Whispers to Caesar

ANTONY    Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can
        Her heart inform her tongue — the swan’s-down feather,
        That stands upon the swell at full of tide,
        And neither way inclines53.

ENOBARBUS    Will Caesar weep?
Enobarbus and Agrippa speak aside

AGRIPPA    He has a cloud57 in’s face.

ENOBARBUS    He were the worse for that were he a horse,
        So is he, being a man.

AGRIPPA    Why, Enobarbus,
        When Antony found Julius Caesar dead,
        He cried almost to roaring, and he wept
        When at Philippi he found Brutus slain.

ENOBARBUS    That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum64;
        What willingly he did confound65 he wailed,
        Believe’t, till I wept too.

CAESAR    No, sweet Octavia,
        You shall hear from me still68: the time shall not
        Outgo69 my thinking on you.

ANTONY    Come, sir, come:
        I’ll wrestle with you in my strength of love.
        Look, here I have you, thus I let you go,
Embraces him
        And give you to the gods.

CAESAR    Adieu. Be happy!

LEPIDUS    Let all the number of the stars give light
        To thy fair way.

CAESAR    Farewell, farewell!
Kisses Octavia

ANTONY    Farewell!
Trumpets sound. Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 3]                               
running scene 11

Location: Alexandria   

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras and Alexas

CLEOPATRA    Where is the fellow1?

ALEXAS    Half afeard to come.

CLEOPATRA    Go to, go to.—Come hither, sir.

Enter the Messenger as before

ALEXAS    Good majesty,
        Herod of Jewry5 dare not look upon you
        But when you are well pleased.

CLEOPATRA    That Herod’s head
        I’ll have: but how8, when Antony is gone
        Through whom I might command it?—Come thou near.

MESSENGER    Most gracious majesty.

CLEOPATRA    Didst thou behold Octavia?

MESSENGER    Ay, dread12 queen.

CLEOPATRA    Where?

MESSENGER    Madam, in Rome.
        I looked her in the face, and saw her led
        Between her brother and Mark Antony.

CLEOPATRA    Is she as tall as me?

MESSENGER    She is not, madam.

CLEOPATRA    Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongued or low?

MESSENGER    Madam, I heard her speak: she is low-voiced.

CLEOPATRA    That’s not so good21: he cannot like her long.

CHARMIAN    Like her? O Isis! ’Tis impossible.

CLEOPATRA    I think so, Charmian: dull of tongue and dwarfish!
        What majesty is in her gait24? Remember,
        If e’er thou look’dst on majesty.

MESSENGER    She creeps:
        Her motion and her station27 are as one.
        She shows28 a body rather than a life,
        A statue than a breather29.

CLEOPATRA    Is this certain?

MESSENGER    Or I have no observance31.

CHARMIAN    Three in Egypt cannot make better note.

CLEOPATRA    He’s very knowing,
        I do perceive’t. There’s nothing in her yet34:
        The fellow has good judgement.

CHARMIAN    Excellent.

CLEOPATRA    Guess at her years, I prithee.

MESSENGER    Madam, she was a widow.

CLEOPATRA    Widow? Charmian, hark.

MESSENGER    And I do think she’s thirty.

CLEOPATRA    Bear’st thou her face in mind? Is’t long or round?

MESSENGER    Round, even to faultiness.

CLEOPATRA    For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.
        Her hair, what colour?

MESSENGER    Brown, madam: and her forehead
        As low as she would wish it46.

CLEOPATRA    There’s gold for thee.
        Thou must not take my former sharpness ill.
        I will employ thee back again49: I find thee
        Most fit for business. Go, make thee ready.
        Our letters are prepared.
[Exit Messenger]

CHARMIAN    A proper52 man.

CLEOPATRA    Indeed, he is so: I repent me much
        That so I harried54 him. Why, methinks, by him,
        This creature’s no such thing55.

CHARMIAN    Nothing, madam.

CLEOPATRA    The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.

CHARMIAN    Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend58,
        And serving you so long!

CLEOPATRA    I have one thing more to ask him yet, good
        Charmian:
        But ’tis no matter. Thou shalt bring him to me
        Where I will write. All may be well enough.

CHARMIAN    I warrant63 you, madam.
[Exeunt]

[Act 3 Scene 4]                               
running scene 12

Location: Athens, Greece   

Enter Antony and Octavia

ANTONY    Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that1 —
        That were excusable, that, and thousands more
        Of semblable import3 — but he hath waged
        New wars gainst Pompey, made his will, and read it
        To public ear4,
        Spoke scantly6 of me, when perforce he could not
        But pay me terms of honour: cold and sickly
        He vented8 them, most narrow measure lent me:
        When the best hint9 was given him, he not took’t,
        Or did it from his teeth10.

