IN act 4, scene 1 of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Antony engages in what might best be described as a bit of social trimming. Having just successfully recruited the mass of plebeians with his inviting speech to “Friends, Romans, countrymen” and established his triumvirate with Octavius Caesar and Lepidus, Antony proceeds, somewhat antithetically, to determine who shall die and who shall live in the coming conflict. First is Lepidus's brother, who Lepidus agrees to have killed, followed by Publius, Antony’s sister's son, who Lepidus points out “Upon condition … shall not live.” Antony agrees, and “with a spot … damn[s] him” (4.1.1–5). But when Lepidus exits, Antony goes so far as to question the makeup of his own triumvirate and Lepidus's own inclusion in the group. “This is a slight, unmeritable man,” Antony posits; “Is it fit, / The threefold world divided, he should stand / One of the three to share it?” (3.3.12–14). An implicit hierarchy exists among the three members of the triumvirate, and Antony would rather it be the better duo—he and the younger Caesar—rather than a trio that comes to control the world.

Therefore, it is somewhat striking that Antony and Cleopatra, an effective sequel to the events of Julius Caesar, opens with a clear affirmation that the world remains a tripartite affair. “Take but good note,” Philo declares as Antony first enters, “and you shall see in him the triple pillar of the world” (1.1.11–13). Despite Antony’s most ardent of intentions, the third man remains, and the desire for the exclusiveness of the pair still seems to be running up against the larger collective of the trio. Antony has an exclusive conception of social organization that seeks to privilege the most exemplary of individuals, but such an ideal remains caught up in the reality of an existing set of commitments.

Antony's desire to cull his social circle from three to two may seem like the personal and perhaps even momentary whims of one man, but it reflects a prevalent social tension in the early modern period.