Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

LEPIDUS

in Antony and Cleopatra — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayAntony and Cleopatra
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1607
Decade1620s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
Speech prefix(es)Lep. | Lepi. | Lepidus.
Words394
Characters2147
Typicality0.24 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11954.35
BritDrama no.1517
ClusterCluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

I must not think There are, evils enough to darken all his goodness: His faults in him, seem as the Spots of Heaven, More fiery by nights Blackness; Hereditary, Rather then purchased: what he cannot change, Then what he chooses. Here's more news. It's pity of him. To morrow Caesar, I shall be furnished to inform you rightly Both what by Sea and Land I can be able To front this present time. Farewell my Lord, what you shall know mean time Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you Sir To let me be partaker. Good Enobarbus, it's a worthy deed, And shall become you well, to entreat your Captain To soft and gentle speech. It's not a time for private stomaching. But small to greater matters must give way. Your speech is passion: but pray you stir No Embers up. Here comes the Noble Anthony. Noble Friends: That which combined us was most great, and let not A leaner Actium rend us. What's amiss, May it be gently herd. When we debate Our trivial difference loud, we do commit Murder in healing wounds. Then Noble Partners, The rather for I earnestly beseech, Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms, Nor curstne e grow to the matter. Soft Caesar. It's Noble spoken. Worthily spoken Mecenas. Noble Anthony, not sickness should detain me. Well met here. you have strange Serpents there? Your Serpent of Egypt, is bred now of your mud by the operation of your Sun: so is your Crocodile. I am not so well as I should be: But I'll never out. Nay certainly, I have herd the Ptolemy's Pyra misis are very goodly things: without contradiction I have herd that. What manner of thing is your Crocodile? What colour is it of? It's a strange Serpent. Let all the number of the Stars give light To thy fair way. Happily, Amen. Time calls upon's, Of us must Pompey presently be sought, Or else he seeks out us. Till I shall see you in your Soldiers dress, Which will become you both: Farewell. Your way is shorter, my purposes do draw me much about, you'll win two days upon me. Farewell. Be pleased to tell us, (For this is from the present now you take) The offers we have sent you. Trouble your selves no further: pray you hasten your Generals after.

Plot summary

Plot — Antony and Cleopatra
Antony dallies with Cleopatra in Egypt while the Roman world collapses into faction. His wife and brother make war on Caesar, and Pompey takes advantage of his absence to foment a sea war with the state and avenge his murdered father. At first Antony ignores Caesar’s messages, but his wife’s death draws him back to Rome, where he and Caesar are reconciled; to seal the league, Antony marries Caesar’s sister, Octavia. A soothsayer, who has told the fortunes of members of Cleopatra’s court, warns him that, although he is a better man than Caesar, Caesar will always prove the more successful of the two. Antony, Caesar, and Lepidus meet Pompey with an army, but war is averted. Lepidus gets egregiously drunk at the feast on Pompey’s galley to celebrate the treaty. Pompey refuses his ally Menas’ dishonourable proposal to kill the triumvirate and make him master of the world. Antony’s lieutenant Ventidius defeats the Parthians in battle, but is cautious about taking too much of the credit for himself. Meanwhile, news of Antony’s marriage reaches Cleopatra; she does not take it well. Antony leaves Rome with his new wife, but absence breeds suspicion between him and Caesar. Caesar breaks the truce with Pompey and deposes Lepidus on a pretext. Antony, in turn, sends Octavia home and returns to Egypt, where he creates Cleopatra queen of several dominions. War between east and west follows. Antony perversely chooses to fight by sea, and Cleopatra insists on being present at the battle. They are routed when Cleopatra flees and Antony follows her. Antony’s followers begin to defect to Caesar, but Enobarbus remains loyal. Caesar attempts to divide the lovers by offering Cleopatra security if she will banish or kill Antony. Antony has the messenger whipped for over-familiarity with Cleopatra, and determines to fight to the bitter end. Enobarbus decides finally to go over to Caesar, but leaves behind his treasure; Antony sends it after him, and the guilt-stricken Enobarbus dies. Antony defeats Caesar in a land battle, but loses the next day at sea. Spurned by Antony, Cleopatra takes refuge in her monument and sends him false news of her death. He stabs himself and is pulled up, dying, to join Cleopatra in the monument. Caesar hopes to display Cleopatra in his triumph at Rome, but she frustrates him by smuggling an asp past her guard and committing suicide.