First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, & Mardian. | Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian | | AC I.v.1 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Charmian. | Charmian! | | AC I.v.1 | |
| Char. | CHARMIAN | | | |
| Madam. | Madam? | | AC I.v.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| (yawning) | | AC I.v.3 | |
| Ha, ha, | Ha, ha! | | AC I.v.3 | |
| giue me to drinke Mandragora. | Give me to drink mandragora. | mandragora (n.) mandrake plant [seen as a narcotic] | AC I.v.4.1 | |
| Char. | CHARMIAN | | | |
| Why Madam? | Why, madam? | | AC I.v.4.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| That I might sleepe out this great gap of time: | That I might sleep out this great gap of time | | AC I.v.5 | |
| My Anthony is away. | My Antony is away. | | AC I.v.6.1 | |
| Char. | CHARMIAN | | | |
| You thinke of him too much. | You think of him too much. | | AC I.v.6.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| O 'tis Treason. | O, 'tis treason! | | AC I.v.7.1 | |
| Char. | CHARMIAN | | | |
| Madam, I trust not so. | Madam, I trust, not so. | | AC I.v.7.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Thou, Eunuch Mardian? | Thou, eunuch Mardian! | | AC I.v.8.1 | |
| Mar. | MARDIAN | | | |
| What's your Highnesse pleasure? | What's your highness' pleasure? | | AC I.v.8.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Not now to heare thee sing. I take no pleasure | Not now to hear thee sing. I take no pleasure | | AC I.v.9 | |
| In ought an Eunuch ha's: Tis well for thee, | In aught an eunuch has. 'Tis well for thee | aught (n.)anything, [with negative word] nothing | AC I.v.10 | |
| That being vnseminar'd, thy freer thoughts | That, being unseminared, thy freer thoughts | unseminared (adj.)emasculated, deprived of virility | AC I.v.11 | |
| May not flye forth of Egypt. Hast thou Affections? | May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections? | affection (n.)desire, passion, lustful feeling | AC I.v.12 | |
| Mar. | MARDIAN | | | |
| Yes gracious Madam. | Yes, gracious madam. | | AC I.v.13 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Indeed? | Indeed? | | AC I.v.14 | |
| Mar. | MARDIAN | | | |
| Not in deed Madam, for I can do nothing | Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing | | AC I.v.15 | |
| But what in deede is honest to be done: | But what indeed is honest to be done. | honest (adj.)chaste, pure, virtuous | AC I.v.16 | |
| Yet haue I fierce Affections, and thinke | Yet have I fierce affections, and think | | AC I.v.17 | |
| What Venus did with Mars. | What Venus did with Mars. | Mars (n.)Roman god of war | AC I.v.18.1 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Oh Charmion: | O, Charmian, | | AC I.v.18.2 | |
| Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? | Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? | | AC I.v.19 | |
| Or does he walke? Or is he on his Horse? | Or does he walk? Or is he on his horse? | | AC I.v.20 | |
| Oh happy horse to beare the weight of Anthony! | O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! | | AC I.v.21 | |
| Do brauely Horse, for wot'st thou whom thou moou'st, | Do bravely, horse, for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st? | wot (v.)learn, know, be told | AC I.v.22 | |
| The demy Atlas of this Earth, the Arme | The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm | demi-Atlas (n.)supporter of half the world | AC I.v.23 | |
| | arm (n.)strong arm [in attack]; or: might, power | | |
| And Burganet of men. Hee's speaking now, | And burgonet of men. He's speaking now, | burgonet (n.)[type of] small light helmet | AC I.v.24 | |
| Or murmuring, where's my Serpent of old Nyle, | Or murmuring ‘ Where's my serpent of old Nile?’ | | AC I.v.25 | |
| (For so he cals me:) Now I feede my selfe | For so he calls me. Now I feed myself | | AC I.v.26 | |
| With most delicious poyson. Thinke on me | With most delicious poison. Think on me, | | AC I.v.27 | |
