Doc Sherwood's Antony and Cleopatra, Act One

Now here's something I've been meaning to do for a while! My old Antony and Cleopatra script, adapted into modern English. It goes without saying you're all more than welcome to use it with any budding young thespians of your own! The clips, complete with original Shakespearean dialogue, are from the last time we staged the play: late 2019, Northeast China, as part of the entertainments for a student speech-making competition!

CAST

NARRATOR

A MESSENGER

Romans:

ANTONY, in love with Cleopatra

ENOBARBUS, Antony’s friend

CAESAR, Emperor of Rome

OCTAVIA, Caesar’s sister

AGRIPPA, a Roman senator

LEPIDUS, a Roman senator

Several ROMAN SOLDIERS

Egyptians:

CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt

IRAS, Cleopatra’s maid

CHARMIAN, Cleopatra’s maid

ALEXAS, Cleopatra’s servant

An OLD MAN

Several EGYPTIAN SOLDIERS

SCENE 1

The River Cydnus.

Stage-hands holding a blue cloth the length of the stage, level with the boards, to suggest a river. CLEOPATRA is seated on her barge. ANTONY at the quayside, gazing on her.

Enter NARRATOR.

NARRATOR: Cleopatra's barge was like a magnificent throne, its reflection burning on the water. The deck was of beaten gold, and the purple sails so perfumed that even the winds were love-sick with them. As for the Queen of Egypt herself, she was so beautiful as to defy all description. Antony, alone in the marketplace, could do nothing but stare. When he and Cleopatra met on the banks of the River Cydnus, his heart became the greatest treasure she would ever claim.

CLEOPATRA disembarks. She and ANTONY link arms, and he leads her offstage.

Exit ANTONY and CLEOPATRA.

SCENE 2

Rome, the council chamber.

CAESAR, in conference with his senators AGRIPPA and LEPIDUS. The MESSENGER standing by. An empty seat at the meeting-table, which is ANTONY’s. CAESAR indicates this as he begins:

CAESAR: It sounds as if Antony in Alexandria fishes all day and drinks all night. Some leader of Rome! Even his precious Cleopatra's more of a man. What's more, for all I know, the pair of them may even be plotting against me in secret.

LEPIDIUS: Antony's certainly been sowing his wild oats, but I wouldn't go so far as to believe he's a traitor.

AGRIPPA: May I speak, Caesar?

CAESAR: Please do. I trust your counsel.

AGRIPPA: Your half-sister on your mother's side, Octavia, is much admired. Offer her to Antony as a wife. Once he's married into your family that'll be the end of his little affair with Cleopatra, not to mention your other fears he may be cooking up something worse.

CAESAR likes the idea.

CAESAR: You deserve a promotion, Agrippa. [To the MESSENGER] Go, summon Antony from Alexandria. Shame him into returning to us.

Exit MESSENGER.

AGRIPPA: [Laughing] I wish all our troubles could be solved so easily!

CAESAR: Men like Antony are no danger. Control their lustful appetites, and you control them.

Exit all, satisfied.

SCENE 3

Egypt, the palace in Alexandria.

ANTONY and CLEOPATRA are luxuriating, CHARMIAN, IRAS and ALEXAS attending on them. Also present is ENOBARBUS.

CLEOPATRA: If you truly love me, Antony, then tell me how much.

ANTONY: You know what they say, Cleo - if you have to ask, you can't afford it!

Enter the MESSENGER.

MESSENGER: [To ANTONY] I bring news, my lord, from Rome.

ANTONY: That's the last thing I want to hear right now. Keep it brief. [To CLEOPATRA] I don't want these trivial distractions to take up even one second of our time together. Hey, I know, let's make tonight date-night. Any suggestions?

CLEOPATRA: First, receive your news. The messenger's still waiting.

ANTONY: What are we going to do with you, Cleo?

ANTONY and ENOBARBUS withdraw to talk to the MESSENGER.

ALEXAS: I don't think Antony cares about his own people these days. His heart belongs in Egypt, not Rome, and Antony's the sort of man who listens to his heart.

IRAS: True. Or at any rate, he's not much on listening to his head.

ANTONY and ENOBARBUS return, solemnly.

ANTONY: [To CLEOPATRA] I must leave Egypt, with all haste. Caesar himself commands it. But Cleopatra, my heart will remain here with you.

CLEOPATRA: [Furious] What are you telling me? That your love was false all along? Oh, never has a queen been so bitterly betrayed!

ENOBARBUS: Can't you see she'll never get by without you, Antony? Neither one of you is complete without the other.

ANTONY: If you can't say anything helpful, Enobarbus...!

CLEOPATRA: [To ANTONY] You, meanwhile, had better just say farewell. Let your tears fall one last time upon the sands of Egypt.

ANTONY and CLEOPATRA sadly embrace.

