Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Enter Enobarbus and Lepidus. LEPIDUS
Good Enobarbus, ’tis a worthy deed,
And shall become you well, to entreat your captain
To soft and gentle speech. ENOBARBUS I shall entreat him
To answer like himself. If Caesar move him, 5
Let Antony look over Caesar’s head
And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonio’s beard,
I would not shave ’t today. LEPIDUS
’Tis not a time for private stomaching. 10 ENOBARBUS Every time serves for the matter that is
then born in ’t. LEPIDUS
But small to greater matters must give way. ENOBARBUS Not if the small come first. LEPIDUS
Your speech is passion; but pray you stir 15
No embers up. Here comes the noble Antony. | At Lepidus’s house in Rome, Lepidus talks to Enobarbus, Antony’s confidante. Lepidus tries to get Enobarbus to convince Antony to go easy on Caesar, but Enobarbus is certain that Antony shouldn’t back down. |
Enter, at one door, Antony and Ventidius. ENOBARBUS And yonder Caesar. Enter, at another door, Caesar,
Maecenas, and Agrippa. ANTONY, to Ventidius
If we compose well here, to Parthia.
Hark, Ventidius. They talk aside. CAESAR, to Maecenas
I do not know, Maecenas. Ask Agrippa. 20 LEPIDUS, to Caesar and Antony Noble friends,
That which combined us was most great, and let not
A leaner action rend us. What’s amiss,
May it be gently heard. When we debate
Our trivial difference loud, we do commit 25
Murder in healing wounds. Then, noble partners,
The rather for I earnestly beseech,
Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,
Nor curstness grow to th’ matter. ANTONY ’Tis spoken well. 30
Were we before our armies, and to fight,
I should do thus. Flourish. CAESAR Welcome to Rome. ANTONY Thank you. CAESAR Sit. 35 ANTONY Sit, sir. CAESAR Nay, then. They sit. | Caesar and Antony enter with their attendants, and the talk begins with Lepidus encouraging everyone to just be friends. |
ANTONY
I learn you take things ill which are not so,
Or, being, concern you not. CAESAR I must be laughed at 40
If or for nothing or a little, I
Should say myself offended, and with you
Chiefly i’ th’ world; more laughed at, that I should
Once name you derogately when to sound your
name 45
It not concerned me. ANTONY
My being in Egypt, Caesar, what was ’t to you? CAESAR
No more than my residing here at Rome
Might be to you in Egypt. Yet if you there
Did practice on my state, your being in Egypt 50
Might be my question. ANTONY How intend you, practiced? CAESAR
You may be pleased to catch at mine intent
By what did here befall me. Your wife and brother
Made wars upon me, and their contestation 55
Was theme for you; you were the word of war. | Caesar is clearly unhappy—Antony’s behavior in Egypt has made him a joke in Rome. Further, Antony’s wife and brother waged war against Caesar, which was not cool. |
ANTONY
You do mistake your business. My brother never
Did urge me in his act. I did inquire it,
And have my learning from some true reports
That drew their swords with you. Did he not rather 60
Discredit my authority with yours,
And make the wars alike against my stomach,
Having alike your cause? Of this my letters
Before did satisfy you. If you’ll patch a quarrel,
As matter whole you have to make it with, 65
It must not be with this. CAESAR You praise yourself
By laying defects of judgment to me; but
You patched up your excuses. ANTONY Not so, not so. 70
I know you could not lack—I am certain on ’t—
Very necessity of this thought, that I,
Your partner in the cause ’gainst which he fought,
Could not with graceful eyes attend those wars
Which fronted mine own peace. As for my wife, 75
I would you had her spirit in such another.
The third o’ th’ world is yours, which with a snaffle
You may pace easy, but not such a wife. ENOBARBUS Would we had all such wives, that the men
might go to wars with the women! 80 ANTONY
So much uncurbable, her garboils, Caesar,
Made out of her impatience—which not wanted
Shrewdness of policy too—I grieving grant
Did you too much disquiet. For that you must
But say I could not help it. 85 | Antony insists his brother didn’t consult him about the war, and his wife was a difficult woman who did what she pleased. |
CAESAR I wrote to you
When rioting in Alexandria; you
Did pocket up my letters, and with taunts
Did gibe my missive out of audience. | Caesar continues to list his grievances, and is upset that Antony ignored his messages while away. |
ANTONY Sir, 90
He fell upon me ere admitted, then;
Three kings I had newly feasted, and did want
Of what I was i’ th’ morning. But next day
I told him of myself, which was as much
As to have asked him pardon. Let this fellow 95
Be nothing of our strife; if we contend,
Out of our question wipe him. | Antony points out he was too drunk to deal with messages (inexcusable), but he did, to his credit, apologize to Caesar’s messenger the next morning in a hung-over state. |
CAESAR You have broken
The article of your oath, which you shall never
Have tongue to charge me with. 100 LEPIDUS Soft, Caesar! ANTONY No, Lepidus, let him speak.
