SCENE II. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 4, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace. 

 Enter MARK ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, IRAS, ALEXAS, with others  MARK ANTONY  He will not fight with me, Domitius. 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  No. 

 MARK ANTONY  Why should he not? 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, 

 He is twenty men to one. 

 MARK ANTONY  To-morrow, soldier, 

 By sea and land I'll fight: or I will live, 

 Or bathe my dying honour in the blood 

 Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well? 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  I'll strike, and cry 'Take all.' 

 MARK ANTONY  Well said; come on. 

 Call forth my household servants: let's to-night 

 Be bounteous at our meal. 



 Enter three or four Servitors  Give me thy hand, 

 Thou hast been rightly honest;--so hast thou;-- 

 Thou,--and thou,--and thou:--you have served me well, 

 And kings have been your fellows. 

 CLEOPATRA  [Aside to DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS]  What means this? 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  [Aside to CLEOPATRA]  'Tis one of those odd 

 tricks which sorrow shoots 

 Out of the mind. 

 MARK ANTONY  And thou art honest too. 

 I wish I could be made so many men, 

 And all of you clapp'd up together in 

 An Antony, that I might do you service 

 So good as you have done. 

 All  The gods forbid! 

 MARK ANTONY  Well, my good fellows, wait on me to-night: 

 Scant not my cups; and make as much of me 

 As when mine empire was your fellow too, 

 And suffer'd my command. 

 CLEOPATRA  [Aside to DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS]  What does he mean? 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  [Aside to CLEOPATRA]  To make his followers weep. 

 MARK ANTONY  Tend me to-night; 

 May be it is the period of your duty: 

 Haply you shall not see me more; or if, 

 A mangled shadow: perchance to-morrow 

 You'll serve another master. I look on you 

 As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends, 

 I turn you not away; but, like a master 

 Married to your good service, stay till death: 

 Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more, 

 And the gods yield you for't! 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  What mean you, sir, 

 To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep; 

 And I, an ass, am onion-eyed: for shame, 

 Transform us not to women. 

 MARK ANTONY  Ho, ho, ho! 

 Now the witch take me, if I meant it thus! 

 Grace grow where those drops fall! 

 My hearty friends, 

 You take me in too dolorous a sense; 

 For I spake to you for your comfort; did desire you 

 To burn this night with torches: know, my hearts, 

 I hope well of to-morrow; and will lead you 

 Where rather I'll expect victorious life 

 Than death and honour. Let's to supper, come, 

 And drown consideration. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 4, Scene 2 

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