Go to: Antony and Cleopatra Table of Contents where you can also compare this scene to Shakespeare’s original.
Rome, Italy. Octavius Caesar’s house.
(Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar enter with Octavia between them. Servants are also with them)
Mark Antony: I will sometimes have to be away from you for the sake of my duties.
Octavia: I will pray to the gods for you on my knees every time you are gone.
Mark Antony: My dear Octavia, do not pay attention to the bad things the world says about me. I have not always done what is right, but I will from now on. Good night, dear lady. Good night, sir.
Octavia: Good night, sir.
Octavius Caesar: Good night.
(Octavius Caesar and Octavia exit)
(Fortune-teller enters)
Mark Antony: Now, sir, do wish you were still in Egypt?
Fortune-teller: I wish we had never left there!
Mark Antony: And why is that? Tell me if you can.
Fortune-teller: I can’t explain it, but I can see that you need to hurry back to Egypt.
Mark Antony: Tell me, who will be more powerful, me or Caesar?
Fortune-teller: Caesar. That’s why you shouldn’t stay with him. You are noble, courageous, and unmatchable. But Caesar is not and when you are with him, he has too much influence over you. You need to distance yourself from him.
Mark Antony: Don’t talk about this to anyone.
Fortune-teller: I won’t say anything about it to anyone except you. If you play games with him, you’re sure to lose. He just has more natural luck than you do and he’ll win no matter what. I’m telling you that you can’t shine like you should when he is around. He influences you too much and you are at your best when you are away from him.
Mark Antony: Go away. And tell Ventidius I’d like to talk to him. (Fortune-teller exits) I’ll send Ventidius to Parthia. And whether it’s by skill or by chance, that fortune-teller has told the truth. Octavius Caesar does have better luck than me. It’s like the dice do whatever he wants them to and his luck wins over my smarts every time. If we draw straws, he wins. If we bet against each other in the chicken fights, he wins. If we bet against each other in the bird races, he wins. I will go to Egypt, because even though I’m marrying Octavia to make peace between myself and Caesar, I really want to be with Cleopatra. (Ventidius enters) Oh, Ventidius, come in. I need you to go to Parthia. Come with me and I’ll give you your orders.
(they exit)
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