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Antony and Cleopatra
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  • ACT III SCENE II

    
     Dramatis Personae 
     Act I   Scene I 
     Act I   Scene II 
     Act I   Scene III 
     Act I   Scene IV 
     Act I   Scene V 
     Act II  Scene I 
     Act II  Scene II 
     Act II  Scene III 
     Act II  Scene IV 
     Act II  Scene V 
     Act II  Scene VI
     Act II  Scene VII  
     Act III Scene I 
     Act III Scene II 
     Act III Scene III 
     Act III Scene IV 
     Act III Scene V 
     Act III Scene VI 
     Act III Scene VII 
     Act III Scene VIII
     Act III Scene IX 
    
    
     Act III Scene X 
     Act III Scene XI 
     Act III Scene XII 
     Act III Scene XIII 
     Act IV  Scene I  
     Act IV  Scene II 
     Act IV  Scene III 
     Act IV  Scene IV 
     Act IV  Scene V
     Act IV  Scene VI
     Act IV  Scene VII
     Act IV  Scene VIII
     Act IV  Scene IX
     Act IV  Scene X
     Act IV  Scene XI
     Act IV  Scene XII
     Act IV  Scene XIII
     Act IV  Scene XIV
     Act IV  Scene XV
     Act V   Scene I 
     Act V   Scene II 
     Complete play


     Act III 

    
    ACT III: SCENE II 	A 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, farewell!
    
    	Kisses OCTAVIA
    
    MARK ANTONY	Farewell!
    
    	Trumpets sound. Exeunt
    
    
    

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