PROCULEIUS             You do extend

These thoughts of horror further than you shall

Find cause in Caesar.

Enter Dolabella

DOLABELLA               Proculeius,

What thou hast done thy master Caesar knows,

And he hath sent for thee. For the Queen,

I’ll take her to my guard.

PROCULEIUS So, Dolabella,

It shall content me best. Be gentle to her.

[To Cleopatra]

To Caesar I will speak what you shall please,

If you’ll employ me to him.

CLEOPATRA              Say I would die.

Exit Proculeius                                   (5.2.61-9)

 

Proculeius can be impatient, dismissive, oh come on, stop exaggerating, stop being so dramatic: you do extend these thoughts of horror further than you shall find cause in Caesar. You’re imagining an absolute worse-case scenario, far worse than anything that Caesar’s capable of. You’ve got no justification for this kind of hysteria. Or, he can reassure, gently, trying to reason again: what evidence do you have, for this kind of fear of Caesar, such that a miserable death here in Egypt seems a better alternative? Cleopatra’s probably not going to dignify that with a response, and in any case, here’s another Roman man to do business over her head, Caesar checking up that his orders are being followed, that everything’s under control. Proculeius, what thou hast done thy master Caesar knows, and he hath sent for thee. Your job’s done here—perhaps with the implication, and Caesar’s not entirely sure that he can trust you not to go off message, to improvise, to be swayed by Cleopatra into concessions, for instance, or to seize her yourself as a hostage, even—so, back to base and make your report. I’m in charge now. For the Queen, I’ll take her to my guard. So, Dolabella, it shall content me best. Fine by me, says Proculeius, as smooth as his master Caesar. But—be gentle to her. So, Cleopatra’s won him over at least a bit? As it seems from his next line, to Cleopatra herself: to Caesar I will speak what you shall please, if you’ll employ me to him. I can pass on your message directly to Caesar; I can act for you now. No chance, sir, is the implication, and she’s never been interested in negotiation anyway. Say I would die. That’s my message, my final word to your master Caesar. I want to die.