Where is the fellow?
Where is this man?
Where's the messenger?
where's the guy
Half afeared to come.
He's half afraid to come here.
He's nervous about showing up.
he's scared to come
Go to, go to.
Come on, come on.
Come on, never mind.
alright alright
Come hither, sir.
Come here, sir.
Come over here, sir.
come here
Good majesty,
Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you
But when you are well pleased.
My good queen, Herod of Judea wouldn't dare look at you unless you were pleased with him.
Majesty, even great kings like Herod wouldn't dare look at you unless you allowed it.
even herod wouldnt dare look at you unless you said so
That Herod’s head
I’ll have! But how, when Antony is gone,
Through whom I might command it?—Come thou near.
I want Herod's head! But how can I command it when Antony is gone? Come closer.
I'd like to have Herod's head! But without Antony, how would I command that? Come here.
i want herods head but without antony how can i come here
Most gracious majesty!
Most gracious majesty!
Most gracious majesty!
most gracious majesty!
Didst thou behold Octavia?
Did you see Octavia?
You saw Octavia, right?
you see octavia
Ay, dread queen.
Yes, dread queen.
Yes, your majesty.
yeah your majesty
Where?
Where?
Where?
where?
Madam, in Rome
I looked her in the face, and saw her led
Between her brother and Mark Antony.
I saw her clearly in Rome, madam, positioned between her brother Caesar and Mark Antony as they walked.
In Rome I saw her clearly—she was between her brother and Antony.
in rome i saw her between her brother and antony
Is she as tall as me?
Is she as tall as I am?
Does she match my height?
tall like me
What this scene dissects so precisely is a universal problem of power: when you can punish bad news, you will eventually receive only good news. The messenger was beaten in 2-5 for accurately reporting Octavia's marriage. He has drawn the obvious conclusion. Now he watches Cleopatra's face and calibrates his answers in real time — short when she wants agreement, detailed when she wants ammunition. The result is an entirely fictitious portrait of Octavia as small, dull, creeping, old, and plain. None of it may be true. But it is all exactly what Cleopatra needs to believe. This is how intelligence services fail, how dictators surround themselves with bad information, and how love affairs are rationalized. The scene is funny because we can see the mechanism working perfectly — and terrifying for the same reason.
She is not, madam.
She falls short in height, madam.
Not at all, madam.
nah
Didst hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongued or low?
Did you hear her speak? Does she have a shrill voice or a low one?
Did you hear her speak? Is her voice high-pitched or deep?
did you hear her talk high voice or low
Madam, I heard her speak. She is low-voiced.
I did hear her speak, madam. Her voice is quite low.
Yes madam, I heard her. She speaks softly and deep.
yeah i heard her she talks real quiet
That’s not so good. He cannot like her long.
That's unfortunate. He won't keep his interest in her.
That's a problem. He won't stick with her.
thats bad he wont stay
Like her? O Isis! ’Tis impossible.
Like her? Oh Isis! That's impossible.
Like her? By the goddess! That's impossible.
like her impossible
I think so, Charmian: dull of tongue and dwarfish!
What majesty is in her gait? Remember,
If e’er thou look’dst on majesty.
I think so too, Charmian: dull of tongue and small! What majesty is in the way she walks? Remember, if you have ever seen majesty before.
I think so, Charmian: boring and short! Where's the majesty in how she moves? Remember, if you've ever seen true majesty.
dull boring and short no majesty in how she walks if youve ever seen majesty
She creeps.
Her motion and her station are as one.
She shows a body rather than a life,
A statue than a breather.
She moves slowly. Her motion and her posture are the same. She shows a body rather than a life, a statue rather than someone who breathes.
She shuffles along. Her walk and stance are identical. She looks like a body, not a living person—more like a statue than someone who breathes.
she creeps slowly her walk and stance are the same looks like a statue not alive
Is this certain?
Is this certain?
Is this certain?
is this certain?
Or I have no observance.
Or I have no ability to observe.
Or I have no eye for detail.
or i cant see
Three in Egypt
Cannot make better note.
Three of the wisest in Egypt couldn't make a better observation.
The three wisest people in Egypt couldn't observe better than that.
even the best in egypt couldnt do better
He’s very knowing;
I do perceive’t. There’s nothing in her yet.
The fellow has good judgment.
