| ACT III 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. | 5 |
| 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 | 10 |
| | Through whom I might command it? Come thou near. | |
| Messenger | Most gracious majesty,-- | |
| CLEOPATRA | Didst thou behold Octavia? | |
| Messenger | Ay, dread queen. | |
| CLEOPATRA | Where? | 15 |
| 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. | 20 |
| 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! | 25 |
| | 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, | 30 |
| | A statue than a breather. | |
| CLEOPATRA | Is this certain? | |
| Messenger | Or I have no observance. | |
| CHARMIAN | Three in Egypt | |
| | Cannot make better note. | 35 |
| 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. | 40 |
| 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? | 45 |
| 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. | 50 |
| 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. | 55 |
| | 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. | 60 |
| 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 | 65 |
| | Where I will write. All may be well enough. | |
| CHARMIAN | I warrant you, madam. | |
| | Exeunt | |
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