"All for Love" Act V

            In this Act we at first meet Cleopatra, Charmion and Iras. If a sincere lover like Charmion appeals to God to be more just. Cleopatra is made to suffer so much, people will lose faith in a just Providence and will start thinking that human life is governed only by chance. Cleopatra is extremely sad. She wants to tear away her eyes from their sockets because they captivated Antony's heart but could not keep it.

She lived only for Antony and now that he has banished her. She wants to die. She pulls out her dagger and wants to kill herself but the maids hold her. She says that she may keep on living but it will be miserable existence with love stifled within her. She calls Alexas and tells him that he is a traitor responsible for all her sufferings. He advised her make love to Dolabella in order to arouse Jealousy in Antony. The result has been that Octavia has left and she has been banished. She is sunk so low that 'he does not have voice even to curse him.

           

           Alexas, on the other hand, thinks that the situation is very good for her now. Octavia has gone and Dolabella has been banished. So Antony is now wholly hers. Alexas tells her that a naval battle is being fought at this time between the fleets of Octavius and Egypt and Antony is watching it from the lighthouse of Alexandria. There is a big shout. Alexas says that the Egyptians must have won.

            

          A little later there is a big shout from the port. Alexas thinks that this signifies their final victory. Serapion, however, brings the horrible news that Egypt is lost. The well-equipped Egyptian fleet went out to meet the fleet of Octavius but there was no fight. The sailors of the two sides exchanged greetings by throwing up their caps in the air. The Egyptian ships were received like friends and the two fleets came to the port together. Antony is very angry as he thinks that the'Egyptian fleet must have betrayed him on the orders of Cleopatra.

Alexas advises Cleopatra to go to the monument while he would go to Octavius. He would appeal to Octavius to spare her life and let this mad man (Antony) die. This makes Cleopatra very angry. She calls him a traitor and says that she has been ruined because she acted on his suggestions. Saying that she leaves.

Alexas considers how he can save his own life. He is not worried about the fate of Cleopatra.

Antony and Ventidius come there. Antony says that the Egyptians have betrayed him. Ventidius says that the Egyptians are all traitors and their queen is the embodiment of the spirit of treachery. Antony and Ventidius have decided to die honourable deaths and so Ventidius suggests that with the help of the three legions that they still have, they should fight against the troops of Octavius and kill as many of his soldiers as possible and they may be able to get victory.

 When they see Alexas they want to kill him but Antony feels that he is a mean liar who is not worthy of being killed by their swords. Antony asks him to say one word to justify the actions of his queen.

Alexas says that his queen has gone where she cannot be troubled to love or by him. Antony thinks that she must have run away with Dolabella. She had sent her fleet to Octavius and now she has gone to seek his friendship. Then Alexas tells them that Cleopatra has established her innocence by killing herself.

          

         She was so sad at being accused of faithlessness in Antony that she shut herself up within her monument. She snatched her dagger and before her attendants could stop her she plunged it into her heart Ventidius is glad to hear that Cleopatra is dead. But Antony feels that he is guilty because he is the murderer of his truthful and innocent beloved.

Alexas says to himself that the sorrow of Antony at the false news of Cleopatra's death shows that he still loves the queen. He will be happy to find that she is alive and they will soon be reconciled to each other. He thinks that he has acted very cleverly. He has saved his life and brought Antony and Cleopatra together.

Ventidius tells Antony that he should rouse himself up and they would die fighting. But Antony cays that he would not fight any longer. When Cleopatra is dead there is no charm in fighting. He has a strong contempt for life. He would die heroically but not by fighting. Now that Cleopatra is dead he does not care if Octavius rules the entire world. In fact, it would be better if the world has only one ruler. Ventidius says that he would have preferred to die fighting but he would definitely not live after Antony's death. Antony tells Ventidius to kill him and then go to Octavius to claim his reward. Ventidius says that he is asking him to act as a traitor. He could never imagine that he would treat his friend thus. Antony now requests Ventidius to kill him. Ventidius takes his friend's hand, bids him farewell and embraces him. He asks Antony to turn his face to the other side. Then Ventidius kills himself.

