ANTONY                     Will Caesar speak?

CAESAR          Not till he hears how Antony is touched

With what is spoke already.

ANTONY         What power is in Agrippa,

If I would say ‘Agrippa, be it so’,

To make this good?

CAESAR                      The power of Caesar,

And his power unto Octavia.

ANTONY                     May I never

To this good purpose, that so fairly shows,

Dream of impediment! Let me have thy hand.

Further this act of grace, and from this hour

The heart of brothers govern in our loves

And sway our great designs.                        (2.2.140-150)

The assembled company hold their breath (perhaps): how will the main players respond? Antony goes first, only to pass the buck: will Caesar speak? What do you think about this? Caesar pushes back, warily: not till he hears how Antony is touched with what is spoke already; no, you go first, you say what you think, whether you think this is a good idea. Antony is stubborn and appeals to Caesar’s sense of his own importance and status, by pointing out that if he speaks first, then he’s only responding to Agrippa, and Agrippa is only the ideas man; it’s Caesar who has the power to make this happen. (Needless to say, Octavia doesn’t get a look in.) What power is in Agrippa, if I would say ‘Agrippa, be it so’, to make this good? It’s not up to Agrippa, after all, is it? So Caesar’s boxed in, he has to give his response—and in effect, his consent—first. I’m in, I support this proposition; I’m completely behind it, with the power of Caesar, and his power unto Octavia. She’s my sister, she’ll do what I say. I can compel her to do this, in effect. So Antony can be magnanimous and eloquent when he finally speaks. Oh this is great, of course I’m totally in: may I never, to this good purpose, that so fairly shows, dream of impediment! This is such a brilliant idea, so well thought through, so clever; I can’t wait, and I couldn’t imagine anything at all that would get in the way. Impediment, of course, echoes the marriage service; he’s reminding Caesar that he and Cleopatra aren’t married (Cleopatra isn’t an impediment, at least not formally, legally), as well as more generally suggesting his commitment to marrying Octavia. Let me have thy hand. (Status move, pulling rank by being the one to reach out; he also adopts, as some editors point out, the familiar thou rather than you, which Caesar signally fails to do.) He echoes Agrippa in claiming Caesar as a brother, and in the enthusiasm of his declaration of affection: further this act of grace, and from this hour, the heart of brothers govern in our loves and sway our grand designs. It looks rather as if Antony’s marrying Caesar rather than Octavia (she’s just the vector) and it’s all going to be hearts and flowers from this moment on, Antony promises; all our plans, all our enterprises will be shaped and guided by the brotherly bond that we henceforth shall share. Hmmm.