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Act 2, Scene 5
Antony and Cleopatra Translation Act 2, Scene 6
Flourish. Enter POMPEY and MENAS at one door, with drum and trumpet; at another CAESAR, LEPIDUS, ANTONY, ENOBARBUS, MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA, with soldiers marching
POMPEY
Your hostages I have, so have you mine,And we shall talk before we fight.
POMPEY
I have hostages of yours and you have hostages of mine, so we'll talk before we fight.
CAESAR
Most meet That first we come to words, and therefore have we Our written purposes before us sent, Which, if thou hast considered, let us know If ’twill tie up thy discontented sword And carry back to Sicily much tall youth That else must perish here.
CAESAR
It is very appropriate that we talk first, and for that reason we sent our proposals beforehand. So, if you have considered them, let us know if we can convince you to stop waging such an unsatisfying war, and take your brave young troops back to Sicily, who would otherwise die here.
POMPEY
To you all three, The senators alone of this great world, Chief factors for the gods: I do not know Wherefore my father should revengers want, Having a son and friends, since Julius Caesar, Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted, There saw you laboring for him. What was ’t That moved pale Cassius to conspire? And what Made the all-honored, honest Roman Brutus, With the armed rest, courtiers of beauteous freedom, To drench the Capitol, but that they would Have one man but a man? And that is it Hath made me rig my navy, at whose burden The angered ocean foams, with which I meant To scourge th’ ingratitude that despiteful Rome Cast on my noble father.
POMPEY
Let me tell the three of you, the sole rulers of this great world and gods' only messengers on earth: I don't know why my father's death shouldn't be avenged, since he has a son and friends to do it. You fought on behalf of Julius Caesar, who appeared as a ghost to the good Brutus at Philippi. Why was it that pale Cassius started conspiring against Caesar? And what drove Brutus, who was honest and honored by all, along with the rest of the armed conspirators who were seeking glorious freedom, to drench the Capitol in Caesar's blood, except that they didn't want one man to have more power than anyone else? And that is what made me equip my navy, under which the angry sea now foams. With this navy, I intend to punish spiteful Rome for its ingratitude towards my noble father.
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CAESAR
Take your time.
CAESAR
Go carefully now.
ANTONY
Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails.We’ll speak with thee at sea. At land, thou know’stHow much we do o’ercount thee.
ANTONY
You cannot scare us, Pompey, with your navy. We'll engage your forces at sea. By land, you know how much greater our force is than yours.
POMPEY
At land indeed Thou dost o’ercount me of my father’s house, But since the cuckoo builds not for himself, Remain in ’t as thou mayst.
POMPEY
On land, indeed, you cheated me out of my father's house. But, since I know you're not making it your own, remain in it for the time being.
LEPIDUS
Be pleased to tell us—For this is from the present—how you takeThe offers we have sent you.
LEPIDUS
Please tell us—because this is not what we've come to discuss—your response to the offers we've sent you.
CAESAR
There’s the point.
CAESAR
That's the main point.
ANTONY
Which do not be entreated to, but weighWhat it is worth embraced.
ANTONY
Don't let yourself be tricked into anything, but consider carefully how much our offer is worth if you agree to it.
CAESAR
And what may follow,To try a larger fortune.
CAESAR
And what may happen to you if you try to win a larger fortune by fighting us instead.
POMPEY
You have made me offer Of Sicily, Sardinia. And I must Rid all the sea of pirates, then, to send Measures of wheat to Rome. This ’greed upon To part with unhacked edges and bear back Our targes undinted.
POMPEY
You have offered me Sicily and Sardinia. In return, I would rid the whole sea of pirates and send shipments of wheat to Rome. If we both agree to this, we will part peacefully, without drawing swords against each other and without denting our shields.
CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS
That’s our offer.
CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS
That's our offer.
POMPEY
Know then I came before you here a man prepared To take this offer, but Mark Antony Put me to some impatience. [To ANTONY] —Though I lose The praise of it by telling, you must know, When Caesar and your brother were at blows, Your mother came to Sicily and did find Her welcome friendly.
POMPEY
You should know, then, that I came here prepared to accept your offer, but Mark Antony irritated me somewhat.
[To ANTONY] Even though I detract from the honor of my good deed by telling you about it, you should know that when Caesar and your brother were at war, your mother came to Sicily and found warm hospitality.
