This question is based on ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Which character says: "The nature of bad news infects the teller."

Answer Details

The line "The nature of bad news infects the teller" is spoken by a messenger in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.

The messenger, tasked with delivering unwelcome news, expresses a widely understood fear: that bearers of bad tidings will be blamed or punished for the information they carry. The word "infects" suggests a kind of contagion - the negativity of the news spreads to the person who delivers it, tainting them by association. The messenger is essentially pleading for understanding before he speaks, acknowledging that his role places him in danger.

This fear proves well-founded in the play. Cleopatra is notorious for her violent treatment of messengers who bring her unwanted news. When a messenger later informs her that Antony has married Octavia, she strikes him, threatens him, and drags him by his hair. The line therefore captures a real hazard of the messenger's position in Cleopatra's court.

The line is not spoken by Antony, Cleopatra, or Enobarbus. It belongs to a messenger reflecting on the vulnerability inherent in his role.