King John – Act Three, Scene One BLANCHE Upon thy wedding-day? Against the blood that thou hast married? What, shall our feast be kept with slaughter'd men? Shall braying trumpets and loud churlish drums, Clamours of hell, be measures to our pomp? O husband, hear me! ay, alack, how new Is husband in my mouth! even for that name, Which till this time my tongue did ne'er pronounce, Upon my knee I beg, go not to arms Against mine uncle. The sun's o'ercast with blood: fair day, adieu! Which is the side that I must go withal? I am with both: each army hath a hand; And in their rage, I having hold of both, They swirl asunder and dismember me. Husband, I cannot pray that thou mayst win; Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose; Father, I may not wish the fortune thine; Grandam, I will not wish thy fortunes thrive: Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose Assured loss before the match be play'd. There where my fortune lives, there my life dies. Blanche of Castile is the niece of King John who has recently been appointed King of England. King Philip of France has just declared war with England believing that King John’s nephew, Arthur, is the true heir to the English throne. King Philip of France sends troupes to invade the English-ruled town of Angiers and threatens the citizens with attack if they do not support Arthur’s claim. The English arrive, and King Philip and King John state their claims to the people of Angiers. The people of Angier say they will support whoever is the rightful king. Philip the Bastard, King John’s half- brother, suggests Blanche should marry King Philip’s nephew, Louis the Dauphin, in order to unite France and England. Following this, Cardinal Pandolf tells Louis that his claim to the throne is as strong as Arthur, after King John is ex-communicated from the church. In this scene, Blanche has just discovered that Louis plans to invade England and go to war with her uncle, almost immediately after they are married. Antony and Cleopatra – Act Five, Scene Two Cleopatra You laugh when boys or women tell their dreams; Is't not your trick? I dream'd there was an Emperor Antony: O, such another sleep, that I might see But such another man! His face was as the heavens; and therein stuck A sun and moon, which kept their course, And lighted the little O, the earth. His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear'd arm Crested the world: his voice was propertied As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends; But when he meant to quail and shake the orb, He was as rattling thunder. For his bounty, There was no winter in't; an autumn 'twas That grew the more by reaping: his delights Were dolphin-like; they show'd his back above The element they lived in: in his livery Walk'd crowns and crownets; realms and islands were As plates dropp'd from his pocket. Think you there was, or might be, such a man As this I dream'd of? But, if there be, or ever were, one such, It's past the size of dreaming: nature wants stuff To vie strange forms with fancy; yet, to imagine An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy, Condemning shadows quite. Cleopatra is the Queen of Egypt and lives a life of decadence in Alexandria with her lover, Mark Antony. Antony is one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire and neglects his duties to Rome by spending all his time with Cleopatra. News arrives that Antony’s wife in Rome has died, and that Pompey threaten the Roman Empire. Antony leaves Cleopatra to return home to his office. In Rome, Antony’s associate, Octavius Caesar suggests to Antony that he marry his sister, Octavia, in order to fix their alliance and overpower Pompey, and Antony agrees. Antony and Octavius make peace with Pompey, but when Octavius decides to attack Pompey anyway, Antony sends Octavia back to her brother and sneaks back to Cleopatra. Learning that Cleopatra and Antony have crowned themselves King and Queen of Egypt, Octavius wages war on them. Egypt loses a battle at sea, because of Antony retreating from battle to follow Cleopatra’s fleeing ship. Cleopatra offers Octavius a secret treaty. Antony accuses Cleopatra of betraying him, Cleopatra flees to her monument and sends a false report that she has died. Antony attempts to kill himself and asks to be brought to die in Cleopatra’s arms. In this scene, Cleopatra is resolved to kill herself rather than give herself up to Roman forces and live without Antony. King Henry the Fifth – Act Three, Scene Two BOY As young as I am, I have observ'd these three swashers. I am boy to them all three; but all they three, though they would serve me, could not be man to me; for indeed three such antics do not amount to a man. For Bardolph, he is white-liver'd and red-fac'd; by the means whereof 'a faces it out, but fights not. For Pistol, he hath a killing tongue and a quiet sword; by the means whereof 'a breaks words and keeps whole weapons. For Nym, he hath heard that men of few words are the best men, and therefore he scorns to say his prayers lest 'a should be thought a coward; but his few bad words are match'd with as few good deeds; for 'a never broke any man's head but his own, and that was against a post when he was drunk. They will steal anything, and call it purchase. Bardolph stole a lute-case, bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for three halfpence. Nym and Bardolph are sworn brothers in filching, and in Calais they stole a fire-shovel; I knew by that piece of service the men would carry coals. They would have me as familiar with men's pockets as their gloves or their handkerchers; which makes much against my manhood, if I should take from another's pocket to put into mine; for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I must leave them and seek some better service; their villainy goes against my weak stomach, and therefore I must cast it up. The unnamed Boy is John Falstaff’s page. After Falstaff dies in the war between England and France, the boy follows Bardolph, Nym and Pistol who once were soldiers for Falstaff. In this speech, the boy tells us about what he has observed since being in the company of these men. Julius Caesar – Act Two, Scene One BRUTUS It must be by his death: and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He would be crown'd: How that might change his nature, there's the question. It is the bright day that brings forth the adder; And that craves wary walking. Crown him?--that;-- And then, I grant, we put a sting in him, That at his will he may do danger with. The abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins Remorse from power: and, to speak truth of Caesar, I have not known when his affections sway'd More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof, That lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; But when he once attains the upmost round. He then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees By which he did ascend. So Caesar may. Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel Will bear no colour for the thing he is, Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented, Would run to these and these extremities: And therefore think him as a serpent's egg Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous, And kill him in the shell. Julius Caesar has returned to Rome victorious in the war against Pompey, and the republic plan to gift Caesar with many honours to reward him for his triumph. The Roman senators worry that these new titles might mean that too much power is held by Caesar. Brutus is persuaded by Cassius to join the conspirators that are plotting to assassinate Caesar. Initially, Brutus is doubtful but is convinced by Cassius that Caesar’s death would be for the greater good of the people. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act Four, Scene One DEMETRIUS My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth, Of this their purpose hither to this wood; And I in fury hither follow'd them, Fair Helena in fancy following me. But, my good lord, I wot not by what power,-- But by some power it is,--my love to Hermia, Melted as the snow, seems to me now As the remembrance of an idle gaud Which in my childhood I did dote upon; And all the faith, the virtue of my heart, The object and the pleasure of mine eye, Is only Helena. To her, my lord, Was I betroth'd ere I saw Hermia: But, like in sickness, did I loathe this food; But, as in health, come to my natural taste, Now I do wish it, love it, long for it, And will for evermore be true to it. Demetrius is a young man from Athens, who once loved Helena and now loves her best friend Hermia, whom he is bound to marry.