Act 1, Scene 3 — Antony and Cleopatra

The argument Cleopatra stages a dramatic confrontation as Antony announces his departure for Rome; after manipulation, recrimination, and genuine grief, she finally releases him with a warrior's blessing.

Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Alexas and Iras.

CLEOPATRA Cleopatra's first thought

Where is he?

Where is Antony?

where where is he

CHARMIAN Charmian answering

I did not see him since.

I have not seen him since

I have not seen him

haven't seen since then

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra ordering intelligence and performance

See where he is, who’s with him, what he does.

I did not send you. If you find him sad,

Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report

That I am sudden sick. Quick, and return.

Find where he is, who is with him, what he does. I did not send you. If you find him sad, tell him I am dancing. If he is in good spirits, say I fell suddenly ill. Quick, return to me

Go find where he is, who he is with, what he is doing. I am not sending you officially. If he is sad, tell him I am dancing. If he is happy, tell him I got suddenly sick. Hurry back

find him who is with him what he does if sad say dancing if mirth suddenly sick

Why it matters This is Cleopatra's theory of love: create uncertainty, never let him feel secure. It's ruthless strategy and genuine terror dressed as tactics.

[_Exit Alexas._]

CHARMIAN ≋ verse Charmian offering advice

Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly,

You do not hold the method to enforce

The like from him.

My lady, if you truly loved him, you would not be using these methods to win his love

My queen, if you really loved him, you would be doing something different to get his love

if love dearly don't hold method enforce like

CLEOPATRA Cleopatra challenging her

What should I do I do not?

What do you think I am not doing?

What am I not doing?

what should i do i do not

CHARMIAN Charmian's conventional wisdom

In each thing give him way; cross him in nothing.

Give him his way in everything. Never cross him in anything

Let him do what he wants. Do not argue with him

give him way cross him in nothing

CLEOPATRA Cleopatra rejecting advice

Thou teachest like a fool: the way to lose him.

You teach like a fool. That is the way to lose him

You are giving me fool's advice. That is how you lose a man

teach like fool way to lose him

CHARMIAN ≋ verse Charmian warning

Tempt him not so too far; I wish, forbear.

In time we hate that which we often fear.

But here comes Antony.

Do not push him so far. I wish you would not. In time we come to hate what we often fear. But here comes Antony

Do not test him too much. I am worried about you. We end up hating what we fear. But here he comes

don't tempt wish forbear in time hate what fear

Enter Antony.

CLEOPATRA Cleopatra performing illness

I am sick and sullen.

I am sick and sullen

I am sick and upset

sick sullen ill

ANTONY Antony beginning apology

I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose—

I am sorry to give voice to my purpose

I hate that I have to say this

sorry to give breathing to purpose

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra interrupting with collapse

Help me away, dear Charmian! I shall fall.

It cannot be thus long; the sides of nature

Will not sustain it.

Help me away, dear Charmian! I shall fall. It cannot be thus. My body will not sustain it

Charmian, help me! I am fainting. I cannot bear this. My body is breaking

help me away fail sides of nature will not sustain

ANTONY Antony trying again

Now, my dearest queen—

Now, my dearest queen

My dearest queen

now my dearest queen

CLEOPATRA Cleopatra physically rejecting

Pray you, stand farther from me.

Please, stand farther from me

Stay back from me

stand farther from me

ANTONY Antony puzzled

What’s the matter?

What is the matter?

What is it?

what's matter

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra attacking via Fulvia

I know by that same eye there’s some good news.

What, says the married woman you may go?

Would she had never given you leave to come!

Let her not say ’tis I that keep you here.

I have no power upon you; hers you are.

I see in that same eye some good news. What, does your married wife give you leave to depart? I wish she had never given you leave to come. Let her not say it is I that keep you. I have no power on you. Yours she is

I can see in your eyes you have good news. Does your wife say you can go? I wish she had never let you come here. Do not blame me for keeping you. You are hers, not mine

same eye good news married woman leave keep you no power hers

ANTONY Antony swearing truth

The gods best know—

The gods best know

God knows

gods best know

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra claiming she knew

O, never was there queen

So mightily betrayed! Yet at the first

I saw the treasons planted.

