I, Claudius (TV Mini Series)

Reign of Terror (1976)

Derek Jacobi: Claudius

Quotes 

• [Antonia is sitting outside Livilla's locked door] 

  Livilla : [screaming and pounding from the inside]  Mother! Let me out! Let me out!

  Claudius : How long are you going to sit here?

  Antonia : Until she dies.

  Claudius : Dies? Dies? Have you gone mad? She is your daughter.

  [no answer] 

  Claudius : How can you leave her to die?

  Antonia : That's her punishment.

  Claudius : How can you sit out here and listen to her?

  Antonia : And that's mine.

• Claudius : Caligula, if you get the chance, you must speak up for them.

  Caligula : Of course I shall. For mother, anyway. To tell you the truth, I couldn't give a damn about Drusus and Nero.

  Claudius : But they're your brothers.

  Caligula : Yes, I know. But then, you don't like Aunt Livilla, and she's your sister. Now, I *love* my sisters, uncle.

  Claudius : Yes, I know.

• [Sejanus falls] 

  Aelia : [hysterical]  Claudius, help me! They're killing everyone! Everyone! Everyone who was a friend or a relative! Claudius, don't let them take me! Save me, Claudius! Save me! I'll do anything! Anything, Claudius! Let me hide here! Let me hide! *I'm your wife!* You must protect me! Executions are taking place all over the city! The Senate steps are strewn with bodies! They've even murdered his children!

  Claudius : [horrified]  His children?

  Aelia : They raped the girl before they killed her! They dressed the boy in his manly gown! Apicata killed herself when she saw what they did to the bodies!

  [noises outside draw her in panic to the window as Claudius bursts into tears] 

  Claudius : Rome, you are finished! Finished!

  [sobbing] 

  Claudius : You are despicable...

• Aelia : Claudius. I heard you were in Rome. Why didn't you come and see me?

  Claudius : W-what for?

  Aelia : What for? Shouldn't a husband be seen with his wife?

  Claudius : Well, we're not exactly a husband and w-wife. But I'll come and see you if you like.

  Aelia : Don't flatter yourself. It's to your advantage to be seen with me. You're not every woman's ideal husband. In fact you're not any woman's ideal husband.

  Claudius : Did you come here j-just to tell me this?

  Aelia : Oh, don't try and be clever with me. I came here to see your sister, and as you were here, I thought I'd let you know I was alive and well Are you alive and well?.

  Claudius : I th-think so.

  Aelia : You don't look either to me.

  Claudius : Well, it's been a very trying time since I got here. You know my sister-in-law's been arrested?

  Aelia : Agrippina, yes. That's been coming for some time. Thank your stars you're married to me. That's brought you under my brother's protection. So what are you doing in Rome?

  Claudius : Oh, I came up to use the P-Pollio Library. I've just finished a history of Carthage. Would you like a copy?

  Aelia : Are you being funny?

• [last lines] 

  Claudius : [writing]  My alliance by marriage with Sejanus's family might have cost me my life, had I not been my mother's son. I was now allowed to divorce Aelia and to return an eighth part of her dowry. As a matter of fact, I returned it all She must have thought me a fool.

• Antonia : What is that thing you're writing?

  Claudius : Thing? You mean my history of Carthage?

  Antonia : Yes. Is it finished?

  Claudius : Well, yes. I'm having it copied. I brought one copy home. Would you like to read it?

  Antonia : No. I will tell you what you must do. You must take it to Sejanus and ask for permission to visit Tiberius at Capri. Tell him you want to ask for Tiberius' consent to dedicate the work to him. Sejanus will allow it, I'm sure, he has nothing but contempt for you. He'll suspect nothing.

  Claudius : Thank you.

  Antonia : Those pieces of paper must be pasted into the scroll together with a letter of mine and you will tell him to open it first.

  Claudius : I didn't want to give him. It has elephants drawn all over it.

  Antonia : You are the biggest fool any mother has ever punished. Who cares about your stupid history? Nobody's going to read it anyway and certainly not Tiberius. The only way you would get him to read is to drawn naked women all over it and then he would only look at the pictures!