"All for Love" Act I

The play begins after the defeat of Mark Antony at the battle of Actium. Octavius has besieged Alexandria and. Antony, in a mood of utter dejection, has withdrawn to a lonely spot in the temple of Isis, He has given orders that he will not see anyone and if anyone forces his entry into his presence he will be killed.

Serapion, Mryis and the priests of Isis enter and talk about the evil omens that have been seen recently. They threaten disaster to Egypt and to her queen, Cleopatra. The river Nile has started flooding before its normal time and has caused destruction everywhere. The tombs of the old kings have opened and ghosts have come out and are moving about in the streets. There are horrible sights all around. Alexas, a eunuch and a follower of Cleopatra, comes there. He chastises the priests for talking about Omens and spreading panic among the people. He thinks that the Omens are only creations of the priests' Imagination.

The priests should build up the morale of the people. The Romans under the leadership of Octavius Caesar are camping all around Alexandria. The cowardly Egyptians pray for Antony put in their heart of hearts they recognize Octavius as their lord. They are surprised that Antony is sitting idle instead of fighting to regain his glory. He is in complete despair and refuses to see even Cleopatra. His wife OCtavia whom he has abandoned is with her brother (Octavius) and is desirous of taking revenge. They are afraid that if Antony is defeated, Egypt will become a province of the Roman Empire and the rich crops Of Egypt will be exported to feed the people of Italy.

Alexas says that he wanted that Cleopatra should abandon Antony and have truce with Octavius. If she does that she can reign as the queen of Egypt. But she is madly in love with Antony and refuses to leave him. Alexas appeals to the priests not to frighten the people with talk of omens hut to strengthen their hearts.

Ventidius, a general' and a sincere friend of Antony, now comes there. A gentleman of Antony tells him that his master has given up eating and drinking and sleeping and is completely lost in thought. Sometimes he raves like a mad man. He sees no one, not even Cleopatra. Ventidius says that Antony has many superhuman qualities hut he has been pulled down his sensual love for Cleopatra.

Serapion announces that the queen desires that all the people should celebrate this day with all triumph and rejoicing because it is Antony's birthday. Ventidius, however, says that the tongue that commands this general revelry should be cursed. Those who make merry when Antony is in danger cannot be called his friends. He wishes that Cleopatra had been born in some future age to ruin some prince other  than Antony. He is being sacrificed at the altar of Cleopatra's love. She has left him devoid of all virtues. He was a great Roman in the past but now he has become a feeble toy of a woman.

As Antony comes, Ventidius withdraws and listens to him from a distance. Antony says that he will celebrate his birthday with complete sadness. He had risen like a meteor and then he hastened downwards to be trampled over by Octavius Caesar.

Antony lies down on the ground and says that now he is a mere shadow of an emperor and the space he occupies on mother earth is now his empire. Soon he is going to be reduced to ashes.

Ventidius now goes to him. Antony asks him whether he is Ventidius. Ventidius says that he is the same person but Antony is not what he was when he saw him last. Antony asks him to leave him alone. Ventidius says that he loves him next only to God. He has come from a great distance to meet him and so he cannot leave him. Seeing Antony's miserable condition Ventidius starts shedding tears. This moves Antony also to shed tears. He calls Ventidius 'father.' Ventidius calls him 'emperor.' Antony says that he has been humiliated so much that he does not deserve to he called by any honourable title. He cannot forget the humiliation of his defeat at Actium. Ventidius tells him that Julius Caesar also lost a battle but he did not lose his heart.

Antony says that he feels humiliated because he ran away from the battlefield like a coward. He was the favourite of Fortune when he was young but due to his wild indulgence and revelries Fortune has deserted him. He has brought about his own ruin. Ventidius says that he will bring balm for his wounds and help him recover his lost fortune. At this Antony starts laughing. He says that Ventidius is trying to give a medicine to revive the dead. Ventidius asks him whether he wants to surrender before Octavius without a fight, Antony wants to kill himself. Ventidius says that he can die with him when there is occasion for it.

But just now, they should be ready to fight and to conquer. He exhorts Antony to rise up for the sake of honour. He has twelve legions of brave Roman soldiers. He had left them in Syria. They were keen to fight under Antony's leadership. Antony asks him to bring them to Alexandria. Ventidius says that they will not come here because they will not fight for Cleopatra. Why should they fight to make her conquer and make Antony a greater slave to her love ? Why should they shed blood to conquer kingdoms which Antony will hand over to her for a kiss ?

Antony tells Ventidius that he can talk about his other faults and weaknesses but he must not talk of Cleopatra in this way. 'She deserves more worlds than I can lose,' he says. Ventidius says that the gods have entrusted the responsibility for the welfare of a large part of mankind Antony and he regards this work as less important than the love of one frivolous and worthless woman (Cleopatra).

This annoys Antony and he says that it is his impudence to talk to him like this. He says, "Your soldiers are cowards and you are a traitor. I wish you were my equal in arms as Caesar was, so that I could fight against you and kill you without a blot on my honour."

Ventidius replies, "You may kill me. You have done something worse than that by calling me a traitor." Ventidius adds that if he had been a traitor he would have taken his legions to Octavius and not come to Antony in his miserable state.

Antony now realizes his mistake and asks for his forgiveness. Ventidius says that his unkindness in calling him a 'traitor' has already killed him. He says that before the love of Cleopatra misled him he was the best and the finest of men. Now Antony is convinced that Ventidius alone loves him and the rest of the people only flatter him.

The words of Ventidius rouse up Antony from his lethargy and depression. He embraces his friend and says that now he would act in a way as. to deserve the praises he has bestowed on him. He says, "I surrender myself to you. You can use me as you like. Please lead me to . victory. You know how to do this."

Ventidius asks him whether he would leave Cleopatra. Antony replied that he loves her more than his life and empire hut he would leave her. He is ready to fight. He would lead the old troops who beat the Parthians. Ventidius is now certain that they would be able to defeat Octavius. Antony still sighs for Cleopatra but he is filled with the. soul of a hero. He is eager to fight. He wants to massacre the enemies and win victories.