"All for Love" Act III

Antony has won a victory over Octavius. Trumpets are played as he enters. Cleopatra then comes with a laurel wreath and crowns Antony. Antony says that while he was fighting he was thinking of her warm embraces which he would get after his victory. She calls him her great Mars and he calls he." his loving Venus. In her arms he finds perennial spring.

Ventidius comes and looks at the love game going on there. Antony wants to go to the temple of Isis. Ventidius pulls him by his robe. Ventidius tells him that he has come with a message which Antony would love to hear. Antony says that he would return. Ventidius says that Antony's virtues are so mixed with his Vices that the gods would be confused when awarding rewards and punishment to him.

Antony comes back and tells Ventidius that he can win victories without his help. He has pushed the enemy from his positions. About five thousand enemy troops have been killed. Ventidius says that he has done well but the loss of five thousand soldiers will not weaken Octavius. His advice is that Antony should take advantage of his temporary victory to sign a treaty of peace with Octavius favourable to him. Antony says that Octavius is a cool murderer and he will not sign any treaty of peace. Ventidius asks whether he has any friend in the camp of Octavius. Antony replies that he has none, but if he wins four or five small victories of this type he will be able to finally defeat Octavius. Ventidius wants Antony to realize his difficulties. He draws his supplies from one small town (Alexandria) and he has the support of the Euptians only, while Octavius can draw his men and supplies from all over the world.

Antony says that he had one sincere friend but he has left him now. He is Dolabella. He had fallen in love with Cleopatra. When Antony asked him not to see the lady he left without even taking leave. Ventidius tells him that Dolabella's behaviour showed that be loved Antony more than he loved Cleopatra and in Caesar's camp he had been working hard for peace between the two leaders.

Antony says that he wished that he were with him at this time. Then Ventidius tells him that Dolabella had sent a messenger with some papers from Octavius's camp. Ventidius goes and immediately come back with Dolabella. Antony is delighted to see him and says that a bridegroom could not be so full of yearning for his bride as he was for his friend. He tells him that he is in the worst state of degradation.

Dolabella says that for him his friend is still the Lord of all the world. Antony recalls the days of his glory when his chambers were tilled with kings who were now slaves and were only waiting to salute him.

But now fortune has abandoned him and Octavius is now her favourite. Dolabella tells him frankly that what he is now is by his own doing.

Antony tells him that there was a time when he thought that Cleopatra was responsible for his brother's death. She came from Egypt to clear herself of the charge. Her galley sailed down the silvery waters of the river Cydnus. The pulleys and ropes were made of silk and the flags were waving with gold. Her maid-servants were dressed like Nereids. Cleopatra lay on her coach like a sea-born Venus. boys dress as- Cupids stood with their painted wings fanning her. The beautiful sight overwhelmed all the onlookers with joy. Dolabella was so charmed that he forgot his anger.

Dolabella says that he fell in love with Cleopatra in his young days and it was a purely personal matter. But Antony fell in love with her at his advanced age and his love affected the Roman Empire. He then says that he has been working to bring about reconciliation between Antony and Octavius. He has brought an agreement the terms of which are most honourable to Antony. The person who influenced Octavius to agree to these terms was Octavia, Antony's wife.

Ventidius goes and brings with him Octavia and Antony's two little daughters. Antony is upset to see them there. Dolabella says, "For shame, my lord, receive them with kindness even if you cannot love them. If you profess to be a man, meet them, embrace them and bid them welcome. Ventidius tells him that he has brought them here."

Octavia says, "I have been waiting for my welcome which I could surely expect even as stranger." She asks Antony, "Do you know now who I am 0" Antony replies that she is the sister of Octavius. Octavia says rightly that it is unkind of him to say that. If she had been only the sister of Octavius she would have remained in his camp. She is his wife whom he has treated with great cruelty. She wants to claim her rights as his wife. He says that it seems to him that she has meanly begged her brother for his life. Antony now says that his wife and his friends have all betrayed him and would force him to accept mean conditions. He would have to live as a branded slave of his wife.

Octavia, however, explains that his honour is her honour and she would never get her husband humiliated by her brother. According to the terms of the agreement he would be free, free even from the wife he hates. Octavius will withdraw his troops and he will become the ruler of the East. He can drop her m Athens or somewhere else. She will retain the name of 'wife' but it will involve him in no commitment. He can enjoy Cleopatra's love in peace.

When Antony heard this his face became red with shame. He had been extremely cruel to his wife and she had repaid him with great generosity and self-sacrifice. A tear came to his eye. He said that he could not accept the proposals because she had done everything out of a sense of duty and not because of love. Dolabella tells him that Octavia loves him very much. Antony is in a fix and does not know what to do. He feels pity for Octavia and wants to redress the wrongs that he has done to her. But he cannot abandon Cleopatra who loves him and is prepared to die for him.

Ventidius tells him that Cleopatra deserves neither pity nor justice because she is responsible for Antony's ruin. Octavia says that she would forget all the wrongs that he has done to her. She asks her children to run to their father, kneel down before him and take him by the hand. The children go to him and embrace him. This overwhelms him. He says, "Take me, Octavia, take me, children. I am yours. You may share me between yourselves." He promises that all his lapses will be set right. Octavia exclaims, "O blessed moment." Ventidius is so happy that tears come in his eyes. Antony asks Octavia to stay with him at night. The next morning he and Octavius would become friends again.

Alexas was very unhappy at this development. His plan that Cleopatra should betray Antony and become friendly with Octavius had not been successful because Cleopatra had very great love for Antony. And now Antony was going to abandon Cleopatra because of his reconciliation with Octavia. He conveys this news to the queen who is plunged into deep distress. Octavia has captured her Antony. She wants to know whether this lady is bright and beautiful. Alexas says that Cleopatra is the climax of wonder so far as beauty is concerned. But Octavia is good and virtuous.

Octavia comes there with Ventidius. She walks up to Cleopatra with dignity. Cleopatra tells her that she is a queen. Octavia says that she isa Roman and the future of Cleopatra depended upon the vision of Romans. Cleopatra says, "Your husband, who is a Roman, is a slave to my love." Octavia tells het that she has come to Egypt to free her husband from this slavery. Cleopatra tells her that Antony legally is her husband hut all his love is for her (Cleopatra). Octavia says that Cleopatra has sensual charms which entrapped Julius Caesar and have now entrapped her husband. She is a shame to womankind. She makes her illegitimate love pleasing to men.

Cleopatra says that she is proud of her charms which have attracted the bravest and greatest of men (Antony) to her. Octavia then accuses her of having ruined him and having made him an object of contempt all over the world. She betrayed him at Actium. She had reduced his children to the position of orphans and his wife to the position of a widow. Cleopatra tells her that this was not true. Octavia had the honour of being called his wife while she herself had lost the honour ot a queen and had acquired the contemptuous title of a 'Mistress'. Only her life is left now and that too she wishes to sacrifice for her love Octavia leaves saying, "All right, do what you wish."

Cleopatra says that her spirits are sinking down and she wishes to die. She asks her maids to take her to a lonely chamber where she can abandon herself fully to grief at Antony's unkindness.