Competition, Comparison and Exemplarity in Anthony and

Cleopatra

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AGRIPPA A rarer spirit neverDid steer humanity; but you gods will give usSome faults to make us men. Caesar is touched. MECENUS

When such a spacious mirror’s set before him, He needs must see himself.

5.1.31-5

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I dreamt there was an Emperor Anthony—O, such another sleep, that I might seeBut such another man!…His face was as the heavens, and therein stuckA sun and moon, which kept their course and lightedThe little O o’th’earth….His legs bestrid the ocean; his reared armCrested the world; his voice was propertiedAs all the tunèd spheres—and that to friends—But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty,There was no winter in’t—an autumn ’twasThat grew the more by reaping. His delights Were dolphin-like; they showed his back above The element they lived in. In his liveryWalked crowns and crownets; realms and islands wereAs plates dropped from his pocket.

5.2.76-…92

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PHILO

Nay, but this dotage of our General’s

O’erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,

That o’er the files and musters of the war

Have glowed like plated Mars, now bend, now turn

The office and devotion of their view

Upon a tawny front; his captain’s heart,

Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst

The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,

And is become the bellows and the fan

To cool a gypsy’s lust. (1.1.1-10)

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CAESAR

But yet let me lament With tears as sovereign as the blood of heartsThat thou, my brother, my competitorIn top of all design, my mate in empire,Friend and companion in the front of war,The arm of mine own body, and the heartWhere mine his thoughts did kindle—that our starsUnreconciliable should divide Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends—Enter an EgyptianBut I will tell you at some meeter season:

5.1.40-496

ANTONY O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!Thou are the ruins of the noblest manThat ever lived in the tide of times.

(Julius Caesar, 3.1.255-8)

BRUTUS Are yet two Romans living such as these?The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!It is impossible that ever RomeShould breed thy fellow.

(Julius Caesar, 5.3.98-101)

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ANTONY This was the noblest Roman of them all.All the conspirators save only heDid that they did in envy of great Caesar;He only in a general honest thoughtAnd common good to all make one of them.His life was gentle; and all the elementsSo mix’d in him that Nature might stand upAnd say to all the world ‘This was a man’.

Julius Caesar, 5.5.68-75

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CAESAR

But yet let me lament With tears as sovereign as the blood of heartsThat thou, my brother, my competitorIn top of all design, my mate in empire,Friend and companion in the front of war,The arm of mine own body, and the heartWhere mine his thoughts did kindle—that our starsUnreconciliable should divide Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends—Enter an EgyptianBut I will tell you at some meeter season:

5.1.40-499

compet-ere, in its post-classical active sense ‘to strive after (something) in company or together’,

com- together + petere to aim at, go toward, try to reach, seek, etc.:

compete, v.2

1. intr. To enter into or be put in rivalry with, to vie with another in any respect.

2. To strive with another, for the attainment of a thing, in doing something.

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SOOTHSAYER Thy daemon, that thy spirit which keeps thee, isNoble, courageous, high, unmatchable, Where Caesar’s is not; but near him, thy angelBecomes afeard, as being o’erpowered—thereforeMake space enough between you…

Thy lustre thickens,When he shines by—I say again, thy spirit Is all afraid to govern thee near him; But he away, ’tis noble.

(2.3.16-…28)

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For this reason, the following book contains the lives of Demetrius Poliorcetes, and Antonius the Triumvir; two persons who have abundantly justified the words of Plato, that great natures produce great vices as well as virtues. Both alike were amorous and intemperate, warlike and munificent, sumptuous in their way of living, and overbearing in their manners. And the likeness of their fortunes carried out the resemblance in their characters. Not only were their lives each a series of great successes and great disasters, mighty acquisitions and tremendous losses of power, sudden overthrows, followed by unexpected recoveries, but they died, also, Demetrius in actual captivity to his enemies, and Antony on the verge of it.