ANTONY
[To POMPEY] I have heard it, Pompey,And am well studied for a liberal thanksWhich I do owe you.
ANTONY
[To POMPEY] I have heard that, Pompey, and I intend to thank you generously, which I know I owe you.
POMPEY
Let me have your hand.
POMPEY
Give me your hand.
They clasp hands
I did not think, sir, to have met you here.
I didn't think that I would meet you here, sir.
ANTONY
The beds i’ th’ East are soft, and thanks to you,That called me timelier than my purpose hither,For I have gained by ’t.
ANTONY
The East is a very pleasant place, and I thank you for calling me away from it earlier than I had intended, because it has been good for me.
CAESAR
[To POMPEY] Since I saw you lastThere’s a change upon you.
CAESAR
[To POMPEY] Since I last saw you, you've changed somehow.
POMPEY
Well, I know not What counts harsh Fortune casts upon my face, But in my bosom shall she never come To make my heart her vassal.
POMPEY
Well, I can't tell how hard times have affected my face, but I will never let those hard times subdue my courage.
LEPIDUS
Well met here.
LEPIDUS
It is good for us all to meet here.
POMPEY
I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed.I crave our composition may be writtenAnd sealed between us.
POMPEY
I hope so, Lepidus. We're agreed on this. I'd like our agreements to be written down and sealed by all of us.
CAESAR
That’s the next to do.
CAESAR
That's the next thing for us to do.
POMPEY
We’ll feast each other ere we part, and let’sDraw lots who shall begin.
POMPEY
We'll throw feasts for each other before we part, and we'll draw straws to see who will host the first one.
ANTONY
That will I, Pompey.
ANTONY
I will, Pompey.
POMPEY
No, Antony, take the lot. But, first or last, Your fine Egyptian cookery shall have The fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar Grew fat with feasting there.
POMPEY
No, Antony, draw straws with us. But, whether you go first or last, your fine Egyptian style of cooking will carry away all the honor. I've heard that Julius Caesar grew fat from feasting while he was there.
ANTONY
You have heard much.
ANTONY
You've heard a lot.
POMPEY
I have fair meanings, sir.
POMPEY
I mean well, sir.
ANTONY
And fair words to them.
ANTONY
And your words sound good.
POMPEY
Then so much have I heard.And I have heard Apollodorus carried—
POMPEY
That's what I heard. And I've heard that Apollodorus carried—
ENOBARBUS
[interrupting POMPEY] No more of that. He did so.
ENOBARBUS
[Interrupting POMPEY] No more about that. He did exactly that.
POMPEY
What, I pray you?
POMPEY
What did he carry, I ask you?
ENOBARBUS
A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.
ENOBARBUS
A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.
POMPEY
I know thee now. How far’st thou, soldier?
POMPEY
I know who you are now. How are you doing, soldier?
ENOBARBUS
Well,And well am like to do, for I perceive,Four feasts are toward.
ENOBARBUS
Well, and I believe I'll continue to do well, for I hear there are four feasts planned.
POMPEY
Let me shake thy hand.I never hated thee. I have seen thee fightWhen I have envied thy behavior.
POMPEY
Let me shake your hand. I never bore you ill will. I've seen you fight so well that I envied your achievements.
ENOBARBUS
Sir,I never loved you much, but I ha’ praised yeWhen you have well deserved ten times as muchAs I have said you did.
ENOBARBUS
Sir, I have never been very fond of you, but I have praised you—when you deserved ten times as much praise as what I gave you.
POMPEY
Enjoy thy plainness. It nothing ill becomes thee.— Aboard my galley I invite you all. Will you lead, lords?
POMPEY
Keep speaking straightforwardly like this. It suits you.
[To CAESAR, ANTONY, and LEPIDUS] I invite you all to come aboard my ship. Will you go first my lords?
CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS
Show ’s the way, sir.
CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS
Please, lead us, sir.
POMPEY
Come.
POMPEY
Come.
Exeunt all but ENOBARBUS and MENAS
MENAS
(aside] Thy father, Pompey, would ne’er have made thistreaty. [To ENOBARBUS] You and I have known, sir.
MENAS
[To himself] Your father, Pompey, would never have made a treaty like this.
[To ENOBARBUS] You and I have met before, sir.
