Monologue

Cleopatra Monologue from Antony and Cleopatra

From Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

female · defiant · 1:09 min

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Where art thou, Death? Come hither, come! Come, come, and take a queen Worth many babes and beggars! (PROCULEIUS: O, temperance, lady!) Sir, I will eat no meat; I’ll not drink, sir; If idle talk will once be necessary, I’ll not sleep neither. This mortal house I’ll ruin, Do Caesar what he can. Know, sir, that I Will not wait pinioned at your master’s court, Nor once be chastised with the sober eye Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up And show me to the shouting varletry Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt Be gentle grave unto me! Rather on Nilus’ mud Lay me stark-naked, and let the water-flies Blow me into abhorring! Rather make My country’s high pyramides my gibbet And hang me up in chains!

About this piece

Cleopatra expresses her refusal to submit to Caesar's authority and her determination to choose death over humiliation, revealing her fierce independence and despair over her situation.

30s · despair · death · power · freedom · isolation

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