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and hold her while Ftatateeta escapes。）
CAESAR。 You scratch； kitten； do you？
CLEOPATRA （breaking from him）。 I will beat somebody。 I will beat
him。 （She attacks the slave。） There； there； there！ （The slave
flies for his life up the corridor and vanishes。 She throws the
snake…skin away and jumps on the step of the throne with her arms
waving； crying） I am a real Queen at lasta real； real Queen！
Cleopatra the Queen！ （Caesar shakes his head dubiously； the
advantage of the change seeming open to question from the point
of view of the general welfare of Egypt。 She turns and looks at
him exultantly。 Then she jumps down from the step； runs to him；
and flings her arms round him rapturously； crying） Oh； I love you
for making me a Queen。
CAESAR。 But queens love only kings。
CLEOPATRA。 I will make all the men I love kings。 I will make you
a king。 I will have many young kings； with round； strong arms；
and when I am tired of them I will whip them to death； but you
shall always be my king： my nice； kind； wise； proud old king。
CAESAR。 Oh； my wrinkles； my wrinkles！ And my child's heart！ You
will be the most dangerous of all Caesar's conguests。
CLEOPATRA （appalled）。 Caesar！ I forgot Caesar。 （Anxiously） You
will tell him that I am a Queen； will you not？ a real Queen。
Listen！ （stealthily coaxing him） let us run away and hide until
Caesar is gone。
CAESAR。 If you fear Caesar； you are no true Queen； and though you
were to hide beneath a pyramid； he would go straight to it and
lift it with one hand。 And then！ （He chops his teeth together。）
CLEOPATRA （trembling）。 Oh！
CAESAR。 Be afraid if you dare。 （The note of the bucina
resounds again in the distance。 She moans with fear。 Caesar
exalts in it； exclaiming） Aha！ Caesar approaches the throne of
Cleopatra。 Come： take your place。 （He takes her hand and leads
her to the throne。 She is too downcast to speak。） Ho； there；
Teetatota。 How do you call your slaves？
CLEOPATRA （spiritlessly； as she sinks on the throne and cowers
there； shaking）。 Clap your hands。
He claps his hands。 Ftatateeta returns。
CAESAR。 Bring the Queen's robes； and her crown； and her women；
and prepare her。
CLEOPATRA （eagerlyrecovering herself a little）。 Yes； the Crown；
Ftatateeta： I shall wear the crown。
FTATATEETA。 For whom must the Queen put on her state？
CAESAR。 For a citizen of Rome。 A king of kings； Totateeta。
CLEOPATRA （stamping at her）。 How dare you ask questions？ Go and
do as you are told。 （Ftatateeta goes out with a grim smile。
Cleopatra goes on eagerly； to Caesar） Caesar will know that I am
a Queen when he sees my crown and robes； will he not？
CAESAR。 No。 How shall he know that you are not a slave dressed up
in the Queen's ornaments？
CLEOPATRA。 You must tell him。
CAESAR。 He will not ask me。 He will know Cleopatra by her pride；
her courage； her majesty； and her beauty。 （She looks very
doubtful。） Are you trembling？
CLEOPATRA （shivering with dread）。 No； II（in a very sickly
voice） No。
Ftatateeta and three women come in with the regalia。
FTATATEETA。 Of all the Queen's women； these three alone are left。
The rest are fled。 （They begin to deck Cleopatra； who submits；
pale and motionless。）
CAESAR。 Good； good。 Three are enough。 Poor Caesar generally has
to dress himself。
FTATATEETA （contemptuously）。 The Queen of Egypt is not a Roman
barbarian。 （To Cleopatra） Be brave； my nursling。 Hold up your
head before this stranger。
CAESAR （admiring Cleopatra； and placing the crown on her head）。
Is it sweet or bitter to be a Queen； Cleopatra？
CLEOPATRA。 Bitter。
CAESAR。 Cast out fear； and you will conquer Caesar。 Tota： are
the Romans at hand？
FTATATEETA。 They are at hand； and the guard has fled。
THE WOMEN （wailing subduedly）。 Woe to us！
The Nubian comes running down the hall。
NUBIAN。 The Romans are in the courtyard。 （He bolts through the
door。 With a shriek； the women fly after him。 Ftatateeta's jaw
expresses savage resolution： she does not budge。 Cleopatra can
hardly restrain herself from following them。 Caesar grips her
wrist； and looks steadfastly at her。 She stands like a martyr。）
CAESAR。 The Queen must face Caesar alone。 Answer 〃So be it。〃
CLEOPATRA （white）。 So be it。
CAESAR （releasing her）。 Good。
A tramp and tumult of armed men is heard。 Cleopatra's terror
increases。 The bucina sounds close at hand； followed by a
formidable clangor of trumpets。 This is too much for Cleopatra：
she utters a cry and darts towards the door。 Ftatateeta
stops her ruthlessly。
FTATATEETA。 You are my nursling。 You have said 〃So be it〃； and if
