Go to: Antony and Cleopatra Table of Contents where you can also compare this scene to Shakespeare’s original.
Alexandria, Egypt. Octavius Caesar’s camp.
(A trumpet sounds. Octavius Caesar, Agrippa, and Domitus Enobarbus enter, along with others)
Octavius Caesar: Go out, Agrippa, and start the fight. And tell everyone that I want Antony to be captured alive.
Agrippa: Yes, Caesar. (he exits)
Octavius Caesar: Soon the whole world will be at peace. If today goes well, then the world that was divided between three rulers will finally be at perfect peace under one ruler.
(a Messenger enters)
Messenger: Antony has come out to the field of battle.
Octavius Caesar: Tell Agrippa to send the soldiers that were on Antony’s side out front. That will make Antony feel like he’s fighting against himself.
(all exit except for Domitius Enobarbus)
Domitius Enobarbus: Alexas went to see Herod, King of the Jews, on Antony’s behalf, but while he was there, he convinced Herod to ally with Caesar instead of Antony. And Caesar had Alexas hanged! Canidius and the others who left Antony have been welcomed by Caesar, but he doesn’t trust them. I have done wrong in leaving Antony, and I regret it so much that I will never be happy again.
(one of Caesar’s Soldiers enters)
Soldier: Enobarbus, Antony has sent all your things to you and has given you some of his own money on top of it. His messenger is at your tent now, unloading his mules.
Domitius Enobarbus: Everything he brought, I give to you.
Soldier: Don’t tease me, Enobarbus. I’m telling you the truth. You better make sure the messenger gets back out through our army safely. I have to go back to my guard position or I would have shown him out myself. Your old master is still as generous as the king of the gods. (he exits)
Domitius Enobarbus: I am the worst man alive and I know it. Oh, Antony, if you send me gifts when I betray you, how would you have rewarded my loyalty? It hurts my heart to think about what I’ve done. I think my guilt is about to kill me. If it doesn’t, I’ll find a quicker way to kill myself, but I do think the guilt will do it. Can I really fight against you, Antony? No, I will go find a ditch to crawl into and die. I deserve the worst I can get from now on. (he exits)
Go to: Next scene (Act 4, Scene 7) or Antony and Cleopatra Table of Contents where you can also compare this scene to Shakespeare’s original.
