Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

Please see the bottom of this page for explanatory notes and resources.

ACT III SCENE VI	Rome. Octavius Caesar's house.
[Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, AGRIPPA, and MECAENAS]
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more,
	In Alexandria: here's the manner of 't:
	I' the market-place, on a tribunal silver'd,
	Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
	Were publicly enthroned: at the feet sat	5
	Caesarion, whom they call my father's son,
	And all the unlawful issue that their lust
	Since then hath made between them. Unto her
	He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her
	Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,	10
	Absolute queen.
MECAENAS	This in the public eye?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	I' the common show-place, where they exercise.
	His sons he there proclaim'd the kings of kings:
	Great Media, Parthia, and Armenia.	15
	He gave to Alexander; to Ptolemy he assign'd
	Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia: she
	In the habiliments of the goddess Isis
	That day appear'd; and oft before gave audience,
	As 'tis reported, so.	20
MECAENAS	Let Rome be thus Inform'd.
AGRIPPA	Who, queasy with his insolence
	Already, will their good thoughts call from him.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	The people know it; and have now received
	His accusations.	25
AGRIPPA	Who does he accuse?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Caesar: and that, having in Sicily
	Sextus Pompeius spoil'd, we had not rated him
	His part o' the isle: then does he say, he lent me
	Some shipping unrestored: lastly, he frets	30
	That Lepidus of the triumvirate
	Should be deposed; and, being, that we detain
	All his revenue.
AGRIPPA	Sir, this should be answer'd.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	'Tis done already, and the messenger gone.	35
	I have told him, Lepidus was grown too cruel;
	That he his high authority abused,
	And did deserve his change: for what I have conquer'd,
	I grant him part; but then, in his Armenia,
	And other of his conquer'd kingdoms, I	40
	Demand the like.
MECAENAS	He'll never yield to that.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Nor must not then be yielded to in this.
[Enter OCTAVIA with her train]
OCTAVIA	Hail, Caesar, and my lord! hail, most dear Caesar!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	That ever I should call thee castaway!	45
OCTAVIA	You have not call'd me so, nor have you cause.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Why have you stol'n upon us thus! You come not
	Like Caesar's sister: the wife of Antony
	Should have an army for an usher, and
	The neighs of horse to tell of her approach	50
	Long ere she did appear; the trees by the way
	Should have borne men; and expectation fainted,
	Longing for what it had not; nay, the dust
	Should have ascended to the roof of heaven,
	Raised by your populous troops: but you are come	55
	A market-maid to Rome; and have prevented
	The ostentation of our love, which, left unshown,
	Is often left unloved; we should have met you
	By sea and land; supplying every stage
	With an augmented greeting.	60
OCTAVIA	Good my lord,
	To come thus was I not constrain'd, but did
	On my free will. My lord, Mark Antony,
	Hearing that you prepared for war, acquainted
	My grieved ear withal; whereon, I begg'd	65
	His pardon for return.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Which soon he granted,
	Being an obstruct 'tween his lust and him.
OCTAVIA	Do not say so, my lord.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	I have eyes upon him,	70
	And his affairs come to me on the wind.
	Where is he now?
OCTAVIA	My lord, in Athens.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra
	Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire	75
	Up to a whore; who now are levying
	The kings o' the earth for war; he hath assembled
	Bocchus, the king of Libya; Archelaus,
	Of Cappadocia; Philadelphos, king
	Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king, Adallas;	80
	King Malchus of Arabia; King of Pont;
	Herod of Jewry; Mithridates, king
	Of Comagene; Polemon and Amyntas,
	The kings of Mede and Lycaonia,
	With a more larger list of sceptres.	85
OCTAVIA	Ay me, most wretched,
	That have my heart parted betwixt two friends
	That do afflict each other!
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Welcome hither:
	Your letters did withhold our breaking forth;	90
	Till we perceived, both how you were wrong led,
	And we in negligent danger. Cheer your heart;
	Be you not troubled with the time, which drives
	O'er your content these strong necessities;
	But let determined things to destiny	95
	Hold unbewail'd their way. Welcome to Rome;
	Nothing more dear to me. You are abused
	Beyond the mark of thought: and the high gods,
	To do you justice, make them ministers
	Of us and those that love you. Best of comfort;	100
	And ever welcome to us.
AGRIPPA	Welcome, lady.
MECAENAS	Welcome, dear madam.
	Each heart in Rome does love and pity you:
	Only the adulterous Antony, most large	105
	In his abominations, turns you off;
	And gives his potent regiment to a trull,
	That noises it against us.
OCTAVIA	Is it so, sir?
OCTAVIUS CAESAR	Most certain. Sister, welcome: pray you,	110
	Be ever known to patience: my dear'st sister!
[Exeunt]

Antony and Cleopatra, Act 3, Scene 7
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Explanatory Notes for Act 3, Scene 6
From Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company.
(Line numbers have been altered.)
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1. Contemning. To show his contempt of Rome.

3. Market place. Public square.

3. Tribunal. A raised platform, so called because in the days of the Roman republic, the tribunes used to sit on such a platform when transacting public business.

9. Stablishment. Established her queen of Egypt, gave her Egypt as an inheritance.

12. Exercise. That is, in the area where the athletic exercises were held.

19. Gave audience. Received complaints and petitions.

22. Who. That is, the Roman people.

22. Queasy. Disgusted, sick of his insolence.

23. Call. Recall their good opinion.

28. Spoil'd. Despoiled.

28. Rated. Assigned him a just share.

30. Unrestored. Which has not been restored to him.

31. Of. From.

32. Being. That is, being deposed.

38. Change. That is, changed position.

38. For. As regards what.

45. Castaway. That is, cast off by her husband.

52. Borne men. That is, been crowded with spectators.

52. Expectation fainted. That is, the spectators should have fainted with expectation.

55. Populous. Numerous.

56. Market-maid. That is, like a maid on her way to market.

57. Ostentation. Display, manifestation.

58. Unloved. That is, love which is denied opportunity for showing itself often ceases to be felt.

59. Stage. In your journey.

60. Augmented. That is, a greeting by increasing numbers of persons.

68. Obstruct. Obstruction.

75. Nodded. Hath summoned him with a mere nod.

76. Who. That is, both Antony and Cleopatra.

78. Bocchus, etc. This list of kings Shakespeare gets from Plutarch.

85. More larger. A double comparative.

88. Afflict. Injure.

90. Withhold. Prevent.

91. Wrong led. Wrongly led, misled.

92. Negligent. That is, in danger from being negligent.

94. Content. That is, spoils your peace by the necessity for strong measures.

95. Determined. That is, determined by fate.

100. Best of comfort. This may either mean, "May the best of comfort be yours," or, "You are my greatest comfort."

107. Potent regiment. Powerful sway.

107. Trull. Infamous woman.

108. Noises it. Uses it for making a disturbance.

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How to cite the explanatory notes:
Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company, 1908. Shakespeare Online. 20 Feb. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/antony_3_6.html >.

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