The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra Translation

Two Roman soldiers, Demetrius and Philo, are at Cleopatra’s palace in Alexandria, Egypt. They discuss how their dear leader and friend, Mark Antony, is totally smitten with Egypt’s queen, Cleop...

Charmian and Iras, Cleopatra’s maids, chat with a soothsayer (a.k.a., a fortuneteller). He tells them their fortunes are alike in that their pasts are better than their futures and that they’ll...

Meanwhile Cleopatra sends Alexas, her servant, to see what Antony is doing and tells her if she finds him upset, she should tell him Cleopatra is super happy; if he's happy, she should tell him Cle...

Back in Rome, Octavius Caesar conferences with Lepidus, another member of the triumvirate (group of three) that leads Rome. Caesar complains that Antony, the third member of the triumvirate, has be...

Back in Egypt, Cleopatra is having a pity party. She tells Charmian to get her a powerful sleeping drug so she can just zonk out till Antony returns. Charmian suggests her obsession is *slightly* u...

At Pompey’s house in Messina, Pompey tells his buddies he's sure to win the upcoming battle because his army is strong at sea and the Romans love him. Plus, the Roman triumvirate is a mess. Marc...

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...

Antony, Octavia, and Caesar are back at Caesar’s palace in Rome. Antony promises Octavia that though his work will take him away from her often, he won’t indulge in any monkey business, no...

Lepidus meets with Maecenas and Agrippa. They are to gather their troops and meet together at Mount Misenum, where they’ll face off with Pompey’s army.

Cleopatra misses Antony, and jokes with her servants about the times they had. She compares Antony to a fish she caught in the river, and notes that last time she caught him she kept him for quite...

Back at Mount Misenum, in southern Italy, Pompey’s crew has just walked in to meet with the triumvirate and attendants. They’re ready to do some old-school negotiating before they fight. C...

Back at Pompey’s ship, the former enemies are all making merry together. The servants note that Lepidus is wasted, and the others tease him. He’s clearly not as great as the others, a...

Now we’re in Syria, where Ventidius (the soldier Antony sent to fight at Parthia, remember?) has returned victorious from his earlier battle. Ventidius brings with him the body of the King of Par...

Back at Caesar’s house in Rome, Enobarbus and Agrippa talk while the rest of the group work out the details of the truce and its aftermath: Pompey has already left, Antony will take Octavia and g...

Cleopatra and her servants meet the messenger she had previously whipped. He’s bearing news on just how Octavia matches up with Cleopatra in the competition for Antony’s affection.

Back in Athens at Antony’s house, Antony complains to Octavia of Caesar’s behavior since their departure. Caesar has broken their pact and waged war against Pompey, not to mention he has railed...

The plot thickens in Athens, as Enobarbus and Eros let us in on how deep the treachery runs. Caesar used Lepidus’s forces to defeat Pompey, but denied him his share of the spoils of the battle. F...

In Rome, Caesar fills us in on Antony’s wickedness. He reports that when in Alexandria, Antony chilled out on gold thrones in the marketplace, in full public view, with Cleopatra, Julius Cae...

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...

At Actium, Caesar gives instruction to his lieutenant, Taurus. They’re not to engage Antony’s side on land until the sea battle is over. He’s convinced all their fortunes rest on this one dec...

Antony speaks to Enobarbus—the plan is to set up on one side of the hill, so they can observe how strong Caesar’s fleet is, and then plan accordingly.

Stage directions show Taurus with Caesar’s army and Canidius with Antony’s army as they both cross paths. We can hear the battle off-stage, but Enobarbus comes in to deliver the horrifying news...

Antony, back at Cleopatra’s palace in Alexandria, cries out in shame. He laments that he’s lost to the world forever, and insists that his friends go to a ship he has left full of gold, divide...

Antony’s messenger, a schoolmaster (the tutor of his and Cleopatra’s children) arrives at Caesar’s camp in Egypt.

At Cleopatra’s palace in Alexandria, Enobarbus half-heartedly consoles Cleopatra. He claims Cleopatra has no fault in the defeat—Antony chose to let his affection for her overpower his reason,...

Back at Caesar’s camp outside of Alexandria, Caesar is reading the message Thidias brought back from Antony. Caesar scoffs at Antony's challenge. 

Antony receives news that Caesar won’t fight him man-to-man. Enobarbus proposes it’s because Caesar thinks his fortunes are about twenty times better than Antony’s, making it an unfair fight....

That night, as Antony’s soldiers stand watch and chat about the coming battle, strange oboe music begins to play. It seems to come from the air and the earth simultaneously.

It’s early morning, and Antony calls to his man Eros to help him put on his armor, while Cleopatra calls him back to bed. As Eros dresses him in armor, Cleopatra tries to help, but Antony says sh...

At Antony’s camp, a wounded soldier conferences with Antony and Eros. Antony admits he wishes he had followed the advice to fight first on land, and not at sea.

On Caesar’s side of the battle, we find Caesar confident that he will be victorious. He instructs his men of the following: he wants Antony taken alive, and he announces that the end of this batt...

On the battlefield between the camps, Agrippa (Caesar’s guy) calls his men to retreat, as they’ve overestimated their strength.

Antony returns in full force to Alexandria. He praises everyone, and they plan to battle again tomorrow.

Back at Caesar’s camp, a sentry and his company are on watch when they overhear Enobarbus railing privately against himself.

Antony discusses with Scarus that Caesar has prepared to meet them at sea. He would be willing to fight them in fire or the air, if they wanted, because he’s so confident. They’ll go...

Caesar prepares his army to be inactive by land. He’ll meet Antony at sea, where he hopes they can hold some advantageous position.

Antony watches the battle at sea with Scarus and frets that he can’t see Caesar’s troops yet. He leaves Scarus to go look from a different vantage point.

Cleopatra flees to her women, afraid of Antony’s rage.

Eros comes upon Antony, who’s philosophizing on nature—exactly what you might expect from a suicidal guy who’s just lost a great battle and is convinced that the woman he sacrificed everythin...

Cleopatra waits at the monument and declares she’ll never leave, although she's super anxious about Antony. Right about then Diomedes declares that Antony is not quite dead, but mostly dying.

Back at Caesar’s camp, Caesar sends Dolabella off to tell Antony to yield. (Clearly Caesar hasn't read Act 4 yet...)

Cleopatra curses Caesar for being a knave (or fool) of Fortune, and thus no better than anybody else (including her and Antony).