Antony exclaims that he has robbed him of his death. He says that Ventidius was his leader in life and he has proved to be his leader in death also. Then Antony falls on his sword.

But he does not die immediately as the sword did not pierce the heart. He says that death is keeping him waiting. Then he hears some footsteps. He thinks that it would be a disgrace if some of Caesar's men come there and find him living and suspect that he tried to kill himself but had no real intention of killing himself. He tries to rise on his knees.

Just then Cleopatra enters asking, "Where is my lord" ? When she seed Antony lying on the ground and Ventidius dead by his side she exclaims, "I have come too late. O that cursed Alexas"' Antony asks her, 'Are you living ? Or am I dead and am meeting the spirit of Cleopatra "I am in the underworld"? She asks him how he is feeling. He says, " I am feeling like a man who is leaving this world in a hurry and has packed up everything but in his haste he has forgotten one jewel and he returns as fast as he can to take that. I kept my death in abeyance for you." She prays to God to give his life back to him.

But Antony says that what she is wishing cannot happen. His soul is parting from his body. He only wants to hear from her that she was never false to him. She says that it is too late to say that. She would prove her faithfulness by dying with him. Regarding the Egyptian fleet she says that it betrayed both of them.

As for the allegation about her love for Dolabella, she clarifies that she never cared for him and now she hates him. Antony believes her and as fully satisfied. Cleopatra assures him that she would come to the other world very soon with him. She adds, "I am yours and I will never allow Ceasar to take possession of anything that belongs to you.

Antony tells her that they had lived through ages of happiness. He is happy that they are dying in each other's arms. He wants to have one last kiss. He says, "This kiss is worth much more than the whole empire I am leaving behind to Octavius," Saying that he dies. Cleopatra says, "I will give you ten thousand kisses," and keeps on shouting, 'My lord! my lord!" Iras tells her that Antony's soul has already left the body.

Cleopatra decides that she must die at the earliest. She says that she is the wife of a Roman and she knows how to die. She says that she is tied with Antony in such a strong matrimonial tie that no Roman law can dissolve it. Cleopatra then asks her maids to start work at once. Caesar has occupied the town.

She feels that her lord (Antony) is looking down from heaven and is afraid that the men of Octavius might capture her. She does not want to keep Antony waiting for his beloved for long. She asks Charmion to bring her crown and richest jewels. Iras is asked to bring the asps (vipers) which will cure all their evils. She says that it is sweet to die when others want to force her to live by capturing her alive.

First of all, Cleopatra crowned Antony with the laurel wreath. Then she asked her maids to dress her as a bride because she was going to meet her lover. Then she asked them to seat her by the side of her lover. This was the celebration of his immortal love. Then she ordered Iras to give her the casket containing the asps. She says that the serpent performs the horrible work of death better than death itself. It just touches a person's limbs and the person is put to sleep without any sensation of pain.

Serapion brings the news that the town has surrendered and Caesar is at the gates. Cleopatra says that Octavius is coming too late because death is already in possession of what he wanted to possess. Then she gets her arm bitten by the serpent. Charmion and Iras also decided to die With their mistress and so they also got bitten by the serpent.

 Cleopatra starts feeling the touch of death in her veins. She started feeling numb all over the body. She asked them to lay her on Antony's breast. Then she challenges Octavius to separate her from Antony if he can and dies.

Charmion says that Cleopatra has died like a queen, the last descendant of a great race of Egyptian rulers.

Serapion says, "See how the lovers are sitting together in great dignity as if they were giving laws to half of mankind."

Serapion orders that Alexas should be arrested. He will be made a scapegoat and led in the victory procession of Octavius. Regarding Antony and Cleopatra he says :

         

          "Blessed couple, you may sleep for long ages.........Future generations will say that no great lovers lived so well and died so well as Antony and Cleopatra."