Enter three Senators at one door, Alcibiades meeting
them, with Attendants. FIRST SENATOR, to the Second Senator
My lord, you have my voice to ’t. The fault’s
Bloody. ’Tis necessary he should die.
Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy. SECOND SENATOR
Most true. The law shall bruise ’em. ALCIBIADES
Honor, health, and compassion to the Senate! 5 FIRST SENATOR
Now, captain? ALCIBIADES
I am an humble suitor to your virtues,
For pity is the virtue of the law,
And none but tyrants use it cruelly.
It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy 10
Upon a friend of mine, who in hot blood
Hath stepped into the law, which is past depth
To those that without heed do plunge into ’t.
He is a man—setting his fate aside—
Of comely virtues. 15
Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice—
An honor in him which buys out his fault—
But with a noble fury and fair spirit,
Seeing his reputation touched to death,
He did oppose his foe; 20
And with such sober and unnoted passion
He did behave his anger, ere ’twas spent,
As if he had but proved an argument. FIRST SENATOR
You undergo too strict a paradox,
Striving to make an ugly deed look fair. 25
Your words have took such pains as if they labored
To bring manslaughter into form and set quarreling
Upon the head of valor—which indeed
Is valor misbegot, and came into the world
When sects and factions were newly born. 30
He’s truly valiant that can wisely suffer
The worst that man can breathe
And make his wrongs his outsides,
To wear them like his raiment, carelessly,
And ne’er prefer his injuries to his heart 35
To bring it into danger.
If wrongs be evils and enforce us kill,
What folly ’tis to hazard life for ill! ALCIBIADES
My lord— FIRST SENATOR
You cannot make gross sins look clear. 40
To revenge is no valor, but to bear. ALCIBIADES
My lords, then, under favor, pardon me
If I speak like a captain.
Why do fond men expose themselves to battle
And not endure all threats? Sleep upon ’t, 45
And let the foes quietly cut their throats
Without repugnancy? If there be
Such valor in the bearing, what make we
Abroad? Why, then, women are more valiant
That stay at home, if bearing carry it, 50
And the ass more captain than the lion, the felon
Loaden with irons wiser than the judge,
If wisdom be in suffering. O my lords,
As you are great, be pitifully good.
Who cannot condemn rashness in cold blood? 55
To kill, I grant, is sin’s extremest gust,
But in defense, by mercy, ’tis most just.
To be in anger is impiety,
But who is man that is not angry?
Weigh but the crime with this. 60 | Meanwhile, the senate has sentenced a man to death. He's charged with killing another man, so he must die. Alcibiades disagrees: we should pity people, he says. Plus, this isn't just any murder: the guy killed in self-defense. Sure, murder's a sin, but let's cut the guy a break considering the circumstances, says Alcibiades. |
SECOND SENATOR
You breathe in vain. ALCIBIADES
In vain? His service done
At Lacedaemon and Byzantium
Were a sufficient briber for his life. FIRST SENATOR What’s that? 65 ALCIBIADES
Why, I say, my lords, has done fair service
And slain in fight many of your enemies.
How full of valor did he bear himself
In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds! SECOND SENATOR
He has made too much plenty with ’em. 70
He’s a sworn rioter. He has a sin
That often drowns him and takes his valor prisoner.
If there were no foes, that were enough
To overcome him. In that beastly fury,
He has been known to commit outrages 75
And cherish factions. ’Tis inferred to us
His days are foul and his drink dangerous. FIRST SENATOR
He dies. ALCIBIADES
Hard fate! He might have died in war.
My lords, if not for any parts in him— 80
Though his right arm might purchase his own time
And be in debt to none—yet, more to move you,
Take my deserts to his and join ’em both.
And, for I know your reverend ages love
Security, I’ll pawn my victories, all 85
My honor, to you, upon his good returns.
If by this crime he owes the law his life,
Why, let the war receive ’t in valiant gore,
For law is strict, and war is nothing more. FIRST SENATOR
We are for law. He dies. Urge it no more, 90On height of our displeasure. Friend or brother,
He forfeits his own blood that spills another. ALCIBIADES Must it be so? It must not be.
My lords, I do beseech you, know me. SECOND SENATOR How? 95 ALCIBIADES
Call me to your remembrances. THIRD SENATOR What? ALCIBIADES
I cannot think but your age has forgot me.
It could not else be I should prove so base
To sue and be denied such common grace. 100
My wounds ache at you. FIRST SENATOR Do you dare our anger?
’Tis in few words, but spacious in effect:
We banish thee forever. ALCIBIADES
Banish me? 105
Banish your dotage, banish usury,
That makes the Senate ugly! FIRST SENATOR
If after two days’ shine Athens contain thee,
Attend our weightier judgment.
And, not to swell our spirit, 110
He shall be executed presently. Senators exit. ALCIBIADES
Now the gods keep you old enough that you may live
Only in bone, that none may look on you!—
I’m worse than mad. I have kept back their foes
While they have told their money and let out 115
Their coin upon large interest, I myself
Rich only in large hurts. All those for this?
Is this the balsam that the usuring Senate
Pours into captains’ wounds? Banishment.
It comes not ill. I hate not to be banished. 120
It is a cause worthy my spleen and fury,
That I may strike at Athens. I’ll cheer up
My discontented troops and lay for hearts.
’Tis honor with most lands to be at odds.
Soldiers should brook as little wrongs as gods. 125 He exits. | The Senators, however, are resolute: they go right on ahead and sentence the dude to death. Alcibiades pleads with them again and again, but it does no good. The Senators get sick of arguing and banish him. Phew. Guess they really don't like to be challenged. Once the Senators leave, Alcibiades curses them and swears that he will show them. |