Antony and Cleopatra, Act 2, Scene 6

Your hostages I have, so have you mine, And we shall talk before we fight.

I have your hostages and you have mine, so we can talk before we fight.

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.

It is entirely fitting that we come to words first, and that is why we have sent our terms to you in writing ahead of us. If you have considered them, let us know whether they will put your angry sword away and carry back to Sicily a great many fine young men who must otherwise die here.

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 labouring for him. What was’t That moved pale Cassius to conspire? And what Made the all-honoured, 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.

To all three of you, the only senators of this great world, the gods' chief agents: I do not know why my father should lack avengers, when he has a son and friends, since Julius Caesar, who turned the good Brutus into a ghost at Philippi, saw you there working on his behalf. What was it that drove pale Cassius to conspire? And what made that universally honoured, upright Roman, Brutus, along with the rest in arms, all suitors of lovely freedom, soak the Capitol in blood, except that they wanted one man to be no more than a man? And that is what has made me fit out my fleet, under whose weight the angry ocean foams, with which I meant to whip the ingratitude that spiteful Rome threw at my noble father.

Take your time.

Take your time.

Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails. We’ll speak with thee at sea. At land thou know’st How much we do o’ercount thee.

You cannot frighten us with your ships, Pompey. We will deal with you at sea. On land you know how greatly we outnumber you.

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.

On land, indeed, you outnumber me out of my father's house; but since the cuckoo does not build its own nest, stay in it as long as you can.

Be pleased to tell us— For this is from the present—how you take The offers we have sent you.

Be so good as to tell us — since this is off the subject — how you take the offers we have sent you.

There’s the point.

That is the point.

Which do not be entreated to, but weigh What it is worth embraced.

And do not be begged into it; instead consider what it is worth if you accept it.

And what may follow To try a larger fortune.

And what might follow if you try for greater fortune.

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.

You have offered me Sicily and Sardinia; and I must clear the whole sea of pirates, then send quantities of wheat to Rome. If this is agreed, we part with our sword edges unnotched and carry back our shields undented.

That’s our offer.

That is our offer.

Know, then, I came before you here a man prepared To take this offer. But Mark Antony Put me to some impatience. 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.

Then know that I came here before you as a man ready to accept this offer. But Mark Antony made me somewhat impatient. Though I lose credit for it by mentioning it myself, you must know that when Caesar and your brother were fighting, your mother came to Sicily and found a friendly welcome there.

I have heard it, Pompey, And am well studied for a liberal thanks Which I do owe you.

I have heard about it, Pompey, and I am well prepared to give you the generous thanks I owe you.

Let me have your hand. I did not think, sir, to have met you here.

Give me your hand. I did not expect, sir, to meet you here.

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.

The beds in the East are soft; and thank you for calling me here sooner than I intended, because I have profited by it.

Since I saw you last, There is a change upon you.

Since I last saw you, you have altered.

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.

Well, I do not know what accounts harsh Fortune writes on my face, but she will never get into my breast to make my heart her servant.

Well met here.

It is good to meet you here.

I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed. I crave our composition may be written And sealed between us.

I hope it is, Lepidus. So we are agreed. I ask that our agreement be written out and sealed between us.

That’s the next to do.

That is the next thing to do.

We’ll feast each other ere we part, and let’s Draw lots who shall begin.

We will each give the others a feast before we part, and let us draw lots for who begins.

That will I, Pompey.

I will do that, 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.

No, Antony, take your chance with the lots. But first or last, your excellent Egyptian cooking will get the glory. I have heard that Julius Caesar grew fat with feasting there.

You have heard much.

You have heard a great deal.

I have fair meanings, sir.

I mean nothing offensive, sir.

And fair words to them.

And polite words to match.

Then so much have I heard. And I have heard Apollodorus carried—

Then that is all I have heard. And I have heard that Apollodorus carried—

No more of that. He did so.

No more of that. He did.

What, I pray you?

Carried what, please?

