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,

Thy master dies thy scholar: to do thus

Your master dies you student: to do like this

 

Falling on his sword

 

I learn'd of thee. How! not dead? not dead?

That I learned of you. How! Not dead? Not dead?

The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!

Guards, hey! Oh, kill me!

 

Enter DERCETAS and Guard

 

First Guard

What's the noise?

What's that noise?

 

MARK ANTONY

I have done my work in, friends: O, make an end

I have failed at my work, friends: oh, end

Of what I have begun.

What I have begun.

 

Second Guard

The star is fall'n.

The star has fallen.

 

First Guard

And time is at his period.

And time has ended.

 

All

Alas, and woe!

Oh no!

MARK ANTONY

Let him that loves me strike me dead.

Let he that loves me strike me dead.

 

First Guard

Not I.

Not I.

 

Second Guard

Nor I.

Nor I.

 

Third Guard

Nor any one.

Nor anyone.

 

Exeunt Guard

 

DERCETAS

Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.

Your death and destiny tells your followers to run,

This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,

This sword shown to Caesar, with this news,

Shall enter me with him.

Will make him favor me.

 

Enter DIOMEDES

 

DIOMEDES

Where's Antony?

Where's Antony?

 

DERCETAS

There, Diomed there.

There, Diomed, there.

 

DIOMEDES

Lives he?

Does he live?

Wilt thou not answer, man?

Will you not answer, man?

 

Exit DERCETAS

 

MARK ANTONY

Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me

Are you there, Diomed? Pull out your sword, and give me

Sufficing strokes for death.

Enough wounds to die.

 

DIOMEDES

Most absolute lord,

My leader,
My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

My lady Cleopatra sent me to you.

 

MARK ANTONY

When did she send thee?

When did she send you?

 

DIOMEDES

Now, my lord.

Now, sir.

 

MARK ANTONY

Where is she?

Where is she?

 

DIOMEDES

Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying fear

Locked in your monument. She had a predicting fear

Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw--

Of what has happened: because when she saw --

Which never shall be found--you did suspect

Which will never be found -- you suspected

She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage

She had negotiated with Caesar, and that your rage

Would not be purged, she sent you word she was dead;

Would not be removed, she sent you a message that she was dead;

But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent

But, afraid since then how it might work, has sent

Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,

Me to give the truth; and I have come,

I dread, too late.

I'm afraid, too late.

 

MARK ANTONY

Too late, good Diomed: call my guard, I prithee.

Too late, good Diomed: call my guards, please.

 

DIOMEDES

What, ho, the emperor's guard! The guard, what, ho!

Hey, the emperor's guards! The guards, hey!

Come, your lord calls!

Come, your lord calls!

Enter four or five of the Guard of MARK ANTONY

 

MARK ANTONY

Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;

Carry me, good friends, to where Cleopatra is;
'Tis the last service that I shall command you.

It is the last thing I will tell you to do.

 

First Guard

Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear

Sad, sad we are, sir, you may not live to exhaust

All your true followers out.

Your true followers.

 

All

Most heavy day!

Worst day!

 

MARK ANTONY

Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate

No, my good men, do not please harsh fate

To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome

By rewarding it with your sadness: welcome what

Which comes to punish us, and we punish it

Comes to punish us, and we punish it

Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:

By seeming to endure it easily. Pick me up:

I have led you oft: carry me now, good friends,

I have led you often: carry me now, good friends,

And have my thanks for all.

Exeunt, bearing MARK ANTONY

 

 

 

Enter CLEOPATRA and her maids aloft, with CHARMIAN and IRAS

 

CLEOPATRA

O Charmian, I will never go from hence.

Oh Charmian, I will never leave here.

 

CHARMIAN

Be comforted, dear madam.

Be comforted, dear lady.

 

CLEOPATRA

No, I will not:

No, I won't:
All strange and terrible events are welcome,

All strange and terrible events are welcome,
But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow,

But we despise comfort; our amount of sadness

Proportion'd to our cause, must be as great

The same size as our reason, must be as big

As that which makes it.

As the thing which makes it.

 

Enter, below, DIOMEDES

How now! is he dead?

What now? Is he dead?

 

DIOMEDES

His death's upon him, but not dead.

He is dying, but not dead.

Look out o' the other side your monument;

Look out of the other side of your monument;

His guard have brought him thither.

His guards have brought him there.

 

Enter, below, MARK ANTONY, borne by the Guard

 

CLEOPATRA

O sun,

Oh sun,
Burn the great sphere thou movest in! darkling stand

Burn the part of the sky you move in! May darkly stand

The varying shore o' the world. O Antony,

The wavering shore of the world. Oh, Antony,

Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help;

Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian, help, Iras, help;
Help, friends below; let's draw him hither.

Help, friends below; let's bring him here.

 

MARK ANTONY

Peace!

Quiet!

Not Caesar's valour hath o'erthrown Antony,

It is not Caesar's bravery that has overthrown Antony,

But Antony's hath triumph'd on itself.

But Antony's has won against itself.

 

CLEOPATRA

So it should be, that none but Antony

That is how it should be, that no one but Antony

Should conquer Antony; but woe 'tis so!

Would win over Antony; but how tragic for it to be that way!

 

MARK ANTONY

I am dying, Egypt, dying; only

I am dying, Egypt, dying; only
I here importune death awhile, until

I here put off death for a while, until

Of many thousand kisses the poor last

Of many thousand kisses the last little one

I lay up thy lips.

I place on your lips.

 

CLEOPATRA

I dare not, dear,--

I do not dare, dear, --
Dear my lord, pardon,--I dare not,

My dear, forgive me, -- I dare not

Lest I be taken: not the imperious show

In case I am taken: not the ruling show

Of the full-fortuned Caesar ever shall

Of the victorious Caesar will ever

Be brooch'd with me; if knife, drugs,

Use me; if knife, drugs,

serpents, have

snakes, have

Edge, sting, or operation, I am safe:

Your wife Octavia, with her modest eyes

Your wife Octavia, with her humble and quiet eyes

And still conclusion, shall acquire no honour

And still behavior, shall not have any honor

Demuring upon me. But come, come, Antony,--

Dishonoring me. But come, come, Antony, --

Help me, my women,--we must draw thee up:

Help me, my women, -- we must pull you up:

Assist, good friends.

Help, good friends.

 

MARK ANTONY

O, quick, or I am gone.

Oh, be quick, or I will be gone.

 

CLEOPATRA

Here's sport indeed! How heavy weighs my lord!

Here is a game indeed! My lord is so heavy!

Our strength is all gone into heaviness,

Our strength is all gone into that heaviness,

That makes the weight: had I great Juno's power,

That makes the weight: if I had great Juno's power,

The strong-wing'd Mercury should fetch thee up,

The strong-winged Mercury would pick you up

And set thee by Jove's side. Yet come a little,--

And put you by Jove's side. But come a little, --

Wishes were ever fools,--O, come, come, come;

Wishes were always fools, -- Oh, come, come, come;

 

They heave MARK ANTONY aloft to CLEOPATRA

And welcome, welcome! die where thou hast lived:

And welcome, welcome! Die where you have lived:

Quicken with kissing: had my lips that power,

Come alive with kissing: if my lips had that power,

Thus would I wear them out.

This his how I would wear them out.

 

All

A heavy sight!

A tragic sight!

 

MARK ANTONY

I am dying, Egypt, dying:

I am dying, Egypt, dying:
Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.

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