Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra - Enobarbus speaks to Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

Please see the bottom of this page for explanatory notes and resources.

ACT III SCENE VII	Near Actium. Mark Antony's camp.
[Enter CLEOPATRA and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS]
CLEOPATRA	I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	But why, why, why?
CLEOPATRA	Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,
	And say'st it is not fit.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Well, is it, is it?	5
CLEOPATRA	If not denounced against us, why should not we
	Be there in person?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	[Aside] Well, I could reply:
	If we should serve with horse and mares together,
	The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear	10
	A soldier and his horse.
CLEOPATRA	What is't you say?
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;
	Take from his heart, take from his brain,
	from's time,	15
	What should not then be spared. He is already
	Traduced for levity; and 'tis said in Rome
	That Photinus an eunuch and your maids
	Manage this war.
CLEOPATRA	Sink Rome, and their tongues rot	20
	That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war,
	And, as the president of my kingdom, will
	Appear there for a man. Speak not against it:
	I will not stay behind.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Nay, I have done.	25
	Here comes the emperor.
[Enter MARK ANTONY and CANIDIUS]
MARK ANTONY	Is it not strange, Canidius,
	That from Tarentum and Brundusium
	He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,
	And take in Toryne? You have heard on't, sweet?	30
CLEOPATRA	Celerity is never more admired
	Than by the negligent.
MARK ANTONY	A good rebuke,
	Which might have well becomed the best of men,
	To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we	35
	Will fight with him by sea.
CLEOPATRA	By sea! what else?
CANIDIUS	Why will my lord do so?
MARK ANTONY	For that he dares us to't.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	So hath my lord dared him to single fight.	40
CANIDIUS	Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia.
	Where Caesar fought with Pompey: but these offers,
	Which serve not for his vantage, be shakes off;
	And so should you.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Your ships are not well mann'd;	45
	Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people
	Ingross'd by swift impress; in Caesar's fleet
	Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
	Their ships are yare; yours, heavy: no disgrace
	Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,	50
	Being prepared for land.
MARK ANTONY	By sea, by sea.
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS	Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
	The absolute soldiership you have by land;
	Distract your army, which doth most consist	55
	Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
	Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego
	The way which promises assurance; and
	Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard,
	From firm security.	60
MARK ANTONY	I'll fight at sea.
CLEOPATRA	I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.
MARK ANTONY	Our overplus of shipping will we burn;
	And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium
	Beat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail,	65
	We then can do't at land.
[Enter a Messenger]
	Thy business?
Messenger	The news is true, my lord; he is descried;
	Caesar has taken Toryne.
MARK ANTONY	Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible;	70
	Strange that power should be. Canidius,
	Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
	And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship:
	Away, my Thetis!
[Enter a Soldier]
	How now, worthy soldier?	75
Soldier	O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
	Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt
	This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians
	And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we
	Have used to conquer, standing on the earth,	80
	And fighting foot to foot.
MARK ANTONY	Well, well: away!
[ Exeunt MARK ANTONY, QUEEN CLEOPATRA, and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS ]
Soldier	By Hercules, I think I am i' the right.
CANIDIUS	Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows
	Not in the power on't: so our leader's led,	85
	And we are women's men.
Soldier	You keep by land
	The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
CANIDIUS	Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
	Publicola, and Caelius, are for sea:	90
	But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's
	Carries beyond belief.
Soldier	While he was yet in Rome,
	His power went out in such distractions as
	Beguiled all spies.	95
CANIDIUS	Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
Soldier	They say, one Taurus.
CANIDIUS	Well I know the man.
[Enter a Messenger]
Messenger	The emperor calls Canidius.
CANIDIUS	With news the time's with labour, and throes forth,	100
	Each minute, some.
[Exeunt]

Antony and Cleopatra, Act 3, Scene 8
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Explanatory Notes for Act 3, Scene 7
From Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company.
(Line numbers have been altered.)
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3. Forspoke. Spoken against, opposed.

6. Denounced. Pronounced; if the war is declared against us why, etc.

17. Traduced. Accused of.

21. Charge. Have a part in the expenses and supplies.

23. For. As if I were a man.

23. Take in. Capture.

34. Becomed. This form of the participle occurs several times in Shakespeare.

39. For that. For the reason that, because.

43. Vantage. Advantage.

46. Muleters. Muleteers, mule-drivers.

47. Ingross'd, etc. Levied or "impressed" into service hurriedly.

49. Yare. Light and easily managed.

50. Fall. Fall upon you.

58. Assurance. That is, assurance of success.

59. Merely. Altogether.

60. Firm. Away from.

63. Overplus. Superfluous ships.

64. Head of Actium. The promontory of Actium.

68. Descried. His approach is observed.

71. Power. His army.

72. Legions. The Roman army consisted of legions, each containing five thousand men.

72. Hold. Command.

74. Thetis. My sea nymph. Thetis was one of the Nereides or nymphs.

77. Misdoubt. Have you lost confidence in.

79. Phoenicians. In ancient times the Phoenicians were noted sailors.

79. Go-a-ducking. Take to the water as ducks do.

80. Used. Have been accustomed to.

85. Power on't. That is, his whole plan of action is based not upon his greatest strength — i.e., his land force — but upon the whims of a woman.

92. Carries. Goes.

94. Distractions. That is, his forces marched in so many different divisions.

95. Beguiled. Deceived.

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How to cite the explanatory notes:
Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. M. Eaton. Boston: Educational Publishing Company, 1908. Shakespeare Online. 20 Feb. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/antony_3_7.html >.

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