{"id":739,"date":"2013-07-13T01:30:05","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=739"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:30:05","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:30:05","slug":"52-rodogune-act-four-scene-1-vol-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/01-sabcl\/06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06\/52-rodogune-act-four-scene-1-vol-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","title":{"rendered":"-52_Rodogune-Act Four-Scene-1.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

\n
\nAct Four <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b> <\/p>\n

\nThe palace in Antioch. Before the hills.<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font> <\/p>\n

\n
\nSCENE I<\/font><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n <\/div>\n

\nCleopatra’s chamber.
\nCleopatra, Zoyla.<\/i><\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nWill he not come this morning ? How my head aches!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nZoyla, smooth the pain out of it, my girl,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nWith your deft fingers. Oh, he lingers, lingers!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nCleone keeps him still, the rosy harlot<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nWho rules him now. She is grown a queen and reigns<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nInsulting me in my own palace. Yes,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nHe’s happy in her arms; why should he care for me<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nWho am only his mother ?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tZ<\/font>OYLA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nIs the pain less at all?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nO,<\/b> it goes deeper, deeper. Ever new revels,
\nWhile still the clang of fratricidal war
\nTreads nearer to his palace. Zoyla,
\nYou saw him with Cleone in the groves
\nThat night of revel ?<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tZ<\/font>OYLA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nSo, I told you, madam.
\nIt is long since Daphne’s groves have gleamed so bright
\nOr trembled to such music.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThey were together ?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 417<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tZOYLA <\/font><\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nOh, constantly. One does not see such lovers.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>(shaking her off)<\/i><\/font>
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nGo!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tZ<\/font>OYLA<\/font><\/p>\n

\nMadam?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThy touch is not like Rodogune’s
\nNor did her gentle voice offend me. Eunice,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nZoyla retires.
\n<\/i>Why hast thou left me, cruel cold Eunice?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nShe walks to the window and returns swiftly.
\n<\/i>God’s spaces frighten me. I am so lonely
\nIn this great crowded palace.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nTimocles enters the room, reading a despatch.<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tTIMOCLES <\/font><\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nHe rushes onward like a god of war.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nMountains and streams and deserts waterless<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nAre grown our foes, his helpers. The gods give ground<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nBefore his horse-hooves.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nMillions of men arrayed in complete steel<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nCannot restrain him. Almost we hear in Antioch<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nHis trumpets now. Only Nicanor and the hills<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nHardly protect my crown, my brittle crown!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA<\/font><\/p>\n

\nAntiochus comes!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tT<\/font>IMOCLES
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Macedonian legions
\nLinger somewhere upon the wide Aegean. Sea
\nAnd land contend against my monarchy.
\nYour brother sends no certain word.<\/font> <\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 418<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nIt will come.
\nCould not the Armenian helpers stay his course?
\nThey came like locusts.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tT<\/font>IMOCLES
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nBut are swept away
\nAs with a wind. O mother, fatal mother,
\nWhy did you keep me from the battle then ?
\nMy presence might have spurred men’s courage on
\nAnd turned this swallowing fate. It is alone
\nYour fault if I lose crown and life.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tMy son!
T<\/font>IMOCLES
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThere, mother, I have made you weep. I love you,
\nDear mother, though I make you often weep.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nI have not blamed you, my sweet Timocles.
\nI did the wrong. Go to the field, dear son,
\nAnd show yourself to Syria. Timocles,
\nI mean no hurt, but now, only just now,
\nWould not a worthier presence at your side
\nAssist you ? My royal brother of Macedon
\nWould give his child to you at my desire,
\nOr you might have your fair Egyptian cousin
\nBerenice. Syria would honour you, my son.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tT<\/font>IMOCLES
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nI know your meaning. You are so jealous, mother.
\nWhy do you hate Cleone, grudging me
\nThe solace of her love ? I shall lose Syria
\nAnd I have lost already Rodogune:<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nCleone clings to me. Nor is her heart
\nLike yours, selfish and jealous.<\/font> <\/font> <\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 419<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nTimocles!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tT<\/font>IMOCLES
\n\t<\/font>(walking to the window)<\/i><\/font>
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nO Rodogune, where hast thou taken those eyes,
\nMy moonlit midnight, where that wondrous hair
\nIn which I thought to live as in a cloud
\nOf secret sweetness ? Under the Syrian stars
\nSomewhere thou liest in my brother’s arms,
\nThy pale sweet happy face upon his breast
\nSmiling up to be kissed. O,<\/b> it is hell,
\nThe thought is hell! At midnight in the silence
\nI wake in warm Cleone’s rosy clasp
\nTo think of thee embraced; then in my blood
\nA fratricidal horror works. Let it not be,
\nYou gods! Let me die first, let him be king.
\nO mother, do not let us quarrel any more:<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nForgive me and forget.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nYou go from me?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tT<\/font>IMOCLES
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nMy heart is heavy. I will drink awhile
\nAnd hear sweet harmonies.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nThere in the hall
\nAnd with Cleone ?<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tT<\/font>IMOCLES
\n\t<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\nLet it not anger you.
\nYes, with Cleone.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nHe goes.<\/i><\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\tC<\/font>LEOPATRA<\/font><\/p>\n

\nI am alone, so terribly alone!<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage <\/font>
\n\u2013 420<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Act Four   The palace in Antioch. Before the hills.   SCENE I     Cleopatra’s chamber. Cleopatra, Zoyla. CLEOPATRA Will he not come this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-06-collected-plays-part-i-volume-06","wpcat-15-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}