Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra - Is Octavia ugly or beautiful?

Antony and Cleopatra

Please see the bottom of this page for explanatory notes and resources.

ACT III SCENE III	Alexandria. Cleopatra's palace.
[Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and ALEXAS]
CLEOPATRA	Where is the fellow?
ALEXAS	Half afeard to come.
CLEOPATRA	Go to, go to.
[Enter the Messenger as before]
	Come hither, sir.
ALEXAS	Good majesty,	5
	Herod of Jewry dare not look upon you
	But when you are well pleased.
CLEOPATRA	That Herod's head
	I'll have: but how, when Antony is gone
	Through whom I might command it? Come thou near.	10
Messenger	Most gracious majesty,--
CLEOPATRA	Didst thou behold Octavia?
Messenger	Ay, dread queen.
CLEOPATRA	Where?
Messenger	Madam, in Rome;	15
	I look'd her in the face, and saw her led
	Between her brother and Mark Antony.
CLEOPATRA	Is she as tall as me?
Messenger	She is not, madam.
CLEOPATRA	Didst hear her speak? is she shrill-tongued or low?	20
Messenger	Madam, I heard her speak; she is low-voiced.
CLEOPATRA	That's not so good: he cannot like her long.
CHARMIAN	Like her! O Isis! 'tis impossible.
CLEOPATRA	I think so, Charmian: dull of tongue, and dwarfish!
	What majesty is in her gait? Remember,	25
	If e'er thou look'dst on majesty.
Messenger	She creeps:
	Her motion and her station are as one;
	She shows a body rather than a life,
	A statue than a breather.	30
CLEOPATRA	Is this certain?
Messenger	Or I have no observance.
CHARMIAN	Three in Egypt
	Cannot make better note.
CLEOPATRA	He's very knowing;	35
	I do perceive't: there's nothing in her yet:
	The fellow has good judgment.
CHARMIAN	Excellent.
CLEOPATRA	Guess at her years, I prithee.
Messenger	Madam,	40
	She was a widow,--
CLEOPATRA	Widow! Charmian, hark.
Messenger	And I do think she's thirty.
CLEOPATRA	Bear'st thou her face in mind? is't long or round?
Messenger	Round even to faultiness.	45
CLEOPATRA	For the most part, too, they are foolish that are so.
	Her hair, what colour?
Messenger	Brown, madam: and her forehead
	As low as she would wish it.
CLEOPATRA	There's gold for thee.	50
	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.
[Exit Messenger]
CHARMIAN	A proper man.	55
CLEOPATRA	Indeed, he is so: I repent me much
	That so I harried him. Why, methinks, by him,
	This creature's no such thing.
CHARMIAN	Nothing, madam.
CLEOPATRA	The man hath seen some majesty, and should know.	60
CHARMIAN	Hath he seen majesty? Isis else defend,
	And serving you so long!
CLEOPATRA	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.	65
CHARMIAN	I warrant you, madam.
[Exeunt]

Antony and Cleopatra, Act 3, Scene 4
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Explanatory Notes for Act 3, Scene 3
From Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company.
(Line numbers have been altered.)
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18. As. This word had somewhat the force of a preposition; hence the objective case following.

20. Shrill. Sprightly, lively of speech.

28. Station. Manner of standing still.

30. Breather. A living being.

32. Observance. Powers of observation.

34. Note. Observation. That is, there are not three persons in Egypt who are better qualified to observe.

36. Yet. So far as he has described her.

39. Prithee. Pray thee.

37. As low as. Slang for "as low as it could be."

41. Proper. A fine fellow.

57. Harried. Scolded, used roughly.

58. No such thing. Nothing very remarkable.

61. Defend. Forbid.

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How to cite the explanatory notes:
Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company, 1908. Shakespeare Online. 20 Feb. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/antony_3_3.html >.

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