I, Claudius (TV Mini Series)

Poison Is Queen (1976)

John Castle: Postumus

Quotes 

• [Augustus comes to see Postumus in exile after four years] 

  Postumus : Well, well, well, what do we have here? *Tourists*? Come to see the animal in his cage? Is the island bare enough for you, father? Does it live up to your expectations of "smallness" or have you found another one *even smaller*?

  Augustus : [shocked]  How thin you look... How pale...

  Postumus : Well, what did you expect? A fat *JOLLY* man full of laughs and jokes?

• Postumus : Well, what do you want? A tour 'round the island? That would take us precisely ten minutes, as you once prophesied it would take me.

• Augustus : Heavens, wound me if you must. I deserve it. You have knife in your hand; I wouldn't blame you if you used it.

  [Augustus starts to weep] 

  Postumus : Oh so it's tears now, is it? I've never known a man cry as easily as you do, father.

  Augustus : Tears come easily to me I don't deny it.

  Postumus : Well, this is wonderful. You're wonderful. Is it my role now to feel pity for you, to cry for you?

  Augustus : I MADE A MISTAKE.

  Postumus : A MISTAKE? "I made a mistake", he says, well you sure seem to make a lot of those, don't you father? Mistakes, is that what you call them? You made mistakes and you think a few tears will put them right... Well, BRAVO. Congratulations, you still have tears to shed. But how many do you think you'd have left if it had been you who sat on this rock day in, day out for four solid years, pouring them into the sea? HOW MANY-?

  Augustus : OH POSTUMUS.

  Postumus : My God, you've come to the wrong place, father, to show you've still tears; even the stones weep here.

  [pause] 

  Postumus : Now you've heard something? Given you pause for thought, made you think perhaps you were a bit too hasty. Is that why you're here? To tell me it was all a mistake? Well DAMN YOU, I don't want to hear it. Leave me alone. Go away and die but leave me alone.