Oh, never was there queen so mightily betrayed! Yet at the first I saw the treasons planted

Oh, no queen was ever so completely betrayed! But from the very start, I saw this coming

never queen so betrayed first saw treasons planted

ANTONY Antony trying to speak

Cleopatra—

Cleopatra

cleopatra

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra attacking his faithfulness

Why should I think you can be mine and true,

Though you in swearing shake the throned gods,

Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness,

To be entangled with those mouth-made vows

Which break themselves in swearing!

Why should I believe you can be mine and be faithful

How can I believe you will be mine and stay faithful

can be mine and true impossible

"mouth-made vows / Which break themselves in swearing" Cleopatra articulates the paradox of oaths: the very act of swearing reveals the need to swear — i.e., the lack of inherent fidelity. An oath that requires swearing is already broken.

ANTONY Antony pleading

Most sweet queen—

Most sweet queen

My sweet queen

most sweet queen

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra rejecting excuses

Nay, pray you seek no colour for your going,

But bid farewell and go. When you sued staying,

Then was the time for words. No going then,

Eternity was in our lips and eyes,

Bliss in our brows’ bent; none our parts so poor

But was a race of heaven. They are so still,

Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world,

Art turned the greatest liar.

No, do not make excuses for leaving

No, do not make excuses

seek no colour for going

Why it matters One of the most devastating lines in the scene: either their love was real and still is, or he is the greatest liar in the world. She gives him no middle ground.

ANTONY Antony shocked

How now, lady!

What is this, lady

What is this

how now lady

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra with dark wish

I would I had thy inches, thou shouldst know

There were a heart in Egypt.

I wish I had your physical size to understand what it is to be me

I wish I had your strength to know what I feel

wish i had thy inches should know

ANTONY ≋ verse Antony commanding her

Hear me, queen:

The strong necessity of time commands

Our services awhile, but my full heart

Remains in use with you. Our Italy

Shines o’er with civil swords; Sextus Pompeius

Makes his approaches to the port of Rome;

Equality of two domestic powers

Breed scrupulous faction; the hated, grown to strength,

Are newly grown to love; the condemned Pompey,

Rich in his father’s honour, creeps apace

Into the hearts of such as have not thrived

Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten;

And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge

By any desperate change. My more particular,

And that which most with you should safe my going,

Is Fulvia’s death.

Hear me, queen

Listen to me, queen

hear me queen

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra refusing reason

Though age from folly could not give me freedom,

It does from childishness. Can Fulvia die?

Age could not teach me wisdom to control myself

Age cannot teach me to control myself

age from folly cannot give freedom

ANTONY ≋ verse Antony telling her the news

She’s dead, my queen.

Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read

The garboils she awaked; at the last, best,

See when and where she died.

She is dead, my queen

she's dead my queen fulvia

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra calling him liar

O most false love!

Where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill

With sorrowful water? Now I see, I see,

In Fulvia’s death how mine received shall be.

Oh most false love

Oh how false you are

oh false love false

Why it matters This is the most honest thing Cleopatra says in the scene — and the most devastating. She's not performing; she's genuinely frightened.

ANTONY ≋ verse Antony demanding she stop

Quarrel no more, but be prepared to know

The purposes I bear; which are, or cease,

As you shall give th’ advice. By the fire

That quickens Nilus’ slime, I go from hence

Thy soldier, servant, making peace or war

As thou affects.

Stop quarreling and listen

Stop fighting and listen to me

quarrel no more be prepared to know

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra requesting help

Cut my lace, Charmian, come!

But let it be; I am quickly ill and well,

So Antony loves.

Loosen my corset, Charmian

Undo my corset, Charmian

cut my lace charmian come

ANTONY ≋ verse Antony concerned

My precious queen, forbear,

And give true evidence to his love, which stands

An honourable trial.