Plutarch’s Lives. ed. & tr. Arthur Hugh Clough12

This treaty conteineth the liues of Demetrius, surnamed the Fortgainer, & M. Antony the Triumuir, & great examples to confirme the saying of Plato: That from great minds, both great vertues & great vices do procede. They were both giuen ouer to women & wine, both valliant & liberal, both sumptuous & high minded, fortune serued them both alike, not only in the course of their liues, in attempting great matters, somtimes with good, somtimes with ill successe, in getting & losing things of great consequence, ouerthrowing both when they feared not, restoring both when they hoped not. But also in their ende there was no great difference, thone brought to his death by his mortal enemies, & the others fortune not much vnlike.

Plutarch’s Lives, trans. Thomas North13

For there is nether picture, nor image of marble, nor arche of triumph, nor piller, nor sumptuous sepulchre, that can match the durablenes of an eloquent history, furnished with the properties which it ought to haue. Again, I mind not to stand much vpon this, that it hath a certaine troth in it, in that it alwayes professeth to speake truth, & for that the proper ground therof is to treate of the greatest & highest things that are done in the world: insomuch that (to my seeming) the great profit thereof is as Horace sayth, that it is commonly called the mother of trothe & vprightnes, which commendeth it so greatly, as it nedeth not elswhere to seeke any authoritye, or ornament of dignitie, but of her very selfe. For it is a certaine rule and instruction, which by examples past, teacheth vs to iudge of things present, & to foresee things to come: so as we may knowe what to like of, & what to follow, what to mislike, and what to eschew.

Amyot, To The Reader in North’s Plutarch (1579), sig. *iii v. 14

So as it is not possible for any case to rise either in peace or warre, in publike or priuate affaires, but that the person which shall haue diligently red, well conceiued, & throughly remembred histories, shall find matter in them whereat to take light, & counsell wherby to resolue himselfe to take a part, or to geue aduice vnto others, how to choose in doutfull & daungerous cases that, which may be for their most proffit, and in time to find out to what poynt the matter will come if it be well handled: and how to mo|derate him selfe in prosperitie, and how to cheere vp and beare him selfe in aduersitie.

Amyot, To The Reader in North’s Plutarch (1579), sig. *iiii r.15

CAESAR You shall find thereA man who is the abstract of all faultsThat all men follow. (1.4. 8-10)

CLEOPATRA He was not sad, for he would shine on thoseThat make their looks by his; (1.5.55-6)

CAMIDIUS Had our generalBeen what he knew himself, it had gone well. O, he has given example for our flight Most grossly by his own. (3.10.25)

ANTONY I have fled myself, and have instructed cowardsTo run and show their shoulders. (3.11.7-8)

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CLEOPATRA By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth, If thou with Caesar paragon again My man of men. (1.5.70-2)

AGRIPPA Take AnthonyOctavia to his wife, whose beauty claimsNo worse a husband than the best of men

(2.2.133-4)

THIDIAS One that performs The bidding of the fullest man, and worthiestTo have command obeyed. (3.13.87)

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ENOBARBUS. A very fine one: O, how he loves Caesar! AGRIPPA. Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Anthony! ENOBARBUS. Caesar? Why he's the Jupiter of men. AGRIPPA. What's Anthony? The god of Jupiter. ENOBARBUS. Spake you of Caesar? How! the nonpareil! AGRIPPA. O, Anthony! O thou Arabian bird! ENOBARBUS. Would you praise Caesar, say 'Caesar'--go no further. AGRIPPA. Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises. ENOBARBUS. But he loves Caesar best;--yet he loves Anthony: Hoo! hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number--hoo!– His love to Anthony. But as for Caesar,

Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder. (3.2.7-19)

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ANTHONY I must thank him only,Lest my remembrance suffer ill report. (2.2.163-4)

CAESAR But you are comeA market-maid to Rome, and have prevented The ostentation of our love; which, left unshown,Is often left unloved. (3.6.50)

ANTHONY I have offended reputation.A most unnoble swerving (3.11.48)

ENOBARBUS he that can endureTo follow with allegiance a fall’n lordDoes conquer him that did his master conquer,And earns a place in the story. (3.13.42-6)

ANTHONY I and my sword will earn our chronicle. (3.13.176)

