Antony and Cleopatra

by: William Shakespeare

Act 3 Scene 12

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Original Text	Modern Text
Enter CAESAR, AGRIPPA, THIDIAS, and DOLABELLA, with others	CAESAR, AGRIPPA, THIDIAS, and DOLABELLA enter, with others of the court.
CAESAR Let him appear that’s come from Antony. Know you him?	CAESAR Let the envoy from Antony come in. Do you know him?
DOLABELLA Caesar, ’tis his schoolmaster— An argument that he is plucked, when hither He sends so poor a pinion of his wing, 5Which had superfluous kings for messengers Not many moons gone by.	DOLABELLA It’s Antony’s schoolmaster. By sending such an insignificant emissary, Antony shows us how low he has sunk. Not so long ago, he had so many royal supporters that he sent along extra kings as messengers.
Enter AMBASSADOR from Antony	Antony’s AMBASSADOR enters.
CAESAR Approach and speak.	CAESAR Come forward and speak.
AMBASSADOR Such as I am, I come from Antony. I was of late as petty to his ends As is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf 10To his grand sea.	AMBASSADOR Humble as I am, I represent Antony. Until recently, I was as unimportant to his affairs as the morning dew is to the wide ocean.
CAESAR Be ’t so. Declare thine office.	CAESAR So be it. Say what you’re here for.
AMBASSADOR Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and Requires to live in Egypt; which not granted, He lessens his requests, and to thee sues To let him breathe between the heavens and earth 15A private man in Athens. This for him. Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness, Submits her to thy might, and of thee craves The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs, Now hazarded to thy grace.	AMBASSADOR He acknowledges that you are the master of his fate, and he requests to be allowed to live in Egypt. If that is not granted, he reduces his requests and asks only that he be allowed to live as a private man in Athens. That’s all he asks for himself. Cleopatra recognizes your greatness and accepts your authority. She only asks that the crown of Egypt pass to her heirs, who are now at your mercy.

Read the Summary of Act III, scenes viii–xiii

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