SCENE I. Alexandria. A room in CLEOPATRA's palace. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 1, Scene 1 

 Next scene  SCENE I. Alexandria. A room in CLEOPATRA's palace. 

 Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO  PHILO  Nay, but this dotage of our general's 

 O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes, 

 That o'er the files and musters of the war 

 Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn, 

 The office and devotion of their view 

 Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart, 

 Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst 

 The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper, 

 And is become the bellows and the fan 

 To cool a gipsy's lust. 



 Flourish. Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, her Ladies, the Train, with Eunuchs fanning her  Look, where they come: 

 Take but good note, and you shall see in him. 

 The triple pillar of the world transform'd 

 Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see. 

 CLEOPATRA  If it be love indeed, tell me how much. 

 MARK ANTONY  There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd. 

 CLEOPATRA  I'll set a bourn how far to be beloved. 

 MARK ANTONY  Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth. 



 Enter an Attendant  Attendant  News, my good lord, from Rome. 

 MARK ANTONY  Grates me: the sum. 

 CLEOPATRA  Nay, hear them, Antony: 

 Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows 

 If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent 

 His powerful mandate to you, 'Do this, or this; 

 Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that; 

 Perform 't, or else we damn thee.' 

 MARK ANTONY  How, my love! 

 CLEOPATRA  Perchance! nay, and most like: 

 You must not stay here longer, your dismission 

 Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony. 

 Where's Fulvia's process? Caesar's I would say? both? 

 Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen, 

 Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine 

 Is Caesar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame 

 When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers! 

 MARK ANTONY  Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch 

 Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space. 

 Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike 

 Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life 

 Is to do thus; when such a mutual pair 



 Embracing  And such a twain can do't, in which I bind, 

 On pain of punishment, the world to weet 

 We stand up peerless. 

 CLEOPATRA  Excellent falsehood! 

 Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her? 

 I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony 

 Will be himself. 

 MARK ANTONY  But stirr'd by Cleopatra. 

 Now, for the love of Love and her soft hours, 

 Let's not confound the time with conference harsh: 

 There's not a minute of our lives should stretch 

 Without some pleasure now. What sport tonight? 

 CLEOPATRA  Hear the ambassadors. 

 MARK ANTONY  Fie, wrangling queen! 

 Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh, 

 To weep; whose every passion fully strives 

 To make itself, in thee, fair and admired! 

 No messenger, but thine; and all alone 

 To-night we'll wander through the streets and note 

 The qualities of people. Come, my queen; 

 Last night you did desire it: speak not to us. 



 Exeunt MARK ANTONY and CLEOPATRA with their train  DEMETRIUS  Is Caesar with Antonius prized so slight? 

 PHILO  Sir, sometimes, when he is not Antony, 

 He comes too short of that great property 

 Which still should go with Antony. 

 DEMETRIUS  I am full sorry 

 That he approves the common liar, who 

 Thus speaks of him at Rome: but I will hope 

 Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy! 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 1, Scene 1 

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