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Enter AGRIPPA at one door, ENOBARBUS at another |
AGRIPPA enters through one door and ENOBARBUS enters through another. |
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AGRIPPA
What, are the brothers parted? |
AGRIPPA
Did the brothers-in-law leave? |
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ENOBARBUS
They have dispatched 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 greensickness. |
ENOBARBUS
They finished their business with Pompey, and Pompey has left. Now the three triumvirs are putting their official seals on the treaty. Octavia weeps at the thought of leaving Rome. Caesar is in a sober mood. And Menas reports that Lepidus has been hungover since Pompey’s party. |
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AGRIPPA
’Tis a noble Lepidus. |
AGRIPPA
That Lepidus is an elegant man. |
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ENOBARBUS
A very fine one. Oh, how he loves Caesar! |
ENOBARBUS
He’s a stylish man. And how he loves Caesar! |
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AGRIPPA
Nay, but how dearly he adores Mark Antony! |
AGRIPPA
Yes, but how he adores Mark Antony! |
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ENOBARBUS
Caesar? Why, he’s the Jupiter of men. |
ENOBARBUS
Caesar? He’s a god of a man. |
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AGRIPPA
What’s Antony? The god of Jupiter. |
AGRIPPA
Then what’s Antony? A god of a god? |
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ENOBARBUS
Spake you of Caesar? How, the nonpareil! |
ENOBARBUS
Are you talking about Caesar? He’s without equal! |
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AGRIPPA
O Antony, O thou Arabian bird! |
AGRIPPA
Oh, Antony! Oh, you phoenix! |
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ENOBARBUS
Would you praise Caesar, say “Caesar.” Go no further. |
ENOBARBUS
If you want to praise Caesar, just say his name—that’s all the praise that’s necessary. |
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AGRIPPA
Indeed, he plied them both with excellent praises. |
AGRIPPA
He certainly flattered them both with extravagant compliments. |
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ENOBARBUS
But he loves Caesar best; yet he loves Antony. Hoo! Hearts, tongues, figures, scribes, bards, poets, cannot Think, speak, cast, write, sing, number—hoo!— His love to Antony. But as for Caesar, Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder. |
ENOBARBUS
He loves Caesar best, but he also loves Antony. Oh! No one can describe or fathom Lepidus’ love for Antony! Hearts cannot think it, tongues cannot speak it, meas-urements cannot calculate it, scribes cannot write it, bards cannot sing it, and poets cannot make verses about it. But when it comes to Caesar, Lepidus’ love approaches the awestruck wonder of a worshipper. |
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AGRIPPA
Both he loves. |
AGRIPPA
He loves them both. |
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ENOBARBUS
They are his shards, and he their beetle. |
ENOBARBUS
They are his dung, and he their beetle. |
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Trumpets within |
Trumpets sound. |
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So, This is to horse. Adieu, noble Agrippa. |
So, there’s the signal to ride. Good-bye, noble Agrippa. |
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AGRIPPA
Good fortune, worthy soldier, and farewell. |
AGRIPPA
Good luck, worthy soldier, and good-bye. |
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Enter CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, and OCTAVIA |
CAESAR, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, and OCTAVIA enter. |
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ANTONY
No further, sir. |
ANTONY
You can’t go any further with us, sir. |
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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 bond 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 cherished. |
CAESAR
You take an important part of myself with you. Treat it well . . . . Sister, be the kind of wife I hope you will be, and that this great contract rests upon your being . . . Gracious Antony, don’t let my sister, this epitome of virtue that connects us, become the reason we separate. If you and I don’t value her equally, it would be better for us to work out our differences without her. |
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ANTONY
Make me not offended In your distrust. |
ANTONY
Don’t insult me with your distrust. |
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CAESAR
I have said. |
CAESAR
I mean what I say. |
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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. |