you die for it； you must make the Queen's word good。 （She hands
Cleopatra to Caesar； who takes her back； almost beside herself
with apprehension； to the throne。）
CAESAR。 Now； if you quail！ （He seats himself on the throne。）
She stands on the step； all but unconscious； waiting for death。
The Roman soldiers troop in tumultuously through the corridor；
headed by their ensign with his eagle； and their bucinator； a
burly fellow with his instrument coiled round his body； its
brazen bell shaped like the head of a howling wolf。 When they
reach the transept； they stare in amazement at the throne； dress
into ordered rank opposite it； draw their swords and lift them in
the air with a shout of HAIL CAESAR。 Cleopatra turns and
stares wildly at Caesar； grasps the situation； and； with a great
sob of relief； falls into his arms。
ACT II
Alexandria。 A hall on the first floor of the Palace； ending in a
loggia approached by two steps。 Through the arches of the loggia
the Mediterranean can be seen； bright in the morning sun。 The
clean lofty walls； painted with a procession of the Egyptian
theocracy； presented in profile as flat ornament； and the absence
of mirrors； sham perspectives； stuffy upholstery and textiles；
make the place handsome； wholesome； simple and cool； or； as a
rich English manufacturer would express it； poor； bare；
ridiculous and unhomely。 For Tottenham Court Road civilization is
to this Egyptian civilization as glass bead and tattoo
civilization is to Tottenham Court Road。
The young king Ptolemy Dionysus （aged ten） is at the top of the
steps； on his way in through the loggia； led by his guardian
Pothinus； who has him by the hand。 The court is assembled to
receive him。 It is made up of men and women （some of the women
being officials） of various complexions and races； mostly
Egyptian； some of them； comparatively fair； from lower Egypt；
some； much darker； from upper Egypt； with a few Greeks and Jews。
Prominent in a group on Ptolemy's right hand is Theodotus；
Ptolemy's tutor。 Another group； on Ptolemy's left； is headed by
Achillas； the general of Ptolemy's troops。 Theodotus is a little
old man； whose features are as cramped and wizened as his limbs；
except his tall straight forehead； which occupies more space than
all the rest of his face。 He maintains an air of magpie keenness
and profundity； listening to what the others say with the
sarcastic vigilance of a philosopher listening to the exercises
of his disciples。 Achillas is a tall handsome man of thirty…five；
with a fine black beard curled like the coat of a poodle。
Apparently not a clever man； but distinguished and dignified。
Pothinus is a vigorous man of fifty； a eunuch； passionate；
energetic and quick witted； but of common mind and character；
impatient and unable to control his temper。 He has fine tawny
hair； like fur。 Ptolemy； the King； looks much older than an
English boy of ten； but he has the childish air； the habit of
being in leading strings； the mixture of impotence and petulance；
the appearance of being excessively washed； combed and dressed by
other hands； which is exhibited by court…bred princes of all
ages。
All receive the King with reverences。 He comes down the steps to
a chair of state which stands a little to his right； the only
seat in the hall。 Taking his place before it； he looks nervously
for instructions to Pothinus； who places himself at his left
hand。
POTHINUS。 The King of Egypt has a word to speak。
THEODOTUS （in a squeak which he makes impressive by sheer
self…opinionativeness）。 Peace for the King's word！
PTOLEMY （without any vocal inflexions： he is evidently repeating
a lesson）。 Take notice of this all of you。 I am the firstborn son
of Auletes the Flute Blower who was your King。 My sister Berenice
drove him from his throne and reigned in his stead butbut （he
hesitates）
POTHINUS （stealthily prompting）。but the gods would not suffer
PTOLEMY。 Yesthe gods would not suffernot suffer （he stops；
then； crestfallen） I forget what the gods would not suffer。
THEODOTUS。 Let Pothinus； the King's guardian； speak for the King。
POTHINUS （suppressing his impatience with difficulty）。 The King
wished to say that the gods would not suffer the impiety of his
sister to go unpunished。
PTOLEMY （hastily）。 Yes： I remember the rest of it。 （He resumes
his monotone）。 Therefore the gods sent a stranger； one Mark
Antony； a Roman captain of horsemen； across the sands of the
desert and he set my father again upon the throne。 And my father
took Berenice my sister and struck her head off。 And now that my
father is dead yet another of his daughters； my si