Antony and Cleopatra

 

ACT IV SCENE IV	The same. A room in the palace.
[ Enter MARK ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, and others attending ]
MARK ANTONY	Eros! mine armour, Eros!
CLEOPATRA	Sleep a little.
MARK ANTONY	No, my chuck. Eros, come; mine armour, Eros!
[Enter EROS with armour]
	Come good fellow, put mine iron on:
	If fortune be not ours to-day, it is	5
	Because we brave her: come.
CLEOPATRA	Nay, I’ll help too.
	What’s this for?
MARK ANTONY	Ah, let be, let be! thou art
	The armourer of my heart: false, false; this, this.	10
CLEOPATRA	Sooth, la, I’ll help: thus it must be.
MARK ANTONY	Well, well;
	We shall thrive now. Seest thou, my good fellow?
	Go put on thy defences.
EROS	Briefly, sir.	15
CLEOPATRA	Is not this buckled well?
MARK ANTONY	Rarely, rarely:
	He that unbuckles this, till we do please
	To daff’t for our repose, shall hear a storm.
	Thou fumblest, Eros; and my queen’s a squire	20
	More tight at this than thou: dispatch. O love,
	That thou couldst see my wars to-day, and knew’st
	The royal occupation! thou shouldst see
	A workman in’t.
[Enter an armed Soldier]
	Good morrow to thee; welcome:	25
	Thou look’st like him that knows a warlike charge:
	To business that we love we rise betime,
	And go to’t with delight.
Soldier	A thousand, sir,
	Early though’t be, have on their riveted trim,	30
	And at the port expect you.
[Shout. Trumpets flourish]
[Enter Captains and Soldiers]
Captain	The morn is fair. Good morrow, general.
All	Good morrow, general.
MARK ANTONY	‘Tis well blown, lads:
	This morning, like the spirit of a youth	35
	That means to be of note, begins betimes.
	So, so; come, give me that: this way; well said.
	Fare thee well, dame, whate’er becomes of me:
	This is a soldier’s kiss: rebukeable
[Kisses her]
	And worthy shameful cheque it were, to stand	40
	On more mechanic compliment; I’ll leave thee
	Now, like a man of steel. You that will fight,
	Follow me close; I’ll bring you to’t. Adieu.
[Exeunt MARK ANTONY, EROS, Captains, and Soldiers]
CHARMIAN	Please you, retire to your chamber.
CLEOPATRA	Lead me.	45
	He goes forth gallantly. That he and Caesar might
	Determine this great war in single fight!
	Then Antony,–but now–Well, on.
[Exeunt]

Antony and Cleopatra, Act 4, Scene 5
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Explanatory Notes for Act 4, Scene 4
From Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company.
(Line numbers have been altered.)
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3. Chuck. Chick; a term of endearment.

6. Brave. Defy.

10. Armourer. Armor bearer.

15. Briefly. Immediately.

19. Daff’t. Doff it, remove it.

20. Squire. In feudal times, the attendant of a knight

21. Tight. Skillful, handy.

31. Port. Gate.

31. Expect. Await.

34. Blown. Some editors take this word to refer to the trumpets, and others to the morning. The former interpretation seems rather more in keeping with Antony’s mood.

37. Well said. Rather, well done.

40. Cheque. Rebuke.

41. Mechanic. Vulgar, like what a mechanic would use. [See 5.2 – “mechanic slaves”]

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How to cite the explanatory notes:Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company, 1908.