The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (779 page)

Applies an asp

O, come apace, dispatch! I partly feel thee.

Oh, come quickly, death! I can feel part of you.

First Guard

Approach, ho! All's not well: Caesar's beguiled.

Come, hey! Things are not good: Caesar's been tricked.

Second Guard

There's Dolabella sent from Caesar; call him.

Here is Dolabella sent by Caesar; call him.

First Guard

What work is here! Charmian, is this well done?

What work is here? Charmian, has this been done?

CHARMIAN

It is well done, and fitting for a princess

It is well done, and suitable for a princess

Descended of so many royal kings.

Descended from so many royal kings.

Ah, soldier!

Dies

Re-enter DOLABELLA

DOLABELLA

How goes it here?

How are things here?

Second Guard

All dead.

All dead.

DOLABELLA

Caesar, thy thoughts

Caesar, your thoughts

Touch their effects in this: thyself art coming

Touch your effects in this: you yourself have come

To see perform'd the dreaded act which thou

To see happen that terrible act which you

So sought'st to hinder.

Tried so hard to prevent.

Within 'A way there, a way for Caesar!'

Re-enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR and all his train marching

DOLABELLA

O sir, you are too sure an augurer;

Oh, sir, you are too good a fortuneteller

That you did fear is done.

What you feared would happen is done.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Bravest at the last,

Bravest at the end,
She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal,

She fought against our purposes, and, being royal,

Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?

Took her own way. How did they die?

I do not see them bleed.

DOLABELLA

Who was last with them?

Who was the last person with them?

First Guard

A simple countryman, that brought her figs:

A simple peasant, that brought her figs:
This was his basket.

This was his basket.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Poison'd, then.

Poisoned, then.

First Guard

O Caesar,

Oh Caesar,
This Charmian lived but now; she stood and spake:

Charmian lived until a moment ago; she stood and spoke:

I found her trimming up the diadem

I found her fixing the crown

On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood

On her dead lady; she stood shaking

And on the sudden dropp'd.

And suddenly dropped.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

O noble weakness!

Oh noble weakness!
If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear

If they had swallowed poison, it would appear

By external swelling: but she looks like sleep,

By swelling on the outside: but she looks like she's asleep,

As she would catch another Antony

As if she could catch another Antony

In her strong toil of grace.

By her strong grace.

DOLABELLA

Here, on her breast,

Here, on her breast,
There is a vent of blood and something blown:

There is a trial of blood and something punctured:

The like is on her arm.

There is something similar on her arm.

First Guard

This is an aspic's trail: and these fig-leaves

This is an asp's trail: and these fig leaves

Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves

Have slime on them, the way the asp leaves trails

Upon the caves of Nile.

On the caves of the Nile.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Most probable

It is likely

That so she died; for her physician tells me

That she died that way; for her doctor tells me

She hath pursued conclusions infinite

She has researched many ways

Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed;

That one can painlessly die. Take up her bed;

And bear her women from the monument:

And carry her women from the monument:

She shall be buried by her Antony:

She shall be buried by her Mark Antony:
No grave upon the earth shall clip in it

No grave on the earth shall have in it

A pair so famous. High events as these

A pair as famous. High events like these

Strike those that make them; and their story is

Cut down those who make them, and their story is

No less in pity than his glory which

No less pitiful than his glory that

Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall

Brought them to be mourned. Our army shall

In solemn show attend this funeral;

Solemnly attend this funeral;

And then to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see

And then on to Rome. Come, Dolabella, see

High order in this great solemnity.

The noble order in this great seriousness.

Exeunt

CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman

TITUS LARTIUS, General against the Volscians

COMINIUS, General against the Volscians

MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to Coriolanus

SICINIUS VELUTUS, Tribune of the People

JUNIUS BRUTUS, Tribune of the People

YOUNG MARCIUS, son to Coriolanus

A ROMAN HERALD

TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians

LIEUTENANT, to Aufidius

Conspirators with Aufidius

A CITIZEN of Antium  

TWO VOLSCIAN GUARDS

VOLUMNIA, Mother to Coriolanus

VIRGILIA, Wife to Coriolanus

VALERIA, Friend to Virgilia

GENTLEWOMAN attending on Virgilia

Roman and Volscian Senators, Patricians, Aediles, Lictors,

Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, Servants to Aufidius, and other

Attendants

SCENE: Partly in Rome, and partly in the territories of the

Volscians and Antiates.

[Enter a company of mutinous citizens, with staves, clubs, and

other weapons.]

FIRST CITIZEN.

Before anything else happens, listen to me!

Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.

ALL.

Speah, speech!

Speak, speak.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Is everyone here ready to die fighting instead of starving to death?

You are all resolved rather to die than to famish?

ALL.

Hell yes!

Resolved, resolved.

FIRST CITIZEN.

First of all, as you all know, Cauius Marcius is Public Enemy #1.

First, you know Caius Marcius is chief enemy to the people.

ALL.

You said it!

We know't, we know't.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Let’s kill him, and then we’ll buy grain for however much we want to pay!

Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price. Is't a

Agreed?

verdict?

ALL.

Let’s stopping talking about it and do it! C’mon, let’s go!

No more talking on't; let it be done: away, away!

SECOND CITIZEN.

Hold up a minute, folks.

One word, good citizens.

FIRST CITIZEN.

They say we’re poor, and the noblemen are rich.

We are accounted poor citizens; the patricians good.

What the powers that be gorge on would keep us from starving; if they just gave