OCTAVIA    O my good lord,
        Believe not all, or if you must believe,
        Stomach13 not all. A more unhappy lady,
        If this division chance14, ne’er stood between,
        Praying for both parts:
        The good gods will mock me presently16
        When I shall pray, ‘O, bless my lord and husband!’,
        Undo18 that prayer, by crying out as loud,
        ‘O, bless my brother!’ Husband win, win brother,
        Prays and destroys the prayer, no midway
        ’Twixt these extremes at all.

ANTONY    Gentle Octavia,
        Let your best love draw to that point which seeks
        Best to preserve it23. If I lose mine honour,
        I lose myself: better I were not yours
        Than yours so branchless26. But, as you requested,
        Yourself shall go between’s. The meantime, lady,
        I’ll raise the preparation of a war28
        Shall stain29 your brother. Make your soonest haste,
    So your desires are yours30.

OCTAVIA    Thanks to my lord.
        The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak,
        Your reconciler! Wars ’twixt you twain would be
        As if the world should cleave34, and that slain men
        Should solder up the rift.

ANTONY    When it appears to you where this begins36,
        Turn your displeasure that way, for our faults
        Can never be so equal that your love
        Can equally move with them37. Provide your going39,
        Choose your own company, and command what40 cost
        Your heart has mind to.
Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 5]                               
running scene 12 continues

Enter Enobarbus and Eros
Meeting

ENOBARBUS    How now, friend Eros?

EROS    There’s strange news come, sir.

ENOBARBUS    What, man?

EROS    Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.

ENOBARBUS    This is old. What is the success5?

EROS    Caesar, having made use of him6 in the wars gainst
        Pompey, presently7 denied him rivality, would not let him
        partake in the glory of the action8, and not resting here,
        accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey,
        upon his own appeal10 seizes him: so the poor third is up, till
        death enlarge his confine11.

ENOBARBUS    Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps12, no more,
        And throw between them all the food thou hast,
        They’ll grind the one the other13. Where’s Antony?

EROS    He’s walking in the garden, thus, and spurns15
lmitates
        The rush16 that lies before him, cries, ‘Fool Lepidus!’
        And threats17 the throat of that his officer
        That murdered Pompey.

Antony’s angry walk

ENOBARBUS    Our great navy’s rigged19.

EROS    For Italy and Caesar. More20, Domitius:
        My lord desires you presently21. My news
        I might have told hereafter.

ENOBARBUS    ’Twill be naught23,
        But let it be. Bring me to Antony.

EROS    Come, sir.
Exeunt

[Act 3 Scene 6]                               
running scene 13

Location: Rome   

Enter Agrippa, Maecenas and Caesar

CAESAR    Contemning1 Rome, he has done all this, and more
        In Alexandria. Here’s the manner of’t:
        I’th’market-place, on a tribunal3 silvered,
        Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
        Were publicly enthroned: at the feet sat
        Caesarion6, whom they call my father’s son,
        And all the unlawful issue7 that their lust
        Since then hath made between them. Unto her
        He gave the stablishment9 of Egypt, made her
        Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,
        Absolute queen.

MAECENAS    This in the public eye?

CAESAR    I’th’common show-place13 where they exercise.
        His sons he there proclaimed the kings of kings:
        Great Media, Parthia and Armenia
        He gave to Alexander: to Ptolemy he assigned
        Syria, Cilicia17 and Phoenicia. She
        In th’habiliments18 of the goddess Isis
        That day appeared, and oft before gave audience,
        As ’tis reported, so.

MAECENAS    Let Rome be thus informed.

AGRIPPA    Who22, queasy with his insolence
        Already, will their good thoughts call from him23.

CAESAR    The people knows it, and have now received
        His accusations.

AGRIPPA    Who does he accuse?

CAESAR    Caesar: and that having in Sicily
        Sextus Pompeius spoiled28, we had not rated him
        His part o’th’isle. Then does he say he lent me
        Some shipping unrestored30. Lastly, he frets
        That Lepidus of the triumvirate
        Should be deposed and, being32, that we detain
        All his revenue.

AGRIPPA    Sir, this should be answered.

CAESAR    ’Tis done already, and the messenger gone.
        I have told him Lepidus was grown too cruel,
        That he his high authority abused,
        And did deserve his change. For38 what I have conquered,
        I grant him part, but then in his Armenia
        And other of his conquered kingdoms, I
        Demand the like.

MAECENAS    He’ll never yield to that.

CAESAR    Nor must not then be yielded to in this.

Enter Octavia with her Train

OCTAVIA    Hail, Caesar, and my lord! Hail, most dear Caesar!

CAESAR    That ever I should call thee castaway45!

OCTAVIA    You have not called me so, nor have you cause.

CAESAR    Why have you stol’n47 upon us thus? You come not
        Like48 Caesar’s sister: the wife of Antony
        Should have an army for an usher, and
        The neighs of horse50 to tell of her approach
        Long ere she did appear: the trees by th’way51
        Should have borne men, and expectation fainted,
        Longing for what it had not: nay, the dust
        Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
        Raised by your populous troops55. But you are come
        A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented56
        The ostentation57 of our love, which, left unshown,
        Is often left unloved.