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Antony and Cleopatra: Act III, Scene 7

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Antony and Cleopatra
Act III, Scene 7

Near Actium. Mark Antony’s camp.

Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII

A posthumous portrait of Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic Egypt

Ángel M. Felicísimo, 1st century AD

  1. Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus.

Cleopatra

1
  1. I will be even with thee, doubt it not.

Domitius Enobarbus

2
  1. But why, why, why?

Cleopatra

3 - 4
  1. Thou hast forespoke my being in these wars,
  2. And say’st it is not fit.

Domitius Enobarbus

5
  1.                           Well; is it, is it?

Cleopatra

6 - 7
  1. If not denounc’d against us, why should not we
  2. Be there in person?

Domitius Enobarbus

8 - 11
  1. Aside.
  2.                     Well, I could reply:
  3. If we should serve with horse and mares together,
  4. The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear
  5. A soldier and his horse.

Cleopatra

12
  1.                          What is’t you say?

Domitius Enobarbus

13 - 18
  1. Your presence needs must puzzle Antony,
  2. Take from his heart, take from his brain, from ’s time,
  3. What should not then be spar’d. He is already
  4. Traduc’d for levity, and ’tis said in Rome
  5. That Photinus an eunuch and your maids
  6. Manage this war.

Cleopatra

19 - 23
  1.                  Sink Rome, and their tongues rot
  2. That speak against us! A charge we bear i’ th’ war,
  3. And as the president of my kingdom will
  4. Appear there for a man. Speak not against it,
  5. I will not stay behind.
  1. Enter Antony and Canidius.

Domitius Enobarbus

24 - 25
  1.                         Nay, I have done,
  2. Here comes the Emperor.

Mark Antony

26 - 29
  1.                         Is it not strange, Canidius,
  2. That from Tarentum and Brundusium
  3. He could so quickly cut the Ionian Sea,
  4. And take in Toryne? You have heard on’t, sweet?

Cleopatra

30 - 31
  1. Celerity is never more admir’d
  2. Than by the negligent.

Mark Antony

32 - 35
  1.                        A good rebuke,
  2. Which might have well becom’d the best of men,
  3. To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we
  4. Will fight with him by sea.

Cleopatra

36
  1.                             By sea, what else?

Canidius

37
  1. Why will my lord do so?

Mark Antony

38
  1.                         For that he dares us to’t.

Domitius Enobarbus

39
  1. So hath my lord dar’d him to single fight.

Canidius

40 - 43
  1. Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,
  2. Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers,
  3. Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off,
  4. And so should you.

Domitius Enobarbus

44 - 50
  1.                    Your ships are not well mann’d,
  2. Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people
  3. Ingross’d by swift impress. In Caesar’s fleet
  4. Are those that often have ’gainst Pompey fought;
  5. Their ships are yare, yours heavy. No disgrace
  6. Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,
  7. Being prepar’d for land.

Mark Antony

51
  1.                          By sea, by sea.

Domitius Enobarbus

52 - 59
  1. Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
  2. The absolute soldiership you have by land,
  3. Distract your army, which doth most consist
  4. Of war-mark’d footmen, leave unexecuted
  5. Your own renowned knowledge, quite forgo
  6. The way which promises assurance, and
  7. Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
  8. From firm security.
The Flight of Antony and Cleopatra from the Battle of Actium

The Flight of Antony and Cleopatra from the Battle of Actium

Agnes Pringle, circa 1897

Mark Antony

60
  1.                     I’ll fight at sea.

Cleopatra

61
  1. I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.

Mark Antony

62 - 66
  1. Our overplus of shipping will we burn,
  2. And, with the rest full-mann’d, from th’ head of Actium
  3. Beat th’ approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
  4. We then can do’t at land.
  5. Enter Second Roman Messenger.
  6.                           Thy business?

Second Roman Messenger

67 - 68
  1. The news is true, my lord: he is descried;
  2. Caesar has taken Toryne.

Mark Antony

69 - 74
  1. Can he be there in person? ’Tis impossible
  2. Strange that his power should be. Canidius,
  3. Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
  4. And our twelve thousand horse. We’ll to our ship,
  5. Away, my Thetis!
  6. Exit Second Roman Messenger.
  7. Enter Scarus.
  8.                  How now, worthy soldier?

Scarus

75 - 80
  1. O noble Emperor, do not fight by sea,
  2. Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt
  3. This sword, and these my wounds? Let th’ Egyptians
  4. And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we
  5. Have us’d to conquer standing on the earth,
  6. And fighting foot to foot.

Mark Antony

81
  1.                            Well, well, away!
  1. Exeunt Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus.

Scarus

82
  1. By Hercules, I think I am i’ th’ right.

Canidius

83 - 85
  1. Soldier, thou art; but his whole action grows
  2. Not in the power on’t. So our leader’s led,
  3. And we are women’s men.

Scarus

86 - 87
  1.                         You keep by land
  2. The legions and the horse whole, do you not?

Canidius

88 - 91
  1. Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
  2. Publicola, and Caelius are for sea;
  3. But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar’s
  4. Carries beyond belief.

Scarus

92 - 94
  1.                        While he was yet in Rome,
  2. His power went out in such distractions as
  3. Beguil’d all spies.

Canidius

95
  1.                     Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?

Scarus

96
  1. They say, one Taurus.

Canidius

97
  1.                       Well I know the man.
  1. Enter Second Roman Messenger.

Second Roman Messenger

98
  1. The Emperor calls Canidius.

Canidius

99 - 100
  1. With news the time’s with labor, and throes forth
  2. Each minute some.
  1. Exeunt.
Antoine et Cléopâtre

Antoine et Cléopâtre

circa 1761

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