This question is based on ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Caesar: "She shall be buried by her Antony: / No grave upon the earth shall clip in it / A pair so famous." ...

Answer Details

In this passage from the final act of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, Caesar (Octavius) speaks over the bodies of the dead lovers and orders that Cleopatra be buried beside Antony. His words - "No grave upon the earth shall clip in it / A pair so famous" - directly express admiration for the enduring fame of Antony and Cleopatra.

Caesar's statement acknowledges that Antony and Cleopatra have achieved a legendary status that transcends their political defeat. By declaring that no other grave will ever hold a pair as famous, he elevates them from fallen enemies to figures of eternal renown. His decision to bury them together confirms this recognition: he honours their bond rather than separating them in death, which would have been the expected act of a conquering rival.

Dolabella's lines provide context by noting that Caesar himself is arriving to witness the very outcome (Cleopatra's death) that he had tried to prevent - he wanted her alive for his triumphal procession in Rome. This adds complexity, but the question asks specifically what Caesar's statement reveals, and his words centre on the fame of the pair, not on regret, anger, or a desire to separate them.

Caesar does not express anger at Dolabella - there is no accusation or rebuke. He is not expressing a desire to separate Antony and Cleopatra; he commands the opposite. And while he may feel some frustration at Cleopatra's death eluding his plans, the quoted statement itself is an act of tribute, not regret.