| That am with Phobus amorous pinches blacke, | That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black | | AC I.v.28 | |
| And wrinkled deepe in time. Broad-fronted Casar, | And wrinkled deep in time. Broad-fronted Caesar, | broad-fronted (adj.)with a broad forehead or face | AC I.v.29 | |
| When thou was't heere aboue the ground, I was | When thou wast here above the ground, I was | | AC I.v.30 | |
| A morsell for a Monarke: and great Pompey | A morsel for a monarch; and great Pompey | | AC I.v.31 | |
| Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow, | Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow; | brow (n.)appearance, aspect, countenance | AC I.v.32 | |
| There would he anchor his Aspect, and dye | There would he anchor his aspect, and die | aspect (n.)gaze, look | AC I.v.33 | |
| With looking on his life. | With looking on his life. | | AC I.v.34.1 | |
| Enter Alexas from Casar. | Enter Alexas | | AC I.v.34 | |
| Alex. | ALEXAS | | | |
| Soueraigne of Egypt, haile. | Sovereign of Egypt, hail! | | AC I.v.34.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| How much vnlike art thou Marke Anthony? | How much unlike art thou Mark Antony! | | AC I.v.35 | |
| Yet comming from him, that great Med'cine hath | Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath | | AC I.v.36 | |
| With his Tinct gilded thee. | With his tinct gilded thee. | tinct (n.)[alchemy] tincture, elixir | AC I.v.37 | |
| | gild (v.), past forms gilt, gildedenrich, adorn, beautify | | |
| How goes it with my braue Marke Anthonie? | How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? | brave (adj.)noble, worthy, excellent | AC I.v.38 | |
| Alex. | ALEXAS | | | |
| Last thing he did (deere Quene) | Last thing he did, dear Queen, | | AC I.v.39 | |
| He kist the last of many doubled kisses | He kissed – the last of many doubled kisses – | | AC I.v.40 | |
| This Orient Pearle. His speech stickes in my heart. | This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart. | orient (adj.)lustrous, brilliant, bright | AC I.v.41 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Mine eare must plucke it thence. | Mine ear must pluck it thence. | | AC I.v.42.1 | |
| Alex. | ALEXAS | | | |
| Good Friend, quoth he: | ‘ Good friend,’ quoth he, | quoth (v.)said | AC I.v.42.2 | |
| Say the firme Roman to great Egypt sends | ‘ Say the firm Roman to great Egypt sends | firm (adj.)constant, steadfast, resolute | AC I.v.43 | |
| This treasure of an Oyster: at whose foote | This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot, | | AC I.v.44 | |
| To mend the petty present, I will peece | To mend the petty present, I will piece | piece (v.)add to, join to, augment | AC I.v.45 | |
| Her opulent Throne, with Kingdomes. All the East, | Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the East, | | AC I.v.46 | |
| (Say thou) shall call her Mistris. So he nodded, | Say thou, shall call her mistress.’ So he nodded, | | AC I.v.47 | |
| And soberly did mount an Arme-gaunt Steede, | And soberly did mount an arrogant steed, | arm-gaunt (adj.)[unclear meaning] in fine condition; with gaunt limbs; with armoured trappings | AC I.v.48 | |
| Who neigh'd so hye, that what I would haue spoke, | Who neighed so high that what I would have spoke | | AC I.v.49 | |
| Was beastly dumbe by him. | Was beastly dumbed by him. | dumb (v.)make inaudible, reduce to silence | AC I.v.50.1 | |
| | beastly (adv.)like an animal, in a beastly manner | | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| What was he sad, or merry? | What was he, sad or merry? | sad (adj.)serious, grave, solemn | AC I.v.50.2 | |
| Alex. | ALEXAS | | | |
| Like to the time o'th' yeare, between ye extremes | Like to the time o'th' year between the extremes | | AC I.v.51 | |
| Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merrie. | Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry. | | AC I.v.52 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Oh well diuided disposition: Note him, | O well-divided disposition! Note him, | well-divided (adj.)well-balanced, evenly shared | AC I.v.53 | |
| | disposition (n.)composure, state of mind, temperament | | |
| Note him good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him. | Note him, good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him! | | AC I.v.54 | |
| He was not sad, for he would shine on those | He was not sad, for he would shine on those | | AC I.v.55 | |
| That make their lookes by his. He was not merrie, | That make their looks by his; he was not merry, | | AC I.v.56 | |
| Which seem'd to tell them, his remembrance lay | Which seemed to tell them his remembrance lay | remembrance (n.)memory, bringing to mind, recollection | AC I.v.57 | |
| In Egypt with his ioy, but betweene both. | In Egypt with his joy; but between both. | | AC I.v.58 | |
| Oh heauenly mingle! Bee'st thou sad, or merrie, | O heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad or merry, | | AC I.v.59 | |
| The violence of either thee becomes, | The violence of either thee becomes, | become (v.)be fitting, befit, be appropriate to | AC I.v.60 | |
| So do's it no mans else. Met'st thou my Posts? | So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts? | post (n.)express messenger, courier | AC I.v.61 | |
| Alex. | ALEXAS | | | |
| I Madam, twenty seuerall Messengers. | Ay, madam, twenty several messengers. | several (adj.)separate, different, distinct | AC I.v.62 | |
| Why do you send so thicke? | Why do you send so thick? | | AC I.v.63.1 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Who's borne that day, | Who's born that day | | AC I.v.63.2 | |
| when I forget to send to Anthonie, | When I forget to send to Antony | | AC I.v.64 | |
| shall dye a Begger. Inke and paper Charmian. | Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian. | | AC I.v.65 | |
| Welcome my good Alexas. Did I Charmian, | Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian, | | AC I.v.66 | |
| euer loue Casar so? | Ever love Caesar so? | | AC I.v.67.1 | |
| Char. | CHARMIAN | | | |
| Oh that braue Casar! | O, that brave Caesar! | brave (adj.)fine, excellent, splendid, impressive | AC I.v.67.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| Be choak'd with such another Emphasis, | Be choked with such another emphasis! | emphasis (n.)vigorous expression, forceful utterance | AC I.v.68 | |
| Say the braue Anthony. | Say ‘ the brave Antony.’ | | AC I.v.69.1 | |
| Char. | CHARMIAN | | | |
| The valiant Casar. | The valiant Caesar! | | AC I.v.69.2 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| By Isis, I will giue thee bloody teeth, | By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, | Isis (n.)[pron: 'iysis] Egyptian goddess of the moon, fertility, and magic | AC I.v.70 | |
| If thou with Casar Paragon againe: | If thou with Caesar paragon again | paragon (v.)compare, match, place side by side | AC I.v.71 | |
| My man of men. | My man of men. | | AC I.v.72.1 | |
| Char. | CHARMIAN | | | |
| By your most gracious pardon, | By your most gracious pardon, | | AC I.v.72.2 | |
| I sing but after you. | I sing but after you. | | AC I.v.73.1 | |
| Cleo. | CLEOPATRA | | | |
| My Sallad dayes, | My salad days, | | AC I.v.73.2 | |
| When I was greene in iudgement, cold in blood, | When I was green in judgement, cold in blood, | green (adj.)youthful, inexperienced, immature | AC I.v.74 | |
| To say, as I saide then. But come, away, | To say as I said then. But come, away, | | AC I.v.75 | |
| Get me Inke and Paper, | Get me ink and paper. | | AC I.v.76 | |
| he shall haue euery day a seuerall greeting, | He shall have every day a several greeting, | several (adj.)separate, different, distinct | AC I.v.77 | |
| or Ile vnpeople Egypt. | Or I'll unpeople Egypt. | unpeople (v.)empty of people, depopulate | AC I.v.78 | |
| Exeunt | Exeunt | | AC I.v.78 | |