He's very perceptive; I can see that. There's nothing remarkable about her. This fellow has good judgment.
He's very smart; I can tell. She's got nothing special. This guy really knows what he's talking about.
he's smart octavia's nothing special good judgment
Excellent.
Excellent.
Excellent.
excellent.
Guess at her years, I prithee.
Guess at her age, please.
Tell me, how old would you say she is?
how old is she
Madam,
She was a widow.
She'd already lost her first husband.
She had been married before.
already married
Everything the messenger describes could be a fair description of Octavia — quiet, calm, graceful in a restrained way. In the previous scene, Shakespeare himself suggests she is a feather balanced at high tide: still, poised, contained. But Cleopatra's interrogation flips every neutral quality into a defect. Low voice = dull. Small stature = dwarfish. Still movement = a statue, not a person. Calm = lifeless. This is jealousy doing exactly what jealousy does: not lying, but reframing. What's interesting is that Shakespeare lets the audience see both versions of Octavia. She is neither the cipher Cleopatra describes nor the ideal Caesar imagines. She is something the play treats with more care than either man or rival gives her credit for.
Widow! Charmian, hark!
Widow! Charmian, listen!
A widow! Charmian, listen to this!
widow! charmian listen!
And I do think she’s thirty.
And I believe she is thirty years old.
And I'd say she's about thirty.
id say about thirty
Bear’st thou her face in mind? Is’t long or round?
Do you remember her face? Is it long or round?
Do you remember what her face looked like? Is it long or round?
what did her face look like long or round
Round even to faultiness.
Round, even excessively so.
Round, almost too round.
round too round
For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.
Her hair, what colour?
Most of them are foolish when their faces are that round. What color is her hair?
People with round faces are usually stupid anyway. What color is her hair?
round faced people are dumb what color is her hair
Brown, madam, and her forehead
As low as she would wish it.
Brown, madam, and her forehead is exactly as low as she herself would wish.
Brown, your majesty, and her forehead is exactly the way she would want it.
brown. her forehead is exactly how she'd want it
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.
There's gold for you. Don't take my earlier harshness the wrong way. I'll use you again; I find you very capable. Get yourself ready; our letters are prepared.
Here's gold for you. Don't be offended by how I treated you before. I'll send you again—you're perfect for this work. Get ready; our letters are written.
heres gold i didnt mean to be harsh youre good at this get ready our letters are done
A proper man.
A proper man.
A proper man.
a proper man.
Indeed, he is so. I repent me much
That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him,
This creature’s no such thing.
Indeed, he is. I deeply regret how I rushed him. It seems to me, from what he tells me, this Octavia is nothing special.
Yes, he is. I really regret how I treated him. From what he's told me, this girl is nothing to worry about.
im sorry how i treated him from what he says octavia is nothing
Nothing, madam.
Nothing, madam.
Nothing, madam.
nothing, madam.
The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.
The man has seen majesty, so he should know what it looks like.
He's been around royalty, so he knows what real majesty looks like.
he's seen majesty so he knows
Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend,
And serving you so long!
Has he seen majesty? Goddess protect us, and yet he's served you all this time!
He's seen majesty? And after serving you all this time!
he's seen majesty and served you all this time
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.
I have one more thing to ask him, good Charmian. But it doesn't matter; you bring him to me where I will write. Everything will work out.
I have one more question for him, Charmian. Never mind; bring him to me where I can write. Everything will be fine.
i have one more question bring him where i write itll be fine
I warrant you, madam.
I assure you, madam.
You can count on me, madam.
i got you
The Reckoning
This is one of the funniest and most psychologically sharp scenes in the play. Cleopatra is simultaneously jealous, insecure, and in complete control of a performance she's directing in real time. The messenger, having been beaten and humiliated in his last appearance, knows what answers are required and supplies them. Everyone in the scene is lying — but the lies are what Cleopatra needs to function. The audience laughs, and then wonders what that says about the nature of information in a court.
If this happened today…
A celebrity scrolls through her ex's new girlfriend's Instagram, asking her assistant pointed questions. 'Is she taller than me?' 'Would you say she's aging well?' The assistant, who got fired once for honest feedback, now knows the game. 'No. Not really. Definitely older-looking than you.' The celebrity nods, tips generously. 'Good eye. Very perceptive.' She feels better. The ex is still with the other woman. But the Instagram deep-dive has served its psychological purpose.