Shakespeare Portal

Act 3, Scene 7

ANTONY'S Camp near the Promontory of Actium.

  1. [Enter CLEOPATRA and ENOBARBUS.]
  2. Cleopatra
  3. 1801 I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
  4. Enobarbus
  5. 1802 But why, why, why?
  6. Cleopatra
  7. 1803 Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars,
  8. 1804 And say'st it is not fit.
  9. Enobarbus
  10. 1805 Well, is it, is it?
  11. Cleopatra
  12. 1806 If not denounc'd against us, why should not we
  13. 1807 Be there in person?
  14. [Aside.]
  15. Enobarbus
  16. 1808 Well, I could reply:—
  17. 1809 If we should serve with horse and mares together
  18. 1810 The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear
  19. 1811 A soldier and his horse.
  20. Cleopatra
  21. 1812 What is't you say?
  22. Enobarbus
  23. 1813 Your presence needs must puzzle Antony;
  24. 1814 Take from his heart, take from his brain, from's time,
  25. 1815 What should not then be spar'd. He is already
  26. 1816 Traduc'd for levity: and 'tis said in Rome
  27. 1817 That Photinus an eunuch and your maids
  28. 1818 Manage this war.
  29. Cleopatra
  30. 1819 Sink Rome, and their tongues rot
  31. 1820 That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war,
  32. 1821 And, as the president of my kingdom, will
  33. 1822 Appear there for a man. Speak not against it;
  34. 1823 I will not stay behind.
  35. Enobarbus
  36. 1824 Nay, I have done.
  37. 1825 Here comes the emperor.
  38. [Enter ANTONY and CANIDIUS.]
  39. Mark Antony
  40. 1826 Is it not strange, Canidius,
  41. 1827 That from Tarentum and Brundusium
  42. 1828 He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea,
  43. 1829 And take in Toryne?—You have heard on't, sweet?
  44. Cleopatra
  45. 1830 Celerity is never more admir'd
  46. 1831 Than by the negligent.
  47. Mark Antony
  48. 1832 A good rebuke,
  49. 1833 Which might have well becom'd the best of men
  50. 1834 To taunt at slackness.—Canidius, we
  51. 1835 Will fight with him by sea.
  52. Cleopatra
  53. 1836 By sea! what else?
  54. Canidius
  55. 1837 Why will my lord do so?
  56. Mark Antony
  57. 1838 For that he dares us to't.
  58. Enobarbus
  59. 1839 So hath my lord dar'd him to single fight.
  60. Canidius
  61. 1840 Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,
  62. 1841 Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers,
  63. 1842 Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off;
  64. 1843 And so should you.
  65. Enobarbus
  66. 1844 Your ships are not well mann'd:
  67. 1845 Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
  68. 1846 Ingross'd by swift impress; in Caesar's fleet
  69. 1847 Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought:
  70. 1848 Their ships are yare; yours heavy: no disgrace
  71. 1849 Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,
  72. 1850 Being prepar'd for land.
  73. Mark Antony
  74. 1851 By sea, by sea.
  75. Enobarbus
  76. 1852 Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
  77. 1853 The absolute soldiership you have by land;
  78. 1854 Distract your army, which doth most consist
  79. 1855 Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted
  80. 1856 Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo
  81. 1857 The way which promises assurance; and
  82. 1858 Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard
  83. 1859 From firm security.
  84. Mark Antony
  85. 1860 I'll fight at sea.
  86. Cleopatra
  87. 1861 I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.
  88. Mark Antony
  89. 1862 Our overplus of shipping will we burn;
  90. 1863 And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium
  91. 1864 Beat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
  92. 1865 We then can do't at land.
  93. [Enter a Messenger.]
  94. Mark Antony
  95. 1866 Thy business?
  96. Messenger
  97. 1867 The news is true, my lord: he is descried;
  98. 1868 Caesar has taken Toryne.
  99. Mark Antony
  100. 1869 Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible—
  101. 1870 Strange that his power should be.—Canidius,
  102. 1871 Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
  103. 1872 And our twelve thousand horse.—We'll to our ship:
  104. 1873 Away, my Thetis!
  105. [Enter a SOLDIER.]
  106. Mark Antony
  107. 1874 How now, worthy soldier?
  108. Soldier
  109. 1875 O noble emperor, do not fight by sea;
  110. 1876 Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt
  111. 1877 This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians
  112. 1878 And the Phoenicians go a-ducking: we
  113. 1879 Have us'd to conquer standing on the earth
  114. 1880 And fighting foot to foot.
  115. Mark Antony
  116. 1881 Well, well:—away.
  117. [Exeunt ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, and ENOBARBUS.]
  118. Soldier
  119. 1882 By Hercules, I think I am i' the right.
  120. Canidius
  121. 1883 Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows
  122. 1884 Not in the power on't: so our leader's led,
  123. 1885 And we are women's men.
  124. Soldier
  125. 1886 You keep by land
  126. 1887 The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
  127. Canidius
  128. 1888 Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
  129. 1889 Publicola, and Caelius are for sea:
  130. 1890 But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's
  131. 1891 Carries beyond belief.
  132. Soldier
  133. 1892 While he was yet in Rome
  134. 1893 His power went out in such distractions as
  135. 1894 Beguil'd all spies.
  136. Canidius
  137. 1895 Who's his lieutenant, hear you?
  138. Soldier
  139. 1896 They say one Taurus.
  140. Canidius
  141. 1897 Well I know the man.
  142. [Enter a Messenger.]
  143. Messenger
  144. 1898 The Emperor calls Canidius.
  145. Canidius
  146. 1899 With news the time's with labour; and throes forth
  147. 1900 Each minute some.
  148. [Exeunt.]