Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Tony and Cleop Act Four Scene Fourteen Sub-Act One

 

Act Four

Scene Fourteen

Sub-Scene One

Regrets, I held a few...

 

Mark the book off the shelf. He opened the page marked by the Queen.

It's almost morning. I would have them gone.
And yet, no farther than a wanton’s bird,
That lets it hop a little from his hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silken thread, it plucks it back again. ,
195 So loving and jealous of his liberty.

Romeo and Juliet Act 2, Scene 2, Line 180.

“Cleop, I will follow you into death. Mark spoke out. “I will weep until you forgive me. It must be like this, since any more time spent alive is torture. Since the light of my life is gone, I will end my life and go no further. Now, anything I tried to do would only make matters worse. Yes, even strength defeats itself in what it tries to do. Let me end it, then, and everything will be done.”

Mark Antony was a man defeated in battle and love. Like Romeo, he was in love with Juliet, and without her, he would rather be dead.

Irony: that love makes us sinners at times. (Just my thought.).

“Wait for me. In that place where souls sleep on flowers, we will walk hand in hand, and ghosts will gaze at us because of our cheerful demeanour. No one will pay attention to Mickey and Cleop, and the place will be ours.” Mark smiled.

“What do you want, boss?" Eros appeared.

“My Queen is dead, and my life has had such dishonour that even the gods hate how disgraceful I am.” Mark sighed. “I, who divided the world into quarters and drove across the green pastures to the high trees and to lay on the river bank, had disgraced myself by having less courage than a woman.”

“Eros, I fear living on. Her death tells Caesar that she is a Queen and no one may conquer her. Julius never did, and in comparison, I shared her life. None of us conquered her at all.”

“Eros, you have sworn your loyalty to me, right?” Mark looked at Eros. “I am your boss.”

Eros nodded.

“You would kill me on my command. Do it. The time has come. It is not me you strike at, but Caesar who haunts me. His soul darkened mine. Shoot me and end Caesar’s soul too.”

“I cannot, Boss.” Eros wept.

“Pull yourself together. Be the man before me.” Mark shouted. “Take my revolver and shoot me.”

“I am a man, boss. I …… May the gods prevent me! All of Caesar’s bullets missed their target and could not kill you. How could I kill you instead? You are my boss.”

“Eros, would you rather look down from a window in Rome and see your master displayed like this, with his arms tied, bending his neck in submission, his face subdued by penetrating shame, while lucky Caesar's drove by, indicating to everyone that the man who walked behind was disgraced?”

“No, I will not look at it.” Eros tears came down his cheek. “I love you.”

“Draw your gun. Shoot me now. You will have done me a great service.” Mark offered the revolver from the holster. “Point it at my head. Do it, like a man.”

“No, Boss. I cannot.” Eros took the revolver and then took a few steps back.

“Do it immediately, or all your previous service to me was nothing but an accident, not something you intended to do. Draw the gun and shoot.” Mark shouted. “Be the man for once.”

“Boss, turn away from me, please.” Eros said.

Mark looked away.

“My dear boss, my love, and my... God, before I strike this deadly stroke, let me say goodbye to you.”

“And it is goodbye from me too.” Mark smiled. The shot came, but there was no blood on Mark’s face. He turned and saw Eros dead. He shot himself in the heart. He committed suicide for his shame not to shoot the boos.

“Why? Why?” Mark rushed towards Eros, but the other was dead.

“You are nobler than I am. You are a better man than me... over many others.” Mark cried. "Oh, brave Eros, you taught me how to do the things that I should do and that you could not do.”

“To these brave deeds, Cleop and Eros, you are forever in my heart. As you have done, I will embrace death as willingly as a bridegroom embraces his bride and seek it as eagerly as a lover's bed.”

Mark grabbed the revolver used by Eros. Come then. Eros, I was once your master, but now I am your student. I learned how to do this from you.”

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