Antony and Cleopatra - Act 4 - Scene 14

SCENE XIV. The same. Another room.

    Enter MARK ANTONY and EROS

MARK ANTONY

    Eros, thou yet behold'st me?

EROS

    Ay, noble lord.

MARK ANTONY

    Sometimes we see a cloud that's dragonish;
    A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,
    A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,
    A forked mountain, or blue promontory
    With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,
    And mock our eyes with air: thou hast seen
    these signs;
    They are black vesper's pageants.

EROS

    Ay, my lord,

MARK ANTONY

    That which is now a horse, even with a thought
    The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct,
    As water is in water.

EROS

    It does, my lord.

MARK ANTONY

    My good knave Eros, now thy captain is
    Even such a body: here I am Antony:
    Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
    I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,--
    Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;
    Which whilst it was mine had annex'd unto't
    A million more, now lost,--she, Eros, has
    Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory
    Unto an enemy's triumph.
    Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us
    Ourselves to end ourselves.

    Enter MARDIAN
    O! thy vile lady!
    She has robb'd me of my sword.

MARDIAN

    No, Antony;
    My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled
    With thine entirely.

MARK ANTONY

    Hence, saucy eunuch; peace!
    She hath betray'd me and shall die the death.

MARDIAN

    Death of one person can be paid but once,
    And that she has discharged: what thou wouldst do
    Is done unto thy hand: the last she spake
    Was 'Antony! most noble Antony!'
    Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
    The name of Antony; it was divided
    Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,
    Thy name so buried in her.

MARK ANTONY

    Dead, then?

MARDIAN

    Dead.

MARK ANTONY

    Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,
    And we must sleep.

    To MARDIAN
    That thou depart'st hence safe,
    Does pay thy labour richly; go.

    Exit MARDIAN
    Off, pluck off:
    The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep
    The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
    Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,
    Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace.
    No more a soldier: bruised pieces, go;
    You have been nobly borne. From me awhile.

    Exit EROS
    I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
    Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
    All length is torture: since the torch is out,
    Lie down, and stray no farther: now all labour
    Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
    Itself with strength: seal then, and all is done.
    Eros!--I come, my queen:--Eros!--Stay for me:
    Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,
    And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:
    Dido and her AEneas shall want troops,
    And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!

    Re-enter EROS

EROS

    What would my lord?

MARK ANTONY

    Since Cleopatra died,
    I have lived in such dishonour, that the gods
    Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
    Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back
    With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
    The courage of a woman; less noble mind
    Than she which by her death our Caesar tells
    'I am conqueror of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros,
    That, when the exigent should come, which now
    Is come indeed, when I should see behind me
    The inevitable prosecution of
    Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,
    Thou then wouldst kill me: do't; the time is come:
    Thou strikest not me, 'tis Caesar thou defeat'st.
    Put colour in thy cheek.

EROS

    The gods withhold me!
    Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
    Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?

MARK ANTONY

    Eros,
    Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see
    Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down
    His corrigible neck, his face subdued
    To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat
    Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
    His baseness that ensued?

EROS

    I would not see't.

MARK ANTONY

    Come, then; for with a wound I must be cured.
    Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
    Most useful for thy country.

EROS

    O, sir, pardon me!

MARK ANTONY

    When I did make thee free, sworest thou not then
    To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;
    Or thy precedent services are all
    But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.

EROS

    Turn from me, then, that noble countenance,
    Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.

MARK ANTONY

    Lo thee!

    Turning from him

EROS

    My sword is drawn.

MARK ANTONY

    Then let it do at once
    The thing why thou hast drawn it.

EROS

    My dear master,
    My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
    Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.

MARK ANTONY

    'Tis said, man; and farewell.

EROS

    Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?

MARK ANTONY

    Now, Eros.

EROS

    Why, there then: thus I do escape the sorrow
    Of Antony's death.

    Kills himself

MARK ANTONY

    Thrice-nobler than myself!
    Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
    I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
    Have by their brave instruction got upon me
    A nobleness in record: but I will be
    A bridegroom in my death, and run into't
    As to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,
    Thy master dies thy scholar: to do thus

    Falling on his sword
    I learn'd of thee. How! not dead? not dead?
    The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!

    Enter DERCETAS and Guard

First Guard

    What's the noise?

MARK ANTONY

    I have done my work in, friends: O, make an end
    Of what I have begun.

Second Guard

    The star is fall'n.

First Guard

    And time is at his period.

All

    Alas, and woe!

MARK ANTONY

    Let him that loves me strike me dead.

First Guard

    Not I.

Second Guard

    Nor I.

Third Guard

    Nor any one.

    Exeunt Guard

DERCETAS

    Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.
    This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,
    Shall enter me with him.

    Enter DIOMEDES

DIOMEDES

    Where's Antony?

DERCETAS

    There, Diomed there.

DIOMEDES

    Lives he?
    Wilt thou not answer, man?

    Exit DERCETAS

MARK ANTONY

    Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me
    Sufficing strokes for death.

DIOMEDES

    Most absolute lord,
    My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.

MARK ANTONY

    When did she send thee?

DIOMEDES

    Now, my lord.

MARK ANTONY

    Where is she?

DIOMEDES

    Lock'd in her monument. She had a prophesying fear
    Of what hath come to pass: for when she saw--
    Which never shall be found--you did suspect
    She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
    Would not be purged, she sent you word she was dead;
    But, fearing since how it might work, hath sent
    Me to proclaim the truth; and I am come,
    I dread, too late.

MARK ANTONY

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

DIOMEDES

    What, ho, the emperor's guard! The guard, what, ho!
    Come, your lord calls!

    Enter four or five of the Guard of MARK ANTONY

MARK ANTONY

    Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;
    'Tis the last service that I shall command you.

First Guard

    Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
    All your true followers out.

All

    Most heavy day!

MARK ANTONY

    Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
    To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome
    Which comes to punish us, and we punish it
    Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:
    I have led you oft: carry me now, good friends,
    And have my thanks for all.

    Exeunt, bearing MARK ANTONY