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

Th’inevitable prosecution of

Disgrace and horror—that on my command

Thou then wouldst kill me. Do’t. The time is come.

Thou strik‘st 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?

ANTONY

Eros,

Wouldst thou be windowed in great Rome and see

Thy master thus with pleached arms, bending down

His corrigible neck, his face subdued

To penetrative shame, whilst the wheeled seat

Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded

His baseness that ensued?

EROS

I would not see’t.

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! 80

ANTONY

When I did make thee free, swor’st 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.

ANTONY (turning away) Lo thee!

EROS

My sword is drawn.

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.

ANTONY ’Tis said, man; and farewell.

EROS

Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?

ANTONY

Now, Eros.

⌈Eros stabs himself⌉

EROS

Why, there then, thus I do escape the sorrow

Of Antony’s death.

He dies

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

I learned of thee.

He stabs himself

How, not dead? Not dead?

The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!

Enter a guard ⌈and Decretas⌉

FIRST GUARD

What’s the noise?

ANTONY

I have done my work ill, 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 THE GUARDS

Alas

And woe!

ANTONY Let him that loves me strike me dead.

FIRST GUARD

Not I.

SECOND GUARD Nor I.

THIRD GUARD

Nor anyone.

Exeunt the guard

DECRETAS

Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.

He takes Antony’s sword

This sword but shown to Caesar, with this tidings,

Shall enter me with him.

Enter Diomedes

DIOMEDES

Where’s Antony?

DECRETAS

There, Diomed, there.

DIOMEDES

Lives he? Wilt thou not answer, man?

Exit Decretas

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.

ANTONY

When did she send thee?

DIOMEDES

Now, my lord.

ANTONY Where is she?

DIOMEDES

Locked 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 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.

ANTONY

Too late, good Diomed. Call my guard, I prithee.

DIOMEDES

What ho, the Emperor’s guard! The guard, what hot

Come, your lord calls.

Enter four or five of the guard of Antony

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 THE GUARDS

Most heavy day!

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 Antony ⌈and Eros⌉

4.16 Enter Cleopatra ⌈and her maids aloft⌉, with Charmian and Iras

CLEOPATRA

O Charmian, I will never go from hence.

CHARMIAN

Be comforted, dear madam.

CLEOPATRA

No, I will not.

All strange and terrible events are welcome,

But comforts we despise. Our size of sorrow,

Proportioned to our cause, must be as great

As that which makes it.

Enter Diomedes ⌈below⌉

How now? Is he dead?

DIOMEDES

His death’s upon him, but not dead.

Look out o’th’ other side your monument.

His guard have brought him thither.

Enter below Antony, borne by the guard

CLEOPATRA

O sun, Burn the great sphere thou mov‘st in; darkling stand

The varying shore o’th’ world! O Antony, 11

Antony, Antony! Help, Charmian,

Help, Iras, help, help, friends below!

Let’s draw him hither.

ANTONY

Peace. Not Caesar’s valour

Hath o’erthrown Antony, but Antony’s