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CLEOPATRA. Farewell, and thanks. [Exit DOLABELLA.] Now, Iras, what think'st thou? Thou, an Egyptian puppet, shall be shown In Rome as well as I: mechanic slaves, With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers, shall Uplift us to the view; in their thick breaths, Rank of gross diet, shall we be enclouded, And forc'd to drink their vapour. IRAS. The gods forbid! CLEOPATRA. Nay, 'tis most certain, Iras:--saucy lictors Will catch at us like strumpets; and scald rhymers Ballad us out o' tune: the quick comedians Extemporally will stage us, and present Our Alexandrian revels; Antony Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness I' the posture of a whore. (5.2.207-221)

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CLEOPATRA I’ll seem the fool I am not; Anthony Will be himself. (1.1.44-5)

PHILO Sir, sometimes when he is not AnthonyHe comes too short of that great propertyWhich still should go with Anthony. (1.1.59)

ANTHONY These strong Egyptian fetters I must breakOr lose my self in dotage. (1.2.116-7)

ENOBARBUS I shall entreat him To answer like himself. (2.2.3-4)

CAESAR The wild disguise hath almostAnticked us all. (2.7.123-4)

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ANTHONY If I lose mine honourI lose myself: better I were not yoursThan yours so branchless. (3.4.22)

SCARRUS Experience, manhood, honour, ne’er beforeDid violate so itself. (3.10.21-3)

ANTHONY for he seemsProud and disdainful, harping on what I am, Not what he knew I was. (3.13.142)

ANTHONY I wish I could be made so many men,And all of you clapped up together inAn Anthony, that I might do you serviceSo good as you have done. (4.2.16-9)

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ANTONY. Eros, thou yet behold'st me? EROS. Ay, noble lord. ANTONY. Sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish; A vapour sometime like a bear or lion, A tower'd citadel, a pendant rock, A forked mountain, or blue promontory With trees upon't, that nod unto the world, And mock our eyes with air: thou hast seen these signs; They are black vesper's pageants. EROS. Ay, my lord. ANTONY. That which is now a horse, even with a thought The rack dislimns; and makes it indistinct, As water is in water. EROS. It does, my lord.

cont.23

ANTONY. My good knave Eros, now thy captain is Even such a body: here I am Anthony; Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave. I made these wars for Egypt; and the queen,-- Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine; Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto't A million moe, now lost,--she, Eros, has Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my gloryUnto an enemy's triumph.– Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us Ourselves to end ourselves.–

4.15.1-22

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CLEOPATRA Didst thou behold Octavia?Messenger Ay, dread queen.CLEOPATRA Where?Messenger Madam, in Rome;I look'd her in the face, and saw her ledBetween her brother and Mark Antony.CLEOPATRA Is she as tall as me?Messenger She is not, madam.CLEOPATRA Didst hear her speak? is she shrill-tongued or low?Messenger Madam, I heard her speak; she is low-voiced.CLEOPATRA That's not so good: he cannot like her long.CHARMIAN Like her! O Isis! 'tis impossible.CLEOPATRA I think so, Charmian: dull of tongue, and dwarfish!What majesty is in her gait? Remember,If e'er thou look'dst on majesty.

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Messenger She creeps:Her motion and her station are as one;She shows a body rather than a life,A statue than a breather.CLEOPATRA Is this certain?Messenger Or I have no observance.CHARMIAN Three in EgyptCannot make better note.CLEOPATRA He's very knowing;I do perceive't: there's nothing in her yet:The fellow has good judgment.CHARMIAN Excellent.CLEOPATRA Guess at her years, I prithee.Messenger Madam,She was a widow,--CLEOPATRA Widow! Charmian, hark.

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Messenger And I do think she's thirty.CLEOPATRA Bear'st thou her face in mind? is't long or round?Messenger Round even to faultiness.CLEOPATRA For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.Her hair, what colour?Messenger Brown, madam: and her foreheadAs low as she would wish it.CLEOPATRA There's gold for thee.Thou must not take my former sharpness ill:I will employ thee back again; I find theeMost fit for business: go make thee ready;Our letters are prepared.Exit Messenger

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