A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress.

A certain queen, to Caesar, in a mattress.

I know thee now. How far’st thou, soldier?

Now I recognise you. How are you, soldier?

Well; And well am like to do, for I perceive Four feasts are toward.

Well; and I am likely to go on doing well, because I see four feasts coming.

Let me shake thy hand. I never hated thee. I have seen thee fight When I have envied thy behaviour.

Let me shake your hand. I never hated you. I have watched you fight and envied the way you carried yourself.

Sir, I never loved you much, but I ha’ praised ye When you have well deserved ten times as much As I have said you did.

Sir, I never liked you much, but I have praised you when you deserved ten times as much praise as I gave you.

Enjoy thy plainness; It nothing ill becomes thee. Aboard my galley I invite you all. Will you lead, lords?

Go on being blunt; it suits you well enough. I invite you all aboard my galley. Will you lead the way, my lords?

Show’s the way, sir.

Show us the way, sir.

Come.

Come.

[Aside.] Thy father, Pompey, would ne’er have made this treaty.— You and I have known, sir.

[Aside.] Your father, Pompey, would never have made this treaty.— You and I have met before, sir.

At sea, I think.

At sea, I think.

We have, sir.

We have, sir.

You have done well by water.

You have done well at sea.

And you by land.

And you on land.

I will praise any man that will praise me, though it cannot be denied what I have done by land.

I will praise any man who praises me, though nobody can deny what I have done on land.

Nor what I have done by water.

Nor what I have done at sea.

Yes, something you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great thief by sea.

Yes, there is something you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great thief at sea.

And you by land.

And you on land.

There I deny my land service. But give me your hand, Menas. If our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing.

There I deny my service on land. But give me your hand, Menas. If our eyes were officers of the law, they could arrest two thieves kissing here.

All men’s faces are true, whatsome’er their hands are.

Every man's face is honest, whatever his hands may be.

But there is never a fair woman has a true face.

But there is not a single beautiful woman with an honest face.

No slander. They steal hearts.

That is no slander. They steal hearts.

We came hither to fight with you.

We came here to fight you.

For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking. Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune.

For my part, I am sorry it has turned into a drinking party. Pompey is laughing his fortune away today.

If he do, sure he cannot weep ’t back again.

If he is, he certainly cannot weep it back again.

You have said, sir. We looked not for Mark Antony here. Pray you, is he married to Cleopatra?

You are quite right, sir. We did not expect Mark Antony here. Tell me, please, is he married to Cleopatra?

Caesar’s sister is called Octavia.

Caesar's sister is called Octavia.

True, sir. She was the wife of Caius Marcellus.

True, sir. She was the wife of Caius Marcellus.

But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius.

But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius.

Pray you, sir?

What did you say, sir?

’Tis true.

It is true.

Then is Caesar and he for ever knit together.

Then Caesar and he are tied together for ever.

If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not prophesy so.

If I had to make a prediction about this union, I wouldn't forecast that.

I think the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage than the love of the parties.

I think political calculation had more to do with the marriage than any love on either side.

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.

I think so too. But you'll find that the bond which seems to tie their friendship together will be the very thing that strangles their goodwill. Octavia is pious, cold and quiet in her behaviour.

Who would not have his wife so?

Who wouldn't want his wife to be like that?

Not he that himself is not so; which is Mark Antony. He will 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.

A man who isn't like that himself — and that is Mark Antony. He'll go back to his Egyptian dish. Then Octavia's sighs will fan the fire in Caesar, and, as I said before, what is the strength of their friendship will turn out to be the direct cause of their falling out. Antony will give his love where it already is. He only married what the occasion required here.

And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard? I have a health for you.

And that's how it may well turn out. Come, sir, will you come on board? I have a drink to toast you with.

I shall take it, sir. We have used our throats in Egypt.

I'll accept it, sir. We've given our throats plenty of practice in Egypt.

Come, let’s away.

Come on, let's go.