My precious queen, please stop

My queen, please stop

precious queen forbear

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra with implication

So Fulvia told me.

I prithee, turn aside and weep for her,

Then bid adieu to me, and say the tears

Belong to Egypt. Good now, play one scene

Of excellent dissembling, and let it look

Like perfect honour.

This is what Fulvia told me you would do

Fulvia warned me you would act this way

fulvia told me

ANTONY Antony warning her

You’ll heat my blood. No more.

You make me angry. Stop

You are making me angry

heat my blood no more

CLEOPATRA Cleopatra taunting

You can do better yet, but this is meetly.

You could do better, but this is adequate

You could do more if you tried

can do better but this meetly

ANTONY Antony swearing

Now, by my sword—

Now by my sword

By my sword

by my sword

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra completing mockingly

And target. Still he mends.

But this is not the best. Look, prithee, Charmian,

How this Herculean Roman does become

The carriage of his chafe.

And your shield. Look how he improves

And your shield. See how he gets better

and target still he mends

ANTONY Antony breaking

I’ll leave you, lady.

I will leave you, lady

I am leaving you

leave you lady

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra stopping him

Courteous lord, one word.

Sir, you and I must part, but that’s not it;

Sir, you and I have loved, but there’s not it;

That you know well. Something it is I would—

O, my oblivion is a very Antony,

And I am all forgotten.

Courteous lord, one word

My lord, one word

courteous lord one word

Why it matters The most unguarded moment in the scene — Cleopatra's famous composure breaks and she doesn't know what she wants to say. Shakespeare gives her genuine speechlessness, which is more powerful than any prepared speech.

ANTONY ≋ verse Antony stating condition

But that your royalty

Holds idleness your subject, I should take you

For idleness itself.

But for your rank, you would see my anger

If you were not the queen, you would feel my anger

your royalty stays my anger

CLEOPATRA ≋ verse Cleopatra saying goodbye

’Tis sweating labour

To bear such idleness so near the heart

As Cleopatra this. But, sir, forgive me,

Since my becomings kill me when they do not

Eye well to you. Your honour calls you hence;

Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly,

And all the gods go with you! Upon your sword

Sit laurel victory, and smooth success

Be strewed before your feet!

This parting is like hard labor

This goodbye costs me everything

sweating labour true

Why it matters The pivot that defines Cleopatra: from manipulation to genuine grandeur. This is her warrior's blessing, and it's magnificent.

🎭 Dramatic irony Cleopatra's grand farewell — 'may all the gods go with you' — is spoken by a woman who will soon attempt to manipulate Antony's return by faking her own death. The gods she invokes will not protect him.

ANTONY ≋ verse Antony leaving

Let us go. Come.

Our separation so abides and flies

That thou, residing here, goes yet with me,

And I, hence fleeting, here remain with thee.

Away!

Let us go. Come

Let us leave. Come

go come

Why it matters One of the most elegant farewell lines in Shakespeare — the chiasmus ('thou goes yet with me / I here remain with thee') is structurally perfect and emotionally devastating.

[_Exeunt._]

The Reckoning

This is the scene where Cleopatra's emotional intelligence — and her emotional weaponry — are on full display. She starts with a performance, moves into real accusation, gets cut by the news of Fulvia's death (which she reads immediately as a sign of how she herself will one day be discarded), and ends by pulling herself together and giving Antony a soldier's farewell. The audience is left with a woman who is both more calculating and more genuinely wounded than the first scene suggested — and with Antony's beautiful final lines, which are also a goodbye.

If this happened today…

A woman finds out her long-distance partner, who has been with her in Paris for months, is going back to his home country. She already knows why — she's been watching the news, she read his texts, she knows his ex-wife died. She fakes being sick when he arrives. Then she pivots: challenges him, accuses him, demands proof of love, cries, gets angry, accuses him of lying about everything. He gives her a full political briefing. She takes it in, then says: the fact that your ex-wife is dead is exactly how I know I'll be treated the same way. Then she lets him go. It's the most brutal send-off, and also somehow the most loving.

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