Antony and Cleopatra
Act III, Scene 3
Alexandria. Cleopatra’s palace.
Cleopatra on the Terraces of Philae
Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1896
- Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Alexas.
Cleopatra
1- Where is the fellow?
Alexas
2- Half afeard to come.
Cleopatra
3- Go to, go to. Come hither, sir.
- Enter the Egyptian Messenger as before.
Alexas
4 - 6- Good Majesty!
- Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you
- But when you are well pleas’d.
Cleopatra
7 - 9- That Herod’s head
- I’ll have; but how, when Antony is gone,
- Through whom I might command it? Come thou near.
Egyptian Messenger
10- Most gracious Majesty!
Cleopatra
11- Didst thou behold Octavia?
Egyptian Messenger
12- Ay, dread Queen.
Cleopatra
13- Where?
Egyptian Messenger
14 - 16- Madam, in Rome;
- I look’d her in the face, and saw her led
- Between her brother and Mark Antony.
Cleopatra
17- Is she as tall as me?
Egyptian Messenger
18- She is not, madam.
Cleopatra
19- Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongu’d or low?
Egyptian Messenger
20- Madam, I heard her speak; she is low-voic’d.
Cleopatra
21- That’s not so good. He cannot like her long.
Charmian
22- Like her? O Isis! ’Tis impossible.
Cleopatra
23 - 25- I think so, Charmian: dull of tongue, and dwarfish.
- What majesty is in her gait? Remember,
- If e’er thou look’st on majesty.
Egyptian Messenger
26 - 29- She creeps;
- Her motion and her station are as one;
- She shows a body rather than a life,
- A statue, than a breather.
Cleopatra
30- Is this certain?
Egyptian Messenger
31- Or I have no observance.
Charmian
32 - 33- Three in Egypt
- Cannot make better note.
Cleopatra
34 - 36- He’s very knowing,
- I do perceive’t. There’s nothing in her yet.
- The fellow has good judgment.
From: Edinburgh Folio
Unknown artist, circa 1903
Charmian
37- Excellent.
Cleopatra
38- Guess at her years, I prithee.
Egyptian Messenger
39 - 40- Madam,
- She was a widow—
Cleopatra
41- Widow? Charmian, hark.
Egyptian Messenger
42- And I do think she’s thirty.
Cleopatra
43- Bear’st thou her face in mind? Is’t long or round?
Egyptian Messenger
44- Round, even to faultiness.
Cleopatra
45 - 46- For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.
- Her hair, what color?
Egyptian Messenger
47 - 48- Brown, madam; and her forehead
- As low as she would wish it.
Cleopatra
49 - 53- 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 prepar’d.
- Exit Egyptian Messenger.
Charmian
54- A proper man.
Cleopatra
55 - 57- Indeed he is so; I repent me much
- That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him,
- This creature’s no such thing.
Charmian
58- Nothing, madam.
Cleopatra
59- The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.
Charmian
60 - 61- Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend!
- And serving you so long!
Cleopatra
62 - 64- 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
65- I warrant you, madam.
- Exeunt.
I have one thing more to ask him yet
Elizabeth Pope as Cleopatra
J. Thornthwaite; John Bell, publisher; Edward Francis Burney; 1786