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Antony and Cleopatra

Act 1, Scene 5

Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN	CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN enter.
CLEOPATRA Charmian!	CLEOPATRA Charmian!
CHARMIAN Madam?	CHARMIAN Madam?
CLEOPATRA Ha, ha! Give me to drink mandragora.	CLEOPATRA Ah, give me some mandragora to drink.
CHARMIAN Why, madam?	CHARMIAN Why, madam?
CLEOPATRA That I might sleep out this great gap of time My Antony is away.	CLEOPATRA So I can sleep away the time while my Antony is gone.
CHARMIAN You think of him too much.	CHARMIAN You think about him too much.
CLEOPATRA Oh, ’tis treason!	CLEOPATRA That’s treason!
CHARMIAN Madam, I trust, not so.	CHARMIAN I hope not, Madam.
CLEOPATRA Thou, eunuch Mardian!	CLEOPATRA Eunuch! Mardian!
MARDIAN What’s your highness’ pleasure?	MARDIAN What can I do for your highness?
CLEOPATRA Not now to hear thee sing. I take no pleasure In aught an eunuch has. ’Tis well for thee That, being unseminared, thy freer thoughts May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?	CLEOPATRA I don’t want to hear you sing. I’m not interested in anything a eunuch can do. It’s a good thing for you that, being castrated, you can better concentrate on my needs. Do you have desires?
MARDIAN Yes, gracious madam.	MARDIAN Yes, dear madam.
CLEOPATRA Indeed?	CLEOPATRA Indeed?
MARDIAN Not in deed, madam, for I can do nothing But what indeed is honest to be done. Yet have I fierce affections, and think What Venus did with Mars.	MARDIAN Well, not in deed, madam, since I can’t do anything unchaste. But I do have intense passions—and I do think about what Venus did with Mars.
CLEOPATRA O Charmian, Where think’st thou he is now? Stands he or sits he? Or does he walk? Or is he on his horse? O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! Do bravely, horse, for wott’st thou whom thou mov’st? The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm And burgonet of men. He’s speaking now, Or murmuring “Where’s my serpent of old Nile?” For so he calls me. Now I feed myself With most delicious poison. Think on me, That am with Phoebus’ amorous pinches black And wrinkled deep in time. Broad-fronted Caesar, When thou wast here above the ground, I was A morsel for a monarch. And great Pompey Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow. There would he anchor his aspect, and die With looking on his life.	CLEOPATRA Oh, Charmian, where do you think he is now? Is he standing or sitting? Or is he walking? Or is he on his horse? Oh, how fortunate that horse is to have Antony on him. Do well, horse. Do you know whom it is you carry? A man who carries responsibility for a third of the world on his shoulders. He’s speaking now, or perhaps he’s whispering, “Where’s my serpent of the Nile?” For that’s his pet name for me. I’m killing myself with this provocative speculation . . . Are you thinking about me? Even though I’ve been darkened by the sun and wrinkled with age? Caesar, with your broad forehead, when you were alive, I was the perfect young consort for a king. And powerful Pompey used to stare at me as if he were frozen in time.
Enter ALEXAS	ALEXAS enters.
ALEXAS Sovereign of Egypt, hail!	ALEXAS Queen of Egypt, greetings!
CLEOPATRA How much unlike art thou Mark Antony! Yet, coming from him, that great med’cine hath With his tinct gilded thee. How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?	CLEOPATRA You are nothing like Mark Antony! But since you come from him, you’re saturated with his healing spirit. How does it go with my magnificent Mark Antony?
ALEXAS Last thing he did, dear Queen, He kissed—the last of many doubled kisses— This orient pearl.	ALEXAS The last thing he did before sending me off, dear Queen, was to kiss—the last of many such kisses—this Indian pearl for you.
He gives a pearl.	He gives CLEOPATRA a pearl.
His speech sticks in my heart.	His speech is stored in my heart.
CLEOPATRA Mine ear must pluck it thence.	CLEOPATRA My ear must pull it out.
ALEXAS “Good friend,” quoth he, “Say the firm Roman to great Egypt sends This treasure of an oyster, at whose foot, To mend the petty present, I will piece Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the East, Say thou, shall call her mistress.” So he nodded, And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed, Who neighed so high that what I would have spoke Was beastly dumbed by him.	ALEXAS “Good friend,” he said, “say that the faithful Roman sends an oyster’s treasure to the great Queen of Egypt, and that he plans to enhance this meager gift by adding new kingdoms to her empire. Tell her that the entire East shall call her Queen.” Then he nodded and solemnly mounted an armored warhorse, which neighed so loudly it effectively silenced anything I might have said in reply.
CLEOPATRA What was he, sad or merry?	CLEOPATRA Was he sad or happy?
ALEXAS Like to the time o’ th’ year between the extremes Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry.	ALEXAS He was like that time of year halfway between the extremes of hot and cold: he was neither sad nor happy.
CLEOPATRA O well-divided disposition! Note him, Note him, good Charmian, ’tis the man, but note him. He was not sad, for he would shine on those That make their looks by his. He was not merry, Which seemed to tell them his remembrance lay In Egypt with his joy, but between both. O heavenly mingle! Be’st thou sad or merry, The violence of either thee becomes, So does it no man else.—Mett’st thou my posts?	CLEOPATRA Oh, what an even disposition he has! Observe, observe good Charmian! That’s exactly how he is! Just notice. He wasn’t sad, because he knows that his disposition affects others. He wasn’t merry, because to be merry would indicate that he had forgotten his love in Egypt. He was somewhere in the middle, between them . . . Oh, heavenly mixture! Whether you are sad or merry, the intensity of either suits you like no one else . . . Did you meet my messengers on your way here?
ALEXAS Ay, madam, twenty several messengers. Why do you send so thick?	ALEXAS Yes, madam, twenty different messengers. Why did you send so many?
CLEOPATRA Who’s born that day When I forget to send to Antony Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian. Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian, Ever love Caesar so?	CLEOPATRA Whoever is born on a day I forget to send a message to Antony will die a beggar. Bring ink and paper, Charmian. Welcome, my good Alexas. Charmian, did I ever love Caesar as much as this?
CHARMIAN Oh, that brave Caesar!	CHARMIAN Oh, that splendid Caesar!
CLEOPATRA Be choked with such another emphasis! Say, “the brave Antony.”	CLEOPATRA May you choke on any other sentiments like that! Say, “That splendid Antony.”
CHARMIAN The valiant Caesar!	CHARMIAN The courageous Caesar!
CLEOPATRA By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth If thou with Caesar paragon again My man of men.	CLEOPATRA By Isis, I’ll give you bloody teeth if you ever compare Caesar with Antony, my best man among men.
CHARMIAN By your most gracious pardon, I sing but after you.	CHARMIAN Pardon me, but I’m just repeating what you yourself have said.
CLEOPATRA My salad days, When I was green in judgment, cold in blood, To say as I said then. (to everyone) But, come, away. (to CHARMIAN) Get me ink and paper. He shall have every day a several greeting, Or I’ll unpeople Egypt.	CLEOPATRA That was when I was young and inexperienced and didn’t know what passion was.(to everyone) But come. (to CHARMIAN) Go get me ink and paper. He shall have different messages every day if I have to depopulate Egypt to send them.
Exeunt	They all exit.