SCENE II. Alexandria. A room in the monument. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 5, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  SCENE II. Alexandria. A room in the monument. 

 Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and IRAS  CLEOPATRA  My desolation does begin to make 

 A better life. 'Tis paltry to be Caesar; 

 Not being Fortune, he's but Fortune's knave, 

 A minister of her will: and it is great 

 To do that thing that ends all other deeds; 

 Which shackles accidents and bolts up change; 

 Which sleeps, and never palates more the dug, 

 The beggar's nurse and Caesar's. 



 Enter, to the gates of the monument, PROCULEIUS, GALLUS and Soldiers  PROCULEIUS  Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt; 

 And bids thee study on what fair demands 

 Thou mean'st to have him grant thee. 

 CLEOPATRA  What's thy name? 

 PROCULEIUS  My name is Proculeius. 

 CLEOPATRA  Antony 

 Did tell me of you, bade me trust you; but 

 I do not greatly care to be deceived, 

 That have no use for trusting. If your master 

 Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him, 

 That majesty, to keep decorum, must 

 No less beg than a kingdom: if he please 

 To give me conquer'd Egypt for my son, 

 He gives me so much of mine own, as I 

 Will kneel to him with thanks. 

 PROCULEIUS  Be of good cheer; 

 You're fall'n into a princely hand, fear nothing: 

 Make your full reference freely to my lord, 

 Who is so full of grace, that it flows over 

 On all that need: let me report to him 

 Your sweet dependency; and you shall find 

 A conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness, 

 Where he for grace is kneel'd to. 

 CLEOPATRA  Pray you, tell him 

 I am his fortune's vassal, and I send him 

 The greatness he has got. I hourly learn 

 A doctrine of obedience; and would gladly 

 Look him i' the face. 

 PROCULEIUS  This I'll report, dear lady. 

 Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied 

 Of him that caused it. 

 GALLUS  You see how easily she may be surprised: 



 Here PROCULEIUS and two of the Guard ascend the  monument by a ladder placed against a window, and,  having descended, come behind CLEOPATRA. Some of the Guard unbar and open the gates 

 To PROCULEIUS and the Guard  Guard her till Caesar come. 



 Exit  IRAS  Royal queen! 

 CHARMIAN  O Cleopatra! thou art taken, queen: 

 CLEOPATRA  Quick, quick, good hands. 



 Drawing a dagger  PROCULEIUS  Hold, worthy lady, hold: 



 Seizes and disarms her  Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this 

 Relieved, but not betray'd. 

 CLEOPATRA  What, of death too, 

 That rids our dogs of languish? 

 PROCULEIUS  Cleopatra, 

 Do not abuse my master's bounty by 

 The undoing of yourself: let the world see 

 His nobleness well acted, which your death 

 Will never let come forth. 

 CLEOPATRA  Where art thou, death? 

 Come hither, come! come, come, and take a queen 

 Worthy many babes and beggars! 

 PROCULEIUS  O, temperance, lady! 

 CLEOPATRA  Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink, sir; 

 If idle talk will once be necessary, 

 I'll not sleep neither: this mortal house I'll ruin, 

 Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I 

 Will not wait pinion'd at your master's court; 

 Nor once be chastised with the sober eye 

 Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up 

 And show me to the shouting varletry 

 Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt 

 Be gentle grave unto me! rather on Nilus' mud 

 Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies 

 Blow me into abhorring! rather make 

 My country's high pyramides my gibbet, 

 And hang me up in chains! 

 PROCULEIUS  You do extend 

 These thoughts of horror further than you shall 

 Find cause in Caesar. 



 Enter DOLABELLA  DOLABELLA  Proculeius, 

 What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows, 

 And he hath sent for thee: for the queen, 

 I'll take her to my guard. 

 PROCULEIUS  So, Dolabella, 

 It shall content me best: be gentle to her. 



