SCENE II. Rome. An ante-chamber in OCTAVIUS CAESAR's house. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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, figures, 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, fa rewell! 



 Kisses OCTAVIA  MARK ANTONY  Farewell! 



 Trumpets sound. Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 2 

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