ENOBARBUS
At sea, I think.
ENOBARBUS
At sea, I think.
MENAS
We have, sir.
MENAS
We have, sir.
ENOBARBUS
You have done well by water.
ENOBARBUS
Your side has done well at sea.
MENAS
And you by land.
MENAS
And your side has done well on land.
ENOBARBUS
I will praise any man that will praise me, though it cannot be denied what I have done by land.
ENOBARBUS
I'll say good things about anyone who says good things about me, but no one can deny what I have accomplished on land.
MENAS
Nor what I have done by water.
MENAS
Or what I have accomplished at sea.
ENOBARBUS
Yes, something you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great thief by sea.
ENOBARBUS
Yes, there is something you ought to deny for your own good—the fact that you have been a thief at sea.
MENAS
And you by land.
MENAS
And you've been a thief on land.
ENOBARBUS
There I deny my land service. But give me your hand, Menas.
ENOBARBUS
I deny that. But give me your hand, Menas.
They clasp hands
If our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing.
If our eyes were policemen, they could arrest two thieves conspiring here.
MENAS
All men’s faces are true, whatsome’er their hands are.
MENAS
All men have honest faces, even if their hands tend to steal.
ENOBARBUS
But there is never a fair woman has a true face.
ENOBARBUS
But no beautiful woman has an honest face.
MENAS
No slander. They steal hearts.
MENAS
That's true. They steal men's hearts.
ENOBARBUS
We came hither to fight with you.
ENOBARBUS
We came here to fight with you.
MENAS
For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking. Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune.
MENAS
For my part, I'm sorry that the fighting has turned into feasting. By entertaining your leaders today, Pompey throws away his fortune.
ENOBARBUS
If he do, sure he cannot weep ’t back again.
ENOBARBUS
If he does, I'm sure he cannot get it back by crying.
MENAS
You’ve said, sir. We looked not for Mark Antony here. Pray you, is he married to Cleopatra?
MENAS
That's true, sir. We didn't expect to see Mark Antony here. Please tell me, is he married to Cleopatra?
ENOBARBUS
Caesar’s sister is called Octavia.
ENOBARBUS
Caesar's sister is called Octavia.
MENAS
True, sir. She was the wife of Caius Marcellus.
MENAS
True, sir. She was the wife of Caius Marcellus.
ENOBARBUS
But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius.
ENOBARBUS
But now she's the wife of Mark Antony.
MENAS
Pray ye, sir?
MENAS
Really, sir?
ENOBARBUS
’Tis true.
ENOBARBUS
It's true.
MENAS
Then is Caesar and he forever knit together.
MENAS
Then Caesar and he are bound in friendship forever.
ENOBARBUS
If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not prophesy so.
ENOBARBUS
If I had to make a prediction, I wouldn't guess so.
MENAS
I think the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage than the love of the parties.
MENAS
I think the marriage was arranged more for that political purpose, rather than the love between the couple.
ENOBARBUS
I think so too. But you shall find the band that seems to tie their friendship together will be the very strangler of their amity. Octavia is of a holy, cold, and still conversation.
ENOBARBUS
I think so too. But you'll find that the arrangement that was supposed to bind them in friendship will turn out to kill their friendship. Octavia has a very pious, cold, and quiet temperament.
MENAS
Who would not have his wife so?
MENAS
Who wouldn't want a wife like that?
ENOBARBUS
Not he that himself is not so, which is Mark Antony. Hewill to his Egyptian dish again. Then shall the sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Caesar, and, as I said before, that which is the strength of their amity shall prove the immediate author of their variance. Antony will use his affection where it is. He married but his occasion here.
ENOBARBUS
Not someone who doesn't share that disposition—Mark Antony. He'll return to his Egyptian lover again. Then Octavia's sorrow will anger Caesar, and, as I said before, the source of their friendship will ultimately prove a source of conflict. Antony will return to the woman he's really fond of. He only married Octavia for pragmatic reasons.
MENAS
And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard? I have a health for you.
MENAS
And it may turn out that way. Come, sir, will you come aboard? I'll drink a toast to you.
ENOBARBUS
I shall take it, sir. We have used our throats in Egypt.
ENOBARBUS
I'll take it, sir. We're used to drinking in Egypt.
MENAS
Come, let’s away.
MENAS
Come, let's go.
Exeunt