 To CLEOPATRA  To Caesar I will speak what you shall please, 

 If you'll employ me to him. 

 CLEOPATRA  Say, I would die. 



 Exeunt PROCULEIUS and Soldiers  DOLABELLA  Most noble empress, you have heard of me? 

 CLEOPATRA  I cannot tell. 

 DOLABELLA  Assuredly you know me. 

 CLEOPATRA  No matter, sir, what I have heard or known. 

 You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams; 

 Is't not your trick? 

 DOLABELLA  I understand not, madam. 

 CLEOPATRA  I dream'd there was an Emperor Antony: 

 O, such another sleep, that I might see 

 But such another man! 

 DOLABELLA  If it might please ye,-- 

 CLEOPATRA  His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck 

 A sun and moon, which kept their course, 

 and lighted 

 The little O, the earth. 

 DOLABELLA  Most sovereign creature,-- 

 CLEOPATRA  His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear'd arm 

 Crested the world: his voice was propertied 

 As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends; 

 But when he meant to quail and shake the orb, 

 He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty, 

 There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas 

 That grew the more by reaping: his delights 

 Were dolphin-like; they show'd his back above 

 The element they lived in: in his livery 

 Walk'd crowns and crownets; realms and islands were 

 As plates dropp'd from his pocket. 

 DOLABELLA  Cleopatra! 

 CLEOPATRA  Think you there was, or might be, such a man 

 As this I dream'd of? 

 DOLABELLA  Gentle madam, no. 

 CLEOPATRA  You lie, up to the hearing of the gods. 

 But, if there be, or ever were, one such, 

 It's past the size of dreaming: nature wants stuff 

 To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine 

 And Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, 

 Condemning shadows quite. 

 DOLABELLA  Hear me, good madam. 

 Your loss is as yourself, great; and you bear it 

 As answering to the weight: would I might never 

 O'ertake pursued success, but I do feel, 

 By the rebound of yours, a grief that smites 

 My very heart at root. 

 CLEOPATRA  I thank you, sir, 

 Know you what Caesar means to do with me? 

 DOLABELLA  I am loath to tell you what I would you knew. 

 CLEOPATRA  Nay, pray you, sir,-- 

 DOLABELLA  Though he be honourable,-- 

 CLEOPATRA  He'll lead me, then, in triumph? 

 DOLABELLA  Madam, he will; I know't. 



 Flourish, and shout within, 'Make way there: Octavius Caesar!' 

 Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, GALLUS, PROCULEIUS, MECAENAS, SELEUCUS, and others of his Train  OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Which is the Queen of Egypt? 

 DOLABELLA  It is the emperor, madam. 



 CLEOPATRA kneels  OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Arise, you shall not kneel: 

 I pray you, rise; rise, Egypt. 

 CLEOPATRA  Sir, the gods 

 Will have it thus; my master and my lord 

 I must obey. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Take to you no hard thoughts: 

 The record of what injuries you did us, 

 Though written in our flesh, we shall remember 

 As things but done by chance. 

 CLEOPATRA  Sole sir o' the world, 

 I cannot project mine own cause so well 

 To make it clear; but do confess I have 

 Been laden with like frailties which before 

 Have often shamed our sex. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Cleopatra, know, 

 We will extenuate rather than enforce: 

 If you apply yourself to our intents, 

 Which towards you are most gentle, you shall find 

 A benefit in this change; but if you seek 

 To lay on me a cruelty, by taking 

 Antony's course, you shall bereave yourself 

 Of my good purposes, and put your children 

 To that destruction which I'll guard them from, 

 If thereon you rely. I'll take my leave. 

 CLEOPATRA  And may, through all the world: 'tis yours; and we, 

 Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall 

 Hang in what place you please. Here, my good lord. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  You shall advise me in all for Cleopatra. 

 CLEOPATRA  This is the brief of money, plate, and jewels, 

 I am possess'd of: 'tis exactly valued; 

 Not petty things admitted. Where's Seleucus? 