The honor is sacred which he talks on now,
Supposing that I lacked it.—But on, Caesar:
The article of my oath? 105 CAESAR
To lend me arms and aid when I required them,
The which you both denied. ANTONY Neglected, rather;
And then when poisoned hours had bound me up
From mine own knowledge. As nearly as I may 110
I’ll play the penitent to you. But mine honesty
Shall not make poor my greatness, nor my power
Work without it. Truth is that Fulvia,
To have me out of Egypt, made wars here,
For which myself, the ignorant motive, do 115
So far ask pardon as befits mine honor
To stoop in such a case. LEPIDUS ’Tis noble spoken. MAECENAS
If it might please you to enforce no further
The griefs between you, to forget them quite 120
Were to remember that the present need
Speaks to atone you. LEPIDUS Worthily spoken, Maecenas. ENOBARBUS Or, if you borrow one another’s love for
the instant, you may, when you hear no more words 125
of Pompey, return it again. You shall have time to
wrangle in when you have nothing else to do. | As they continue to argue, Maecenas breaks in and asks that they kiss and make up so they can deal with the whole Pompey situation, as imminent invasion is slightly more important than past slights. Lepidus, who agrees with everything, agrees, and so does Enobarbus. |
ANTONY
Thou art a soldier only. Speak no more. ENOBARBUS That truth should be silent I had almost
forgot. 130 ANTONY
You wrong this presence; therefore speak no more. ENOBARBUS Go to, then. Your considerate stone. | When Antony reminds Enobarbus he's a just soldier and should therefore keep quiet, Enobarbus gets sassy. |
CAESAR
I do not much dislike the matter, but
The manner of his speech; for ’t cannot be
We shall remain in friendship, our conditions 135
So diff’ring in their acts. Yet if I knew
What hoop should hold us staunch, from edge to
edge
O’ th’ world I would pursue it. | Caesar says that while he thinks Enobarbus is being a bit flippant, he can't disagree with what he's said. There has to be some way for Caesar and Antony to move forward despite all of their grievances. |
AGRIPPA Give me leave, Caesar. 140 CAESAR Speak, Agrippa. AGRIPPA
Thou hast a sister by the mother’s side,
Admired Octavia. Great Mark Antony
Is now a widower. CAESAR Say not so, Agrippa. 145
If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof
Were well deserved of rashness. ANTONY
I am not married, Caesar. Let me hear
Agrippa further speak. AGRIPPA
To hold you in perpetual amity, 150
To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts
With an unslipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his wife, whose beauty claims
No worse a husband than the best of men;
Whose virtue and whose general graces speak 155
That which none else can utter. By this marriage
All little jealousies, which now seem great,
And all great fears, which now import their dangers,
Would then be nothing. Truths would be tales,
Where now half-tales be truths. Her love to both 160
Would each to other and all loves to both
Draw after her. Pardon what I have spoke,
For ’tis a studied, not a present thought,
By duty ruminated. | Agrippa, another of Caesar’s men, suggests that the best way to put the past behind them is to have something that will bind them in the future. Caesar’s sister Octavia is a widow, and they all decide it’s a good idea for Antony to marry her. Never mind that Antony’s wife is fresh in the grave, his heart is in Egypt, and he’s generally a player. Octavia will be symbolic of the bond between Caesar and Antony, the glue that will hold them together. |
ANTONY Will Caesar speak? 165 CAESAR
Not till he hears how Antony is touched
With what is spoke already. ANTONY What power is in Agrippa,
If I would say “Agrippa, be it so,”
To make this good? 170 CAESAR The power of Caesar, and
His power unto Octavia. ANTONY May I never
To this good purpose, that so fairly shows,
Dream of impediment. Let me have thy hand. 175
Further this act of grace; and from this hour
The heart of brothers govern in our loves
And sway our great designs. CAESAR There’s my hand.
They clasp hands.
A sister I bequeath you whom no brother 180
Did ever love so dearly. Let her live
To join our kingdoms and our hearts; and never
Fly off our loves again. LEPIDUS Happily, amen! | Caesar agrees to the idea, Antony accepts the marriage, and the men shake hands, promising to be brothers. |
ANTONY
I did not think to draw my sword ’gainst Pompey, 185
For he hath laid strange courtesies and great
Of late upon me. I must thank him only,
Lest my remembrance suffer ill report;
At heel of that, defy him. LEPIDUS Time calls upon ’s. 190
Of us must Pompey presently be sought,
Or else he seeks out us. ANTONY Where lies he? CAESAR About the Mount Misena. ANTONY What is his strength by land? 195 CAESAR Great and increasing;
But by sea he is an absolute master. ANTONY So is the fame.
