CLEOPATRA   O that his fault should make a knave of thee,

That act not what thou’rt sure of! Get thee hence.

The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome

Are all too dear for me. Lie they upon thy hand,

And be undone by ’em.

                        [Exit Messenger]

CHARMIAN                             Good your highness, patience.

CLEOPATRA   In praising Antony I have dispraised Caesar.

CHARMIAN                 Many times, madam.

CLEOPATRA                           I am paid for’t now. (2.5.103-110)

Cleopatra is being a little more conciliatory here, but possibly also bitter and sarcastic: o that his, Antony’s, fault should make a knave of thee that act not what thou’rt sure of! You’re right, you haven’t done anything, it’s not your own actions that have made you a knave in reporting this, she says to the messenger. (You mug, perhaps is the subtext.) And she treats him like an unwelcome, unsuccessful travelling salesman: get thee hence, GO AWAY. The merchandise which thou hast brought from Rome—the news of Antony’s marriage—are all too dear for me. No thank you, nothing today. The cost is too high; I’m not buying it. Lie they—the new, the goods—upon thy hand and be undone by ’em. I hope you have no buyers; I hope that your news chokes you, ruins you utterly. (Editors take pity and add an explicit exit direction for the messenger; he may exit at a run, not waiting to see just how conciliatory a mood Cleopatra is really in.)

Charmian urges Cleopatra—courteously, respectfully—to be patient, and not just with the messenger but, perhaps even more, to act reasonably, to bear up, show forbearance and not do anything rash. She does have a sense of how Cleopatra lashing out at the messenger is a sign (at least partly) of how shocked and distraught she is. But Cleopatra changes tack a little, seems to be blaming herself a bit, seeing this as some kind of karmic pay-back. In praising Antony I have dispraised Caesar. This is my fault, I ditched Caesar, I disparaged him, my former lover, in Antony’s favour, and now I’m left with nothing. Mmm-hmmm, agrees Charmian, you certainly did, and you certainly are. I am paid for’t now, continues Cleopatra. It’s come back to bite me.