 SELEUCUS  Here, madam. 

 CLEOPATRA  This is my treasurer: let him speak, my lord, 

 Upon his peril, that I have reserved 

 To myself nothing. Speak the truth, Seleucus. 

 SELEUCUS  Madam, 

 I had rather seal my lips, than, to my peril, 

 Speak that which is not. 

 CLEOPATRA  What have I kept back? 

 SELEUCUS  Enough to purchase what you have made known. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Nay, blush not, Cleopatra; I approve 

 Your wisdom in the deed. 

 CLEOPATRA  See, Caesar! O, behold, 

 How pomp is follow'd! mine will now be yours; 

 And, should we shift estates, yours would be mine. 

 The ingratitude of this Seleucus does 

 Even make me wild: O slave, of no more trust 

 Than love that's hired! What, goest thou back? thou shalt 

 Go back, I warrant thee; but I'll catch thine eyes, 

 Though they had wings: slave, soulless villain, dog! 

 O rarely base! 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Good queen, let us entreat you. 

 CLEOPATRA  O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this, 

 That thou, vouchsafing here to visit me, 

 Doing the honour of thy lordliness 

 To one so meek, that mine own servant should 

 Parcel the sum of my disgraces by 

 Addition of his envy! Say, good Caesar, 

 That I some lady trifles have reserved, 

 Immoment toys, things of such dignity 

 As we greet modern friends withal; and say, 

 Some nobler token I have kept apart 

 For Livia and Octavia, to induce 

 Their mediation; must I be unfolded 

 With one that I have bred? The gods! it smites me 

 Beneath the fall I have. 



 To SELEUCUS  Prithee, go hence; 

 Or I shall show the cinders of my spirits 

 Through the ashes of my chance: wert thou a man, 

 Thou wouldst have mercy on me. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Forbear, Seleucus. 



 Exit SELEUCUS  CLEOPATRA  Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought 

 For things that others do; and, when we fall, 

 We answer others' merits in our name, 

 Are therefore to be pitied. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Cleopatra, 

 Not what you have reserved, nor what acknowledged, 

 Put we i' the roll of conquest: still be't yours, 

 Bestow it at your pleasure; and believe, 

 Caesar's no merchant, to make prize with you 

 Of things that merchants sold. Therefore be cheer'd; 

 Make not your thoughts your prisons: no, dear queen; 

 For we intend so to dispose you as 

 Yourself shall give us counsel. Feed, and sleep: 

 Our care and pity is so much upon you, 

 That we remain your friend; and so, adieu. 

 CLEOPATRA  My master, and my lord! 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Not so. Adieu. 



 Flourish. Exeunt OCTAVIUS CAESAR and his train  CLEOPATRA  He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not 

 Be noble to myself: but, hark thee, Charmian. 



 Whispers CHARMIAN  IRAS  Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, 

 And we are for the dark. 

 CLEOPATRA  Hie thee again: 

 I have spoke already, and it is provided; 

 Go put it to the haste. 

 CHARMIAN  Madam, I will. 



 Re-enter DOLABELLA  DOLABELLA  Where is the queen? 

 CHARMIAN  Behold, sir. 



 Exit  CLEOPATRA  Dolabella! 

 DOLABELLA  Madam, as thereto sworn by your command, 

 Which my love makes religion to obey, 

 I tell you this: Caesar through Syria 

 Intends his journey; and within three days 

 You with your children will he send before: 

 Make your best use of this: I have perform'd 

 Your pleasure and my promise. 

 CLEOPATRA  Dolabella, 

 I shall remain your debtor. 

 DOLABELLA  I your servant, 

 Adieu, good queen; I must attend on Caesar. 

 CLEOPATRA  Farewell, and thanks. 



 Exit DOLABELLA  Now, Iras, what think'st thou? 

 Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shalt be shown 

 In Rome, as well as I	mechanic slaves 

 With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall 

 Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths, 

 Rank of gross diet, shall be enclouded, 

 And forced to drink their vapour. 

 IRAS  The gods forbid! 

 CLEOPATRA  Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras: saucy lictors 

 Will catch at us, like strumpets; and scald rhymers 

 Ballad us out o' tune: the quick comedians 

 Extemporally will stage us, and present 

 Our Alexandrian revels; Antony 

 Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see 

 Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness 

 I' the posture of a whore. 

 IRAS  O the good gods! 

 CLEOPATRA  Nay, that's certain. 

 IRAS  I'll never see 't; for, I am sure, my nails 

 Are stronger than mine eyes. 

 CLEOPATRA  Why, that's the way 

 To fool their preparation, and to conquer 

 Their most absurd intents. 



 Re-enter CHARMIAN  Now, Charmian! 

 Show me, my women, like a queen: go fetch 

 My best attires: I am again for Cydnus, 

 To meet Mark Antony: sirrah Iras, go. 

 Now, noble Charmian, we'll dispatch indeed; 

 And, when thou hast done this chare, I'll give thee leave 

 To play till doomsday. Bring our crown and all. 

 Wherefore's this noise? 



 Exit IRAS. A noise within 

 Enter a Guardsman  Guard  Here is a rural fellow 

 That will not be denied your highness presence: 

 He brings you figs. 

 CLEOPATRA  Let him come in. 



 Exit Guardsman  What poor an instrument 

 May do a noble deed! he brings me liberty. 

 My resolution's placed, and I have nothing 

 Of woman in me: now from head to foot 

 I am marble-constant; now the fleeting moon 

 No planet is of mine. 



 Re-enter Guardsman, with Clown bringing in a basket  Guard  This is the man. 

 CLEOPATRA  Avoid, and leave him. 



 Exit Guardsman  Hast thou the pretty worm of Nilus there, 

 That kills and pains not? 

 Clown  Truly, I have him: but I would not be the party 

 that should desire you to touch him, for his biting 

 is immortal; those that do die of it do seldom or 

 never recover. 

 CLEOPATRA  Rememberest thou any that have died on't? 

 Clown  Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of 

 them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, 

 but something given to lie; as a woman should not 

 do, but in the way of honesty: how she died of the 

 biting of it, what pain she felt: truly, she makes 

 a very good report o' the worm; but he that will 

 believe all that they say, shall never be saved by 

 half that they do: but this is most fallible, the 

 worm's an odd worm. 

 CLEOPATRA  Get thee hence; farewell. 

 Clown  I wish you all joy of the worm. 



 Setting down his basket  CLEOPATRA  Farewell. 

 Clown  You must think this, look you, that the worm will 

 do his kind. 

 CLEOPATRA  Ay, ay; farewell. 

 Clown  Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the 

 keeping of wise people; for, indeed, there is no 

 goodness in worm. 

 CLEOPATRA  Take thou no care; it shall be heeded. 

 Clown  Very good. Give it nothing, I pray you, for it is 

 not worth the feeding. 

 CLEOPATRA  Will it eat me? 

 Clown  You must not think I am so simple but I know the 

 devil himself will not eat a woman: I know that a 

 woman is a dish for the gods, if the devil dress her 

 not. But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the 

 gods great harm in their women; for in every ten 

 that they make, the devils mar five. 

 CLEOPATRA  Well, get thee gone; farewell. 

 Clown  Yes, forsooth: I wish you joy o' the worm. 



 Exit 

 Re-enter IRAS with a robe, crown,  & c  CLEOPATRA  Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have 

 Immortal longings in me: now no more 

 The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip: 

 Yare, yare, good Iras; quick. Methinks I hear 

 Antony call; I see him rouse himself 

 To praise my noble act; I hear him mock 

 The luck of Caesar, which the gods give men 

 To excuse their after wrath: husband, I come: 

 Now to that name my courage prove my title! 

