Not what he knew I was. He makes me angry,

And at this time most easy ’tis to do’t,

When my good stars that were my former guides

Have empty left their orbs, and shot their fires

Into th’abyss of hell. If he mislike

My speech and what is done, tell him he has

Hipparchus, my enfranchèd bondman, whom

He may at pleasure whip, or hang, or torture,

As he shall like, to quit me. Urge it thou.

Hence, with thy stripes, be gone!

Exit ⌈Servant with⌉ Thidias

CLEOPATRA Have you done yet?

ANTONY Alack, our terrene moon

Is now eclipsed, and it portends alone

The fall of Antony.

CLEOPATRA (aside)

I must stay his time.

ANTONY

To flatter Caesar would you mingle eyes

With one that ties his points?

CLEOPATRA

Not know me yet?

ANTONY

Cold-hearted toward me?

CLEOPATRA

Ah, dear, if I be so,

From my cold heart let heaven engender hail,

And poison it in the source, and the first stone

Drop in my neck: as it determines, so

Dissolve my life! The next Caesarion smite,

Till by degrees the memory of my womb,

Together with my brave Egyptians all,

By the discandying of this pelleted storm

Lie graveless till the flies and gnats of Nile

Have buried them for prey!

ANTONY

I am satisfied.

Caesar sits down in Alexandria, where

I will oppose his fate. Our force by land

Hath nobly held; our severed navy too

Have knit again, and fleet, threat’ning most sea-like.

Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear,

lady?

If from the field I shall return once more

To kiss these lips, I will appear in blood.

I and my sword will earn our chronicle.

There’s hope in’t yet.

CLEOPATRA

That’s my brave lord.

ANTONY

I will be treble-sinewed, hearted, breathed,

And fight maliciously; for when mine hours

Were nice and lucky, men did ransom lives

Of me for jests; but now I’ll set my teeth,

And send to darkness all that stop me. Come,

Let’s have one other gaudy night. Call to me

All my sad captains. Fill our bowls once more.

Let’s mock the midnight bell.

CLEOPATRA

It is my birthday.

I had thought to’ve held it poor, but since my lord

Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.

ANTONY We will yet do well.

CLEOPATRA

Call all his noble captains to my lord!

ANTONY

Do so. We’ll speak to them, and tonight I’ll force

The wine peep through their scars. Come on, my queen,

There’s sap in’t yet. The next time I do fight

I’ll make death love me, for I will contend

Even with his pestilent scythe.

Exeunt all but Enobarbus

ENOBARBUS

Now he’ll outstare the lightning. To be furious

Is to be frighted out of fear, and in that mood

The dove will peck the estridge; and I see still

A diminution in our captain’s brain

Restores his heart. When valour preys on reason,

It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek

Some way to leave him.

Exit

4.1 Enter Caesar, reading a letter, with Agrippa, Maecenas, and his army

CAESAR

He calls me boy, and chides as he had power

To beat me out of Egypt. My messenger

He hath whipped with rods, dares me to personal

combat,

Caesar to Antony. Let the old ruffian know

I have many other ways to die; meantime,

Laugh at his challenge.

MAECENAS

Caesar must think,

When one so great begins to rage, he’s hunted

Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now

Make boot of his distraction. Never anger

Made good guard for itself.

CAESAR

Let our best heads

Know that tomorrow the last of many battles

We mean to fight. Within our files there are,

Of those that served Mark Antony but late,

Enough to fetch him in. See it done,

And feast the army. We have store to do’t,

And they have earned the waste. Poor Antony!

Exeunt

4.2 Enter Antony, Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, with others

ANTONY

He will not fight with me, Domitius?

ENOBARBUS

No.

ANTONY Why should he not?

ENOBARBUS

He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune,

He is twenty men to one.

ANTONY

Tomorrow, 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. Woot thou fight well?

ENOBARBUS

I’ll strike, and cry ‘Take all!’

ANTONY

Well said. Come on!

Call forth my household servants. Let’s tonight

Be bounteous at our meal.

Enter 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 (to Enobarbus)

What means this?

ENOBARBUS (to Cleopatra)

’Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots

Out of the mind.

ANTONY (to a Servitor) And thou art honest too.

I wish I could be made so many men,

And all of you clapped up together in

An Antony, that I might do you service

So good as you have done.

SERVITORS

The gods forbid!