Read The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Online
Authors: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
As I thought, dead, and have in vain said many
A prayer upon her grave. I'll not seek far--
For him, I partly know his mind--to find thee
An honourable husband. Come, Camillo,
And take her by the hand, whose worth and honesty
Is richly noted and here justified
By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place.
What! look upon my brother: both your pardons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion. This is your son-in-law,
And son unto the king, who, heavens directing,
Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence, where we may leisurely
Each one demand an answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time since first
We were dissever'd: hastily lead away.
Exeunt
Oh, peace, Paulina!
You will take a husband with my permission,
as I take a wife with yours: this is a bargain
that we have sworn between us. You have found mine;
but how, I don't know; for I saw her,
as I thought, dead, and have in vain said many
prayers at her grave. I'll not look far–
I partly know what he's thinking–to find you
an honourable husband. Come, Camillo,
and take her by the hand; your worth and honesty
is fully appreciated and vouched for
by us, a pair of kings. Let's go from this place.
What! Look at my brother: both of you
forgive me,
for ever regarding your holy looks
with my foul suspicions. This is your son-in-law,
the son of the king, who, directed by the gods,
is engaged to your daughter. Good Paulina,
take us from here, where we can at leisure
question each other, and say what has happened
in this great stretch of time, since we
were first separated: quickly take us away.
In Plain and Simple English
M.ANTONY, Triumvir
OCTAVIUS CAESAR, Triumvir
M. AEMIL. LEPIDUS, Triumvir
SEXTUS POMPEIUS Triumvir
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, friend to Antony
VENTIDIUS, friend to Antony
EROS, friend to Antony
SCARUS, friend to Antony
DERCETAS, friend to Antony
DEMETRIUS, friend to Antony
PHILO, friend to Antony
MAECENAS, friend to Caesar
AGRIPPA, friend to Caesar
DOLABELLA, friend to Caesar
PROCULEIUS, friend to Caesar
THYREUS, friend to Caesar
GALLUS, friend to Caesar
MENAS, friend to Pompey
MENECRATES, friend to Pompey
VARRIUS, friend to Pompey
TAURUS, Lieutenant-General to Caesar
CANIDIUS, Lieutenant-General to Antony
SILIUS, an Officer in Ventidius's army
EUPHRONIUS, an Ambassador from Antony to Caesar
ALEXAS, attendant on Cleopatra
MARDIAN, attendant on Cleopatra
SELEUCUS, attendant on Cleopatra
DIOMEDES, attendant on Cleopatra
A SOOTHSAYER
A CLOWN
CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt
OCTAVIA, sister to Caesar and wife to Antony
CHARMIAN, Attendant on Cleopatra
IRAS, Attendant on Cleopatra
Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants
Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO
PHILO
Nay, but this dotage of our general's
No, but this silly devotion of our general's
O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
Is way too much: his good eyes
That o'er the files and musters of the war
That over the business of war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
Glowed like armored Mars [Roman god of war], now bend, now turn
The office and devotion of their view
The job and devotion of what they look at
Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Are in a dark direction: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
Which in the battles of huge fights have burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
The buckles on his chest, he no longer has any passion for war,
And is become the bellows and the fan
And has become the way to manipulate
To cool a gipsy's lust.
A dark woman's lust.
Flourish. Enter ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, her Ladies, the Train, with Eunuchs fanning her
Look, where they come:
Look, see them come:
Take but good note, and you shall see in him.
Just pay attention, and you will see it in him.
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
The ruler and strength of the world transformed
Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.
Into a slut's fool: look and see.
CLEOPATRA
If it be love indeed, tell me how much.
If it really is love, tell me how much.
MARK ANTONY
There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.
Any love that could easily be summarized is not much at all.
CLEOPATRA
I'll set a bourn how far to be beloved.
I'll send a ship as far as your love.
MARK ANTONY
Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.
Then you would have to find a new heaven, a new earth.
Enter an Attendant
Attendant
News, my good lord, from Rome.
There is news, sir, from Rome.
MARK ANTONY
Grates me: the sum.
I'm busy: be brief.
CLEOPATRA
Nay, hear them, Antony:
No, listen to them, Antony:
Fulvia perchance is angry; or, who knows
It is possible Fulvia is angry; or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Caesar have not sent
If the thinly-bearded Caesar has not sent
His powerful mandate to you, 'Do this, or this;
His powerful orders to you, "Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Conquer that kingdom, and make that happen;
Perform 't, or else we damn thee.'
Perform it, or else we condemn you."
MARK ANTONY
How, my love!
How, my love?
CLEOPATRA
Perchance! nay, and most like:
Possibly! And even more likely,
You must not stay here longer, your dismission
You must not stay here longer, your order to leave
Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony.
Has come from Caesar; so listen to it, Antony.
Where's Fulvia's process? Caesar's I would say? both?
Where is Fulvia's procession? Or I should say Caesar's? Both?
Call in the messengers. As I am Egypt's queen,
Call in the messengers. As truly as I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine
You blush, Antony; and that blood of yours
Is Caesar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame
Honors Caesar: or else your cheek shows shame
When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!
When sharp-tongued Fulvia scolds. The messengers!