 I am fire and air; my other elements 

 I give to baser life. So; have you done? 

 Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips. 

 Farewell, kind Charmian; Iras, long farewell. 



 Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies  Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall? 

 If thou and nature can so gently part, 

 The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, 

 Which hurts, and is desired. Dost thou lie still? 

 If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world 

 It is not worth leave-taking. 

 CHARMIAN  Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may say, 

 The gods themselves do weep! 

 CLEOPATRA  This proves me base: 

 If she first meet the curled Antony, 

 He'll make demand of her, and spend that kiss 

 Which is my heaven to have. Come, thou 

 mortal wretch, 



 To an asp, which she applies to her breast  With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate 

 Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool 

 Be angry, and dispatch. O, couldst thou speak, 

 That I might hear thee call great Caesar ass 

 Unpolicied! 

 CHARMIAN  O eastern star! 

 CLEOPATRA  Peace, peace! 

 Dost thou not see my baby at my breast, 

 That sucks the nurse asleep? 

 CHARMIAN  O, break! O, break! 

 CLEOPATRA  As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle,-- 

 O Antony!--Nay, I will take thee too. 



 Applying another asp to her arm  What should I stay-- 



 Dies  CHARMIAN  In this vile world? So, fare thee well. 

 Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies 

 A lass unparallel'd. Downy windows, close; 

 And golden Phoebus never be beheld 

 Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry; 

 I'll mend it, and then play. 



 Enter the Guard, rushing in  First Guard  Where is the queen? 

 CHARMIAN  Speak softly, wake her not. 

 First Guard  Caesar hath sent-- 

 CHARMIAN  Too slow a messenger. 



 Applies an asp  O, come apace, dispatch! I partly feel thee. 

 First Guard  Approach, ho! All's not well: Caesar's beguiled. 

 Second Guard  There's Dolabella sent from Caesar; call him. 

 First Guard  What work is here! Charmian, is this well done? 

 CHARMIAN  It is well done, and fitting for a princess 

 Descended of so many royal kings. 

 Ah, soldier! 



 Dies 

 Re-enter DOLABELLA  DOLABELLA  How goes it here? 

 Second Guard  All dead. 

 DOLABELLA  Caesar, thy thoughts 

 Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming 

 To see perform'd the dreaded act which thou 

 So sought'st to hinder. 



 Within  'A way there, a way for Caesar!' 

 Re-enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR and all his train marching  DOLABELLA  O sir, you are too sure an augurer; 

 That you did fear is done. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Bravest at the last, 

 She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, 

 Took her own way. The manner of their deaths? 

 I do not see them bleed. 

 DOLABELLA  Who was last with them? 

 First Guard  A simple countryman, that brought her figs: 

 This was his basket. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Poison'd, then. 

 First Guard  O Caesar, 

 This Charmian lived but now; she stood and spake: 

 I found her trimming up the diadem 

 On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood 

 And on the sudden dropp'd. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  O noble weakness! 

 If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear 

 By external swelling: but she looks like sleep, 

 As she would catch another Antony 

 In her strong toil of grace. 

 DOLABELLA  Here, on her breast, 

 There is a vent of blood and something blown: 

 The like is on her arm. 

 First Guard  This is an aspic's trail: and these fig-leaves 

 Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves 

 Upon the caves of Nile. 

 OCTAVIUS CAESAR  Most probable 

 That so she died; for her physician tells me 

 She hath pursued conclusions infinite 

 Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed; 

 And bear her women from the monument: 

 She shall be buried by her Antony: 

 No grave upon the earth shall clip in it 

 A pair so famous. High events as these 

 Strike those that make them; and their story is 

 No less in pity than his glory which 

 Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall 

 In solemn show attend this funeral; 

 And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see 

 High order in this great solemnity. 



 Exeunt 