Cleopatra’s barge

Shakespeare and his Use of Source Material

Vivien Leigh as George Bernard Shaw’s Cleopatra. The list of famous theatre productions isn’t all that long for one of Shakespeare’s best plays and the list of profitable film adaptations is much shorter still.

Vivien Leigh as George Bernard Shaw’s Cleopatra. The list of famous theatre productions isn’t all that long for one of Shakespeare’s best plays and the list of profitable film adaptations is much shorter still.

Here is what some doubters consider strong evidence that North was involved not just as a source but actually contributed to Shakespeare’s work or perhaps even wrote earlier versions of the plays that Shakespeare adapted. Shakespeare often relied heavily on his sources, sometimes too heavily as anyone knows after sitting through an uncut account of the casus belli in Henry V.

However, when you look closely at the sources of his historical work, comparing the similarities to other uses of the same material, an entirely opposite force compels you to admire the creativity of Shakespeare’s methods of saying exactly the same things. Whilst you can see how closely he followed North here, (as did Dryden, Munday and John Davies of Hereford), one writer, and only one, turned Plutarch’s Latin account and North’s translation of it, into one of the most famous speeches in the English language, making lasting impressions outside the boundaries of language itself.

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Adjacent comparison like this shows the unique expressive invention most clearly. Never mind the proximity, feel the distance between these writers.

# North 1579 Munday c.1590 Shakespeare 1606 Davies 1617 Dryden 1683
1 The wonderful sumptuousness of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, going unto Antonius but to take her barge in the river of Cydnus, the poop whereof was of gold, the sails of purple, and the oars of silver, which kept stroke in rowing after the sound of the music of flutes, how boys, citherns, violls, and such other instruments as they played upon in the barge. And she came, not fearful, trembling or in mean estate, but along the River Cydnus in a Galleon, the Poop whereof was of gold, the Oars of silver, the sails of purple Enobarbus: I will tell you, The Barge she sat in, like a burnished Throne Burnt on the water: the Poop was beaten Gold, Purple the Sails: and so perfumed that The Winds were Lovesick. With them the Oars were Silver, Which to the tune of Flutes kept stroke, and made The water which they beat, to follow faster; As amorous of their strokes]. MArcus Antonius (as Plutarch shoes) Commanding Cleopatra to appear Before him (sith she succored his fos) She came in pomp (as one that had no Peer) Along the River Cydnus in a Galleon, The Poop whereof was all of masy Gold; She received several letters, both from Antony and from his friends, to summon her, but she took no account of these orders; and at last, as if in mockery of them, she came sailing up the river Cydnus, in a barge with gilded stern and outspread sails of purple, while oars of silver beat time to the music of flutes and fifes and harps.
2 And now for the person of her self: she was laid under a pavilion of cloth of gold of tissue, apparelled and attired like the goddess Venus, commonly drawn in picture: and hard by her, on either hand of her, pretty fair boys apparelled as painters do set forth god Cupide, with little fans in their hands, with the which they fanned wind upon her. her self lay under a Pavilion of Gold, accompanied with sweet singers, and most excellent Musicians, all the attendants of her house being attired in very sumptuous Lyueries. For her own person, It beggared all description, she did lie In her Pavilion, cloth of Gold, of Tissue, Overpicturing that Venus, where we see The fancy outwork Nature. On each side her, Stood pretty Dimpled Boys, like smiling Cupids, With diverse coloured Fans whose wind did seem, To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool, And what they undid did. And underneath the like most rich Pavilion She lay her self, more rich a thousand fold, Surrounded with sweet Singers; and, with all, The heaven lit Instruments that Songs could grace; Her Servants clad in Robes majestical Brodred with Pearl, t’wixt richest Goldenlace, Thus came she gliding, on the Silver Stream, Forced with silver Oars, and silken Sails; (Crowned her self with dearest Diadem) Towards Anthony; She herself lay all along, under a canopy of cloth of gold, dressed as Venus in a picture, and beautiful young boys, like painted Cupids, stood on each side to fan her. Her maids were dressed like Sea Nymphs and Graces, some steering at the rudder, some working at the ropes.
3 Her Ladies and gentlewomen also, the fairest of them were apparelled like the nymphs Nereides (which are the mermaids of the waters) and like the Graces, some stearing the helme, others tending the tackle and ropes of the barge, out of the which there came a wonderful passing sweet savour of perfumes, that perfumed the wharfs side, pestered with innumerable multitudes of people. Agrippa: Oh rare for Anthony. Enobarbus: Her Gentlewoman, like the Nereides, So many Mermaids tended her in the eyes, And made their bends adornings. At the Helm. A seeming Mermaid steers: The Silken Tackle, Swell with the touches of those Flower-soft hands, That yarely frame the office. From the Barge A strange invisible perfume hits the sense Of the adjacent Wharfs. The perfumes diffused themselves from the vessel to the shore, which was covered with multitudes,
4 Some of them followed the barge all alongest the rivers side: others also ran out of the city to see her coming in. So that in thend, there ran such multitudes of people one after an other to see her, that Antonius was left post alone in the market place, in his Imperial seat to give audience: and there went a rumour in the peoples mouths, that the goddess Venus was come to play with the god Bacchus, for the general good of all ASIA. The City cast Her people out upon her: and Anthony Enthroned in the Marketplace, did sit alone, Whistling to the air: which but for vacancy, Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too, And made a gap in Nature. with whom she so prevails That she Captived him, being Conqueror; For, she on Beauties Privilege did stand (Consorted with this Wealth, Port, Pomp & Power) That She Commands him, that did her Command. But though she made this Pagan much transgesse; Some Saints in show, do oft much worse with less! part following the galley up the river on either bank, part running out of the city to see the sight. The market-place was quite emptied, and Antony at last was left alone sitting upon the tribunal; while the word went through all the multitude, that Venus was come to feast with Bacchus, for the common good of Asia.
5 When Cleopatra landed, Antonius sent to invite her to supper to him. But she sent him word again, he should do better rather to come and sup with her. When Anthonie sent to invite her to sup with him, she sent to command him to come and sup with her, so much did she stand upon the privilege of her beauty, behaviour & quaintness in speech: which she delivered with such majesty, and had so delicate a pronunciation, as her tongue seemed like a curious instrument of many strings. She could alter her speech to what language she pleased, or as occasion served: she spake to the Arabians, Sirians, Hebrewes, Meads, Parthians, Ethiopia Agrippa: Rare Egyptian. Enobarbus: Upon her landing, Anthony sent to her, Invited her to Supper: she replied, It should be better, he became her guest: Which she entreated, our Courteous Anthony, Whom never the word of no woman hard speak, Being barbered ten times over, goes to the Feast; And for his ordinary, pays his heart, For what his eyes eat only. On her arrival, Antony sent to invite her to supper. She thought it fitter he should come to her; so, willing to show his good-humor and courtesy, he complied, and went.
6 Agrippa: Royal Wench: She made great Caesar lay his Sword to bed, He ploughed her, and she cropped. Enobarbus: I saw her once Hop forty Paces through the public street, And having lost her breath, she spoke, and panted, That she did make defect, perfection, And breathless power breathe forth. Maecenas: Now Anthony, must leave her utterly. Enobarbus: Never he will not: Age can not wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety: other women cloy The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry, Where most she satisfies. For vilest things Become themselves in her, that the holy Priests Bless her, when she is Riggish. He found the preparations to receive him magnificent beyond expression, but nothing so admirable as the great number of lights; for on a sudden there was let down altogether so great a number of branches with lights in them so ingeniously disposed, some in squares, and some in circles, that the whole thing was a spectacle that has seldom been equalled for beauty.