William Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra, Act III, Scene II

Updated September 23, 2019 | Infoplease Staff

Scene II

Rome. An ante-chamber in Octavius Caesar's house

Enter Agrippa at one door, Domitius Enobarbus at another

Agrippa

What, are the brothers parted?

Domitius Enobarbus

They have dispatch'd with Pompey, he is gone;
The other three are sealing. Octavia weeps
To part from Rome; Caesar is sad; and Lepidus,
Since Pompey's feast, as Menas says, is troubled
With the green sickness.

Agrippa

'Tis a noble Lepidus.

Domitius Enobarbus

A very fine one: O, how he loves Caesar!

Agrippa

Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony!

Domitius Enobarbus

Caesar? Why, he's the Jupiter of men.

Agrippa

What's Antony? The god of Jupiter.

Domitius Enobarbus

Spake you of Caesar? How! the non-pareil!

Agrippa

O Antony! O thou Arabian bird!

Domitius Enobarbus

Would you praise Caesar, say 'Caesar:' go no further.

Agrippa

Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises.

Domitius Enobarbus

But he loves Caesar best; yet he loves Antony:
Ho! Hearts, Tongues, Figure,
Scribes, Bards, Poets, cannot
Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number: ho,
His love to Antony. But as for Caesar,
Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.

Agrippa

Both he loves.

Domitius Enobarbus

They are his shards, and he their beetle.

Trumpets within

So;
This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa.

Agrippa

Good fortune, worthy soldier; and farewell.

Enter Octavius Caesar, Mark Antony, Lepidus, and Octavia

Mark Antony

No further, sir.

Octavius Caesar

You take from me a great part of myself;
Use me well in 't. Sister, prove such a wife
As my thoughts make thee, and as my farthest band
Shall pass on thy approof. Most noble Antony,
Let not the piece of virtue, which is set
Betwixt us as the cement of our love,
To keep it builded, be the ram to batter
The fortress of it; for better might we
Have loved without this mean, if on both parts
This be not cherish'd.

Mark Antony

Make me not offended
In your distrust.

Octavius Caesar

I have said.

Mark Antony

You shall not find,
Though you be therein curious, the least cause
For what you seem to fear: so, the gods keep you,
And make the hearts of Romans serve your ends!
We will here part.

Octavius Caesar

Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well:
The elements be kind to thee, and make
Thy spirits all of comfort! fare thee well.

Octavia

My noble brother!

Mark Antony

The April 's in her eyes: it is love's spring,
And these the showers to bring it on. Be cheerful.

Octavia

Sir, look well to my husband's house; and—

Octavius Caesar

What, Octavia?

Octavia

I'll tell you in your ear.

Mark 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 inclines.

Domitius Enobarbus

Aside to Agrippa

Will Caesar weep?

Agrippa

Aside to Domitius Enobarbus

He has a cloud in 's face.

Domitius Enobarbus

Aside to Agrippa

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

Agrippa

Aside to Domitius Enobarbus

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

Domitius Enobarbus

Aside to Agrippa

That year, indeed, he was troubled with a rheum; What willingly he did confound he wail'd, Believe't, till I wept too.

Octavius Caesar

No, sweet Octavia,
You shall hear from me still; the time shall not
Out-go my thinking on you.

Mark Antony

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

Octavius Caesar

Adieu; be happy!

Lepidus

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

Octavius Caesar

Farewell, farewell!

Kisses Octavia

Mark Antony

Farewell!

Trumpets sound. Exeunt

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