SCENE III. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 3 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE III. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace. 

 Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS  CLEOPATRA  Where is the fellow? 

 ALEXAS  Half afeard to come. 

 CLEOPATRA  Go to, go to. 



 Enter the Messenger as before  Come hither, sir. 

 ALEXAS  Good majesty, 

 Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you 

 But when you are well pleased. 

 CLEOPATRA  That Herod's head 

 I'll have: but how, when Antony is gone 

 Through whom I might command it? Come thou near. 

 Messenger  Most gracious majesty,-- 

 CLEOPATRA  Didst thou behold Octavia? 

 Messenger  Ay, dread queen. 

 CLEOPATRA  Where? 

 Messenger  Madam, in Rome; 

 I look'd 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 good: 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 gait? Remember, 

 If e'er thou look'dst on majesty. 

 Messenger  She creeps: 

 Her motion and her station are as one; 

 She shows a body rather than a life, 

 A statue than a breather. 

 CLEOPATRA  Is this certain? 

 Messenger  Or I have no observance. 

 CHARMIAN  Three in Egypt 

 Cannot make better note. 

 CLEOPATRA  He's very knowing; 

 I do perceive't: there's nothing in her yet: 

 The fellow has good judgment. 

 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 it. 

 CLEOPATRA  There's gold for thee. 

 Thou must not take my former sharpness ill: 

 I will employ thee back again; I find thee 

 Most fit for business: go make thee ready; 

 Our letters are prepared. 



 Exit Messenger  CHARMIAN  A proper man. 

 CLEOPATRA  Indeed, he is so: I repent me much 

 That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him, 

 This creature's no such thing. 

 CHARMIAN  Nothing, madam. 

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

 CHARMIAN  Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend, 

 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 warrant you, madam. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 3 

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