1440500 1623 Shakespeare. Antony and Cleopatra. Five Leaves.
10218.
Antony and Cleopatra. From the First Folio. 1623.
First Printing. Tragedies 351-352, 353-356, 361-364.
This fragment consists of ten pages (five leaves) of the play which are in poor condition and damaged with areas of the upper border and page numbers missing. The text of the leaves, however, is nearly complete and supplies pivotal insights into the overall dynamics of the play. The leaders of the Roman triumvirate have just finished a banquet set out by Pompey aboard his galley and are exchanging ribald tales. In particular, Antoanyare gathered around a banquet table describing in humorous detail the features of Egypt. Menas, one of Pompey’s men, pulls Pompey aside and urges that the time is ripe for Pompey to overthrow the triumvirate. Pompey replies that Means should have proceeded without telling him, as now he cannot abide by the plan.
“Ah this thou shouldst have done/ and not have spoken on it. In me ‘tis villainy:/In thee’t had been good service.”
Amidst the revelry, we see that Caesar is not at all interested in imbibing with the othees and looks down on Antony’s drunkenness.
Antony “Here’s to Caesar!”
Caesar “I could well forbear it./It’s monstrous labor when I wash my brain/And it grow fouler.”
Antony “Be a child o’ the time.”
Caesar “’Possess it’ I’ll make answer./But I had rather fast from all four days/Than drink so much in one.”
By “Possess it” Ceasar clearly means to allow drink to take over his mind and affect his decision-making. The text shows the inherent instability in the forces of the triumvirate and especially the growing weakness of Lepidus’ position.
There is then a brief scene between Caesar and his sister Octavia now married to Antony who is also present. He assures her that she will remain ever close to him though she be here with Antony.
“No sweet Octavia/You shall hear from me still: the time shall not/Outgo my thinking on you.”
The scene quickly changes to one of the genuinely funny scenes in just about all of Shakespeare. Cleopatra is once again visited by the hapless messenger whom she had previously beaten because he had brought news of Antony’s marriage to Octavia. This time she has sent for him to describe Octavia to her since she is now with Antony. The exchange is hilarious as the messenger is asked to describe Anthony's former wife and Cleopatra's great rival, Octavia, and his answers are so cleverly given that he manages to convey to Cleopatra that Octavia is really quite an unattractive woman and that there is no chance at all that she’ll be any competition for Cleopatra.
Cleo. “Is she as tall as me?”
Mess. “She is not, madam.”
Cleo. “”Dids’t hear her speak? Is she shrill-tongued or low?”
Mess. “Madam I heard her speak. She is low-voiced.”
Cleo “That’s not so good. He cannot like her long.”
Charmian (Cleo’s handmaid “Like her? O Isis. ‘Tis impossible.”
Cleo “I think so, Charmian. Dull of tongue and dwarfish!”
(353-356)
In Athens, Antony is angry with Caesar for waging “new wars ‘gainst Pompey” ant tells his wife, Octavia that Caesar “spoke scantily of me”. Octavia, who is also Caesar’s sister, is thus in an extremely difficult position wedged between the two chief members of the triumvirate and “praying for both parts.” Antony tries to comfort her, saying “choose your own company, and command what cost/ your heart has mind to.”
Eros reports to Enobarbus that Pompey has been killed by the third member of the triumvirate, Lepidus, and Enobarbus that war between Antony and Caesar is now inevitable and rushes to inform Antony.
Caesar is enraged that Antony has been enthroned with Cleopatra, has given her Roman provinces and is demanding shares of the spoils arising from Pompey’s death. When Octavia arrives in Rome, Caesar is furious that Antony has not arranged a formal entry for her. Caesar tells her Antony has “given his empire up to a whore.”
Enobarbus tries to persuade Cleopatra not to fight alongside of Antony, saying that Antony has become a laughing-stock in Rome. Cleopatra says that she must represent their kingdom and has little care what the Romans think “sink Rome and their tongues rot that that speak against us.” Because Caesar has dared him to fight at sea, Antony, against all advice says he will fight at sea because Caesar has dared him to do it.
Now is heard the sounds of a great sea battle and Enobarbus is shocked to see Cleopatra’s ship turn tail and flee the battle. Still worse, Antony then turns his ship around and flees as well. Deeply shamed by his own actions, Antony bids his men to flee and make what peace they can with Caesar. Cleopatra tries to assuage him, but he says he is lost. They kiss and Antony laments “Fortune knows we scorn her most when most she offers blows.”
Antony sends a messenger to Caesar asking him to allow him to live peaceably in Athens. Caesar tells the messenger that if Cleopatra will deliver Antony to him, she may remain as Queen in Egypt. In response, Antony challenges Caesar to single combat.
(361-364)
Antony bids farewell to Cleopatra. He will once again face Caesar by sea but this time there will be no turning back. Enobarbus, despondent to the point of suicide bids “the poisonous damp of night desponge upon me/ that life, a very rebel to my will/ may hang no longer on me.” He cries “O Antony! O Antony!” then, per an unusual stage direction, “He sinks down and dies.” Antony bids that they be ready to fight by land or sea. He climbs to a nearby hill to watch the battle at sea.
As his aide, Scarrus, laments the fact that the Egyptian fleet is no match for the Romans. Antony returns with news that “all is lost”: the Egyptian fleet has surrendered. He blames Cleopatra entirely and when she arrives he threatens to kill her. Cleopatra and her attendants flee to her monument. She sends her attendant Mardian to tell Antony that she is dead. She stage manages Mardian telling him to deliver the message “word it – prithee – most piteously” and Mardian claims that Cleopatra’s last words were “Most noble Antony!”
Antony decides he will kill himself so he can lie with Cleopatra “Where souls do couch on flowers.” He aske his aide Eros to kill him but Eros instead stabs himself so he can “escape the sorrow/ of Antony’s death.” Antony then stabs himself but succeeds only in wounding himself, after which he learns that Cleopatra is still alive. He asks to be brought to her, and in a wonderfully dramatic scene, is hoisted up to her on her monument. “I am dying, Egypt. Dying.” They kiss one last time, then he dies and she faints.
Cleopatra receives Caesar’s messenger and agrees to meet with him.
Good