Antony and Cleopatra Act Four – “All strange and terrible events are welcome, but comforts we despise.”

Antony and Cleopatra Act Four – “All strange and terrible events are welcome,
 but comforts we despise.”

In his camp outside Alexandria, Caesar, scorns Antony’s challenge when he receives it. Maecenas says that Caesar should use Antony’s anger against him:

“Caesar must think,

When one so great begins to rage, he's hunted

Even to falling. Give him no breath, but now

Make boot of his distraction: never anger

Made good guard for itself.”                                                                Caesar makes plans to crush Antony now that his army even has those who have deserted Antony.

Inside Cleopatra’s Palace, Antony receives news from Enobarbus that Caesar has refused to fight him and Enobarbus points out that on the battlefield Caesar has a twenty to one advantage. Declaring he will fight the next day anyway, Antony thanks his servants for their service and points out that tonight might be his last night. They weep and Enobarbus, chastises Antony for his pessimism. They all go off to one last feast together. But later that night in Cleopatra’s Palace some of the soldiers of Antony hear strange music and believe that it is the music of the God Hercules who is signaling that he is abandoning Antony for good. 

The next morning we see Eros preparing Antony for battle. Antony exudes overconfidence and tells Cleopatra:

“He that unbuckles this, till we do please

To daff't for our repose, shall hear a storm.”                                                 A soldier enters telling Antony that a thousand men are ready to receive Antony’s commands. Antony says goodbye to Cleopatra with a kiss as he leaves Cleopatra’s Palace to confront Caesar.

A little while later, Antony prepares for battle and regrets that he chose to make his last battle with Caesar on water instead of on land. A soldier happens to mention that had it done this he would have not had Enobarbus. Antony is shocked and it is obvious that this is the first he has heard of Enobarbus’ desertion to Caesar. Antony asks for Enobarbu’s fortune to be taken to him and he prepares himself for battle.

“Go, Eros, send his treasure after; do it;

Detain no jot, I charge thee: write to him--

I will subscribe--gentle adieus and greetings;

Say that I wish he never find more cause

To change a master. O, my fortunes have

Corrupted honest men! Dispatch. Enobarbus!”

Over at Caesar’s camp, he is confident and sends Agrippa to open the campaign, putting those soldiers who have deserted Antony on the front