DEMETRIUS               Is Caesar with Antonius prized so slight?

PHILO Sir, sometimes when he is not Antony

He comes too short of that great property

Which still should go with Antony.

DEMETRIUS               I am full sorry

That he approves the common liar who

Thus speaks of him at Rome; but I will hope

Of better deeds tomorrow. Rest you happy.

Exeunt                         (1.1.58-64)

Demetrius hasn’t said a word the whole scene (Philo did all the talking at the beginning) but now—having witnessed all this—he is shocked, dismayed, and incredulous, even outraged. Is Caesar with Antonius prized so slight? Does he really have so little regard for him, Caesar himself, and for Rome, and his Roman responsibilities? It’s mostly to make the line scan, but it’s a brilliant touch for Demetrius (whom, it seems, is superior to Philo in rank and has more recently come from Rome) to Romanise Antony as Antonius, while to Philo and everyone else he is Antony. He might as well be Tony, or Ant. Philo is diplomatic: sir, sometimes when he is not Antony he comes too short of that great property which still should go with Antony. He’s not quite himself, at least not all the time, not at the moment; he’s not necessarily living up to his fame and his reputation, his past deeds and status. He’s falling short, yes. We have a problem, as you see Antony is not always Antony. Demetrius is disappointed, as if he were hoping that all the rumours were false: I am full sorry that he approves—that is, proves correct—the common liar who thus speaks of him at Rome. So, it seems that Demetrius is there at least in part to see what’s going on, to see if the gossip about Antony’s—rogue sabbatical? midlife crisis? is true, or false, or at least exaggerated. Regrettably, the gossip is accurate and, perhaps, the reality is even worse than the rumour. There’s even a sense of Demetrius being personally let down by a titan, a legendary leader, an idol. Never meet your heroes, Demetrius. And that’s the end of the first scene.