ANTONY
You won’t find any cause for anxiety, even if you look for one. So, may the gods protect you and change the hearts of the Romans so that they turn and give you their support. We’ll leave you here. |
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CAESAR
Farewell, my dearest sister, fare thee well. The elements be kind to thee and make Thy spirits all of comfort! Fare thee well. |
CAESAR
Good-bye, my dearest sister, good-bye. I hope you have good weather to set your mind at ease. Farewell. |
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OCTAVIA
My noble brother! |
OCTAVIA
My noble brother! |
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She weeps |
She begins to cry. |
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ANTONY
The April’s in her eyes; it is love’s spring, And these the showers to bring it on. (to OCTAVIA) Be cheerful. |
ANTONY
Her eyes are like April: full of showers. But they’ll flower into love.(to OCTAVIA) Be cheerful. |
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OCTAVIA
(to CAESAR) Sir, look well to my husband’s house, and— |
OCTAVIA
(to CAESAR) Take care of my former husband’s property, and— |
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CAESAR
What, Octavia? |
CAESAR
What is it, Octavia? |
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OCTAVIA
I’ll tell you in your ear. |
OCTAVIA
I’ll tell you privately. |
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She and CAESARwalk aside |
She and CAESAR move apart from the group, and she whispers to him. |
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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 the full of tide And neither way inclines. |
ANTONY
She won’t say what she’s feeling, and she can’t understand her feelings. She’s balanced uneasily, like a feather on the swell of a great wave—she won’t move, even though her situation is about to change. |
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ENOBARBUS
(aside to AGRIPPA) Will Caesar weep? |
ENOBARBUS
(aside to AGRIPPA) Do you think Caesar will cry? |
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AGRIPPA
(aside to ENOBARBUS) He has a cloud in ’s face. |
AGRIPPA
(aside to ENOBARBUS) He does look like it. |
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ENOBARBUS
(aside to AGRIPPA) He were the worse for that, were he a horse; So is he, being a man. |
ENOBARBUS
(aside to AGRIPPA) If he were a horse, watery eyes would lower his value. Men aren’t supposed to cry, either. |
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AGRIPPA
(aside to ENOBARBUS) Why, Enobarbus, When Antony found Julius Caesar dead, He cried almost to roaring, and he wept When at Philippi he found Brutus slain. |
AGRIPPA
(aside to ENOBARBUS) Why, Enobarbus, when Antony saw that Julius Caesar was dead, he cried terribly. And he wept when he found that Brutus had been killed at Philippi. |
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ENOBARBUS
(aside to AGRIPPA) That year indeed he was troubled with a rheum. What willingly he did confound he wailed, Believe ’t, till I wept too. |
ENOBARBUS
(aside to AGRIPPA) He certainly did have rheumy eyes that year. Whenever he had to kill, he cried—it’s true!—until I cried too. |
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CAESAR
(coming forward with OCTAVIA) No, sweet Octavia, You shall hear from me still. The time shall not Outgo my thinking on you. |
CAESAR
(returning with OCTAVIA) Don’t worry, sweet Octavia, I’ll always write to you, and I’ll think about you all the time. |
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ANTONY
Come, sir, come, I’ll wrestle with you in my strength of love. Look, here I have you. |
ANTONY
Come here, sir. I’ll wrestle with you out of love. See, now I have you. |
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Embraces him |
They embrace. |
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Thus I let you go And give you to the gods. |
And thus I let you go and give you to the gods. |
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CAESAR
Adieu. Be happy. |
CAESAR
Good-bye. Be happy. |
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LEPIDUS
(to ANTONY) Let all the number of the stars give light To thy fair way. |
LEPIDUS
(to ANTONY) May every star light your path. |
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CAESAR
Farewell, farewell. |
CAESAR
Farewell, farewell. |
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Kisses OCTAVIA |
He kisses OCTAVIA. |
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ANTONY
Farewell. |
ANTONY
Farewell. |
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Trumpets sound. Exeunt |
Trumpets sound a fanfare as they exit. |