feat_summary_path: finished_summaries/shmoop/The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra/section_40_part_0.txt
feat_book_id: The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra.act v.scene i
feat_summary_id: act v, scene i
feat_summary: {"name": "Act V, Scene i", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20210116191009/https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/antony-cleopatra/summary/act-v-scene-i", "summary": "Back at Caesar's camp, Caesar sends Dolabella off to tell Antony to yield. Just then, Decretas, one of Antony's men, enters with Antony's sword. He announces he served Mark Antony while the good man lived and will serve Caesar now, if Caesar will have him. Caesar asks for clarification, and gets out of the woebegone Decretas that Antony is dead. Caesar is shocked and says the world should mourn, as Antony's death is not a single one, but cause for grief on the part of half of the world . Decretas explains Antony took his own life, adding honor to the final act of suicide, just as those same hands had added honor to so many acts before this one. Caesar weeps, and excuses himself, saying it is only befitting to weep over the death of kings, even if it's a king you were trying to kill. Maecenas insightfully contends that Antony was a mirror to Caesar, that Caesar saw part of himself in Antony. Just as Caesar launches into a speech over what a disaster it is that the two brothers in fate have come to this end, he's interrupted by a messenger from Cleopatra. The Queen wants to know what Caesar will do with her, so she can prepare herself. Caesar claims to the messenger that he'll be gentle with her, and cause her no shame. As soon as the messenger leaves, Caesar calls Proculeius to him. Caesar instructs him to go to Cleopatra and give her what she wants to keep her comfortable. Proculeius's real job, though, is to make sure Cleopatra doesn't kill herself, as Caesar's plan is to put her in his triumphant march through Rome, as a symbol of how great his victory is. Caesar worries the Queen will kill herself and thus rob him of the glee he'd get from parading her through the streets as his prize. Caesar asks his men to follow him to his tent, where he'll show them writings that prove he was reluctant to go into this war, and further, that when in the war, he proceeded calmly and gently.", "analysis": ""}
text: ACT V. SCENE I.
                    Alexandria. CAESAR'S camp
  
        Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, MAECENAS, GALLUS,
            PROCULEIUS, and others, his Council of War
  
    CAESAR. Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield;
      Being so frustrate, tell him he mocks
      The pauses that he makes.
    DOLABELLA. Caesar, I shall.                               Exit
  
               Enter DERCETAS With the sword of ANTONY
  
    CAESAR. Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar'st
      Appear thus to us?
    DERCETAS. I am call'd Dercetas;
      Mark Antony I serv'd, who best was worthy
      Best to be serv'd. Whilst he stood up and spoke,
      He was my master, and I wore my life
      To spend upon his haters. If thou please
      To take me to thee, as I was to him
      I'll be to Caesar; if thou pleasest not,
      I yield thee up my life.
    CAESAR. What is't thou say'st?
    DERCETAS. I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.
    CAESAR. The breaking of so great a thing should make
      A greater crack. The round world
      Should have shook lions into civil streets,
      And citizens to their dens. The death of Antony
      Is not a single doom; in the name lay
      A moiety of the world.
    DERCETAS. He is dead, Caesar,
      Not by a public minister of justice,
      Nor by a hired knife; but that self hand
      Which writ his honour in the acts it did
      Hath, with the courage which the heart did lend it,
      Splitted the heart. This is his sword;
      I robb'd his wound of it; behold it stain'd
      With his most noble blood.
    CAESAR. Look you sad, friends?
      The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
      To wash the eyes of kings.
    AGRIPPA. And strange it is
      That nature must compel us to lament
      Our most persisted deeds.
    MAECENAS. His taints and honours
      Wag'd equal with him.
    AGRIPPA. A rarer spirit never
      Did steer humanity. But you gods will give us
      Some faults to make us men. Caesar is touch'd.
    MAECENAS. When such a spacious mirror's set before him,
      He needs must see himself.
    CAESAR. O Antony,
      I have follow'd thee to this! But we do lance
      Diseases in our bodies. I must perforce
      Have shown to thee such a declining day
      Or look on thine; we could not stall together
      In the whole world. But yet let me lament,
      With tears as sovereign as the blood of hearts,
      That thou, my brother, my competitor
      In top of all design, my mate in empire,
      Friend and companion in the front of war,
      The arm of mine own body, and the heart
      Where mine his thoughts did kindle- that our stars,
      Unreconciliable, should divide
      Our equalness to this. Hear me, good friends-
  
                      Enter an EGYPTIAN
  
      But I will tell you at some meeter season.
      The business of this man looks out of him;
      We'll hear him what he says. Whence are you?
    EGYPTIAN. A poor Egyptian, yet the Queen, my mistress,
      Confin'd in all she has, her monument,
      Of thy intents desires instruction,
      That she preparedly may frame herself
      To th' way she's forc'd to.
    CAESAR. Bid her have good heart.
      She soon shall know of us, by some of ours,
      How honourable and how kindly we
      Determine for her; for Caesar cannot learn
      To be ungentle.
    EGYPTIAN. So the gods preserve thee!                      Exit
    CAESAR. Come hither, Proculeius. Go and say
      We purpose her no shame. Give her what comforts
      The quality of her passion shall require,
      Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke
      She do defeat us; for her life in Rome
      Would be eternal in our triumph. Go,
      And with your speediest bring us what she says,
      And how you find her.
    PROCULEIUS. Caesar, I shall.                              Exit
    CAESAR. Gallus, go you along.                      Exit GALLUS
      Where's Dolabella, to second Proculeius?
    ALL. Dolabella!
    CAESAR. Let him alone, for I remember now
      How he's employ'd; he shall in time be ready.
      Go with me to my tent, where you shall see
      How hardly I was drawn into this war,
      How calm and gentle I proceeded still
      In all my writings. Go with me, and see
      What I can show in this.                              Exeunt
  
  ACT_5|SC_2
  
  
  
  
feat_summary_name: Act V, Scene i
target: Back at Caesar's camp, Caesar sends Dolabella off to tell Antony to yield. Just then, Decretas, one of Antony's men, enters with Antony's sword. He announces he served Mark Antony while the good man lived and will serve Caesar now, if Caesar will have him. Caesar asks for clarification, and gets out of the woebegone Decretas that Antony is dead. Caesar is shocked and says the world should mourn, as Antony's death is not a single one, but cause for grief on the part of half of the world . Decretas explains Antony took his own life, adding honor to the final act of suicide, just as those same hands had added honor to so many acts before this one. Caesar weeps, and excuses himself, saying it is only befitting to weep over the death of kings, even if it's a king you were trying to kill. Maecenas insightfully contends that Antony was a mirror to Caesar, that Caesar saw part of himself in Antony. Just as Caesar launches into a speech over what a disaster it is that the two brothers in fate have come to this end, he's interrupted by a messenger from Cleopatra. The Queen wants to know what Caesar will do with her, so she can prepare herself. Caesar claims to the messenger that he'll be gentle with her, and cause her no shame. As soon as the messenger leaves, Caesar calls Proculeius to him. Caesar instructs him to go to Cleopatra and give her what she wants to keep her comfortable. Proculeius's real job, though, is to make sure Cleopatra doesn't kill herself, as Caesar's plan is to put her in his triumphant march through Rome, as a symbol of how great his victory is. Caesar worries the Queen will kill herself and thus rob him of the glee he'd get from parading her through the streets as his prize. Caesar asks his men to follow him to his tent, where he'll show them writings that prove he was reluctant to go into this war, and further, that when in the war, he proceeded calmly and gently.