Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Cleopatra and Enobarbus. CLEOPATRA
I will be even with thee, doubt it not. ENOBARBUS But why, why, why? CLEOPATRA
Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars
And say’st it is not fit. ENOBARBUS Well, is it, is it? 5 CLEOPATRA
Is ’t not denounced against us? Why should not we
Be there in person? ENOBARBUS 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? ENOBARBUS
Your presence needs must puzzle Antony,
Take from his heart, take from his brain, from ’s time
What should not then be spared. He is already 15
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
That speak against us! A charge we bear i’ th’ war, 20
And as the president of my kingdom will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it.
I will not stay behind. | Cleopatra readies to go to battle alongside Antony, though Enobarbus thinks it’s not a place fit for women. Further, she’ll be a distraction to Antony, when all his attention needs to be on the war. She won’t hear any of it, despite the fact that the Romans are taunting that a woman and her maids are running the war. |
Enter Antony and Canidius. ENOBARBUS Nay, I have done.
Here comes the Emperor. 25 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? CLEOPATRA
Celerity is never more admired 30
Than by the negligent. ANTONY A good rebuke,
Which might have well becomed the best of men,
To taunt at slackness.—Canidius, we will fight
With him by sea. 35 | Antony interrupts this little discussion of gender roles and announces to Canidius, one of his soldiers, that they’ll fight by sea. |
CLEOPATRA By sea, what else? CANIDIUS Why will
My lord do so? ANTONY For that he dares us to ’t. 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, he shakes off,
And so should you. ENOBARBUS Your ships are not well manned, 45
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Engrossed 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. ANTONY By sea, by sea. 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-marked footmen, leave unexecuted
Your own renownèd knowledge, quite forgo
The way which promises assurance, and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard
From firm security. 60 ANTONY I’ll fight at sea. | Enobarbus and Canidius plead with him; as his fleet and sea power are much weaker than Caesar’s, they’re sure to be doomed. But Caesar has challenged Antony at sea, so in spite of his good sense, he won’t back down. |
CLEOPATRA
I have sixty sails, Caesar none better. ANTONY
Our overplus of shipping will we burn,
And with the rest full-manned, from th’ head of
Actium 65
Beat th’ approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
We then can do ’t at land. Enter a Messenger. Thy business? | Cleopatra pledges sixty ships, and Antony contends that if they lose at sea, they can still fight by land. |
MESSENGER
The news is true, my lord; he is descried.
Caesar has taken Toryne. He exits. 70 ANTONY
Can he be there in person? ’Tis impossible;
Strange that his 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. 75 Enter a Soldier. How now, worthy soldier? SOLDIER
O noble emperor, do not fight by sea!
Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt
This sword and these my wounds? Let th’ Egyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking. We 80
Have used to conquer standing on the earth
And fighting foot to foot. ANTONY Well, well, away. Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus exit. | A messenger enters with the news that Caesar is already conquering, so there’s no time to waste. The main players exit with Antony preparing for war on the water despite a warning from yet another soldier. |
SOLDIER
By Hercules, I think I am i’ th’ right. CANIDIUS
Soldier, thou art, but his whole action grows 85
Not in the power on ’t. So our leader’s led,
And we are women’s men. | Canidius and a soldier stay back, lamenting Antony’s decision to fight in the arena where he’s weakest (the sea)—he’s being led not by tactics, but by a woman. |
SOLDIER You keep by land
The legions and the horse whole, do you not? CANIDIUS
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, 90
Publicola, and Caelius are for sea,
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 95
Beguiled all spies. 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. 100 CANIDIUS
With news the time’s in labor, and throws forth
Each minute some. They exit. | Caesar has traveled quickly, and his power is only growing. Still, they’ll take care of land preparations while Antony puts the brunt of their force into the sea. |