Would we had spoke together. Haste we for it.
Yet, ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we 200
The business we have talked of. CAESAR With most gladness,
And do invite you to my sister’s view,
Whither straight I’ll lead you. | Having traded Octavia like a horse, they return to the present matter of the war. Pompey has recently been throwing gifts Antony’s way. Still, he’s an enemy. His force at sea is masterful and he’s only getting stronger on land. The men agree to head toward Pompey’s army at Misena, in southern Italy. |
ANTONY
Let us, Lepidus, not lack your company. 205 LEPIDUS
Noble Antony, not sickness should detain me. | Then they remember Lepidus (the third member of the triumvirate). Since he’s supposed to rule the world with them, they invite him to come too. Lepidus, of course, agrees to go. |
Flourish. All but Enobarbus, Agrippa, and
Maecenas exit. MAECENAS, to Enobarbus Welcome from Egypt, sir. ENOBARBUS Half the heart of Caesar, worthy
Maecenas!—My honorable friend Agrippa! AGRIPPA Good Enobarbus! 210 MAECENAS We have cause to be glad that matters are so
well digested. You stayed well by ’t in Egypt. ENOBARBUS Ay, sir, we did sleep day out of countenance
and made the night light with drinking. MAECENAS Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast, 215
and but twelve persons there. Is this true? ENOBARBUS This was but as a fly by an eagle. We had
much more monstrous matter of feast, which worthily
deserved noting. MAECENAS She’s a most triumphant lady, if report be 220
square to her. | Once the big dogs leave, Enobarbus is left with Agrippa and Maecenas, whom he regales with "dude, we were so drunk" kinds of stories about fun times they had in Egypt. |
ENOBARBUS When she first met Mark Antony, she
pursed up his heart upon the river of Cydnus. AGRIPPA There she appeared indeed, or my reporter
devised well for her. 225 ENOBARBUS I will tell you.
The barge she sat in like a burnished throne
Burned on the water. The poop was beaten gold,
Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
The winds were lovesick with them. The oars were 230
silver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water which they beat to follow faster,
As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggared all description: she did lie 235
In her pavilion—cloth-of-gold, of tissue—
O’erpicturing that Venus where we see
The fancy outwork nature. On each side her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With divers-colored fans, whose wind did seem 240
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid did. AGRIPPA O, rare for Antony! ENOBARBUS
Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,
So many mermaids, tended her i’ th’ eyes, 245
And made their bends adornings. At the helm
A seeming mermaid steers. The silken tackle
Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands
That yarely frame the office. From the barge
A strange invisible perfume hits the sense 250
Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast
Her people out upon her; and Antony,
Enthroned i’ th’ market-place, did sit alone,
Whistling to th’ air, which but for vacancy
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too 255
And made a gap in nature. AGRIPPA Rare Egyptian! | He describes Cleopatra’s pomp and beauty, and the time Antony first met her. She showed up in a pimped-out ride on the water, and Antony, at the marketplace, was entranced. |
ENOBARBUS
Upon her landing, Antony sent to her,
Invited her to supper. She replied
It should be better he became her guest, 260
Which she entreated. Our courteous Antony,
Whom ne’er the word of “No” woman heard speak,
Being barbered ten times o’er, goes to the feast,
And for his ordinary pays his heart
For what his eyes eat only. 265 | Antony asked her out on the spot, but she refused his invitation and asked him to come dine with her instead. This was aggravating but intriguing, seeing as no women ever refused Antony. |
AGRIPPA Royal wench!
She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed;
He ploughed her, and she cropped. ENOBARBUS I saw her once
Hop forty paces through the public street, 270
And having lost her breath, she spoke and panted,
That she did make defect perfection,
And breathless pour breath forth. MAECENAS
Now Antony must leave her utterly. | Antony was smitten as soon as he saw this woman, so much so that he had sex with her and then she bore him a child. (That's the "ploughing" and "cropping" part.) Enobarbus says that Cleopatra is hot even when she's sweaty and out of breath. |
ENOBARBUS Never. He will not. 275
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety. Other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies. For vilest things
Become themselves in her, that the holy priests 280
Bless her when she is riggish. MAECENAS
If beauty, wisdom, modesty can settle
The heart of Antony, Octavia is
A blessèd lottery to him. AGRIPPA Let us go. 285
Good Enobarbus, make yourself my guest
Whilst you abide here. ENOBARBUS Humbly, sir, I thank you. They exit. | Enobarbus is sure that Antony is so beguiled by this wonderful woman that even marriage to Octavia won’t keep him away from her long. |