Exit ANTONY, ENOBARBUS and the MESSENGER.

SCENE 4

Rome, the council chamber.

CAESAR, AGRIPPA and LEPIDUS at the meeting-table. OCTAVIA is standing ready.

Enter ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

CAESAR: Antony. Welcome back to Rome, at long last.

ANTONY: Yeah, thanks.

CAESAR: Please, won't you sit?

ANTONY remains standing.

ANTONY: I don't think so. If I want to be in Egypt, Caesar, what's it to you?

CAESAR: It has everything to do with me, if what you're getting up to there is contrary to my interests and those of Rome.

ANTONY: What exactly do you imagine I've been "getting up to?"

CAESAR stands, and brings OCTAVIA forward.

CAESAR: Antony, you're already like a brother to me. Let's make that official. Octavia here will unite us for good and all.

LEPIDUS: Amen to that! Oh, I do love a royal wedding!

AGRIPPA: I'm not sure what Cleopatra would have to say about it, if she could hear us now.

ANTONY: I'm not married to Cleopatra, Agrippa. Carry on, Caesar.

CAESAR: In giving you my sister I give away a part of myself, so be good to us both. [To OCTAVIA] And fair Octavia, be the loving wife I have always pictured in you.

OCTAVIA: [To ANTONY] If it please the gods, and my brother, I am yours forevermore.

CAESAR: A glad day. Here’s my hand.

CASEAR shakes ANTONY’s hand. ANTONY is almost too stupefied to notice.

CAESAR: No more flights of fancy, Antony. Roman love for a wayward Roman, to tie him to the land which deep down he loves best! And so, goodnight.

LEPIDUS: Sire, I do believe a little goodnight kiss for the blushing bride-to-be is the traditional way to seal this deal...!

A long expectant pause.

Then, reluctantly, ANTONY kisses OCTAVIA’s hand.

OCTAVIA: Goodnight, my future husband.

Exit all but ANTONY and ENOBARBUS.

ANTONY: Well, how about that for a welcome-wagon, Enobarbus?

ENOBARBUS : I wish I was still in Egypt, and I wish you were too.

ANTONY: All of a sudden I've no choice but to marry, yet I've left all my love in a land far away.

Exit both.

SCENE 5

Egypt, the palace in Alexandria.

CLEOPATRA reclining, attended on by IRAS, CHARMIAN and ALEXAS.

CLEOPATRA: Oh, I wish there was a magic potion to make me sleep until Antony comes back to me. Didn't my cousin Juliet have something like that once?

Enter the MESSENGER.

MESSENGER: Madam, madam!

CLEOPATRA: Ah, the latest from Rome! How's my brave Antony holding up?

MESSENGER: Well, first of all, madam, you might say he's doing very well.

CLEOPATRA: Then why does the look on your face tell me otherwise?

MESSENGER: It's not easy knowing how to put it. All's fine over at the council chamber, in fact Antony and Caesar are closer than they've ever been. But, madam –

CLEOPATRA: I don't like the word "but." Why can't you give me the good and bad news together? You say Antony's alive and well, and on Caesar's good side for a change. So there's no problem, right?

MESSENGER: I didn't quite say that, madam. Antony has a new obligation, to Caesar's sister Octavia.

CLEOPATRA: An obligation? You mean he's in her debt? What favour did she do for him?

MESSENGER: Something I'd probably better not describe. Madam, he's married to Octavia.

CLEOPATRA strikes the MESSENGER down.

MESSENGER: That's it, shoot the messenger. Typical. Can't believe this is my life.

CLEOPATRA: Sounds like you're none too attached to it. Good thing, considering my plans for you!

She seizes him by the hair.

CLEOPATRA: I'll whip you with wire and stew you in the Nile! How's that for work-related stress?

MESSENGER: But I’m telling the truth! He's married, madam!

CLEOPATRA: You just don't know when to hold your tongue, do you?

She draws her knife.

CLEOPATRA: Soon fix that. In a minute, I'll be holding it.

IRAS: Your Majesty, contain yourself! This poor man isn't to blame!

Exit MESSENGER, hastily.

CLEOPATRA: In the name of Anubis! What's he running away for? Call him back.

CHARMIAN: I would, but he's halfway to Thebes by now.

ALEXAS: Please, Your Majesty, try to bear this bad news with fortitude.

CLEOPATRA: Those Romans are going to learn a thing or two about my fortitude alright. Have I not my army? Does Egypt not rule the seas? To coin a phrase, Hell hath no fury. Look out, Caesar, you've lived too long! Go, all of you, and begin preparations for war!

Exit ALEXAS, CHARMIAN and IRAS, busily. CLEOPATRA is alone on the stage.

CLEOPATRA: [Shouting aloud] Antony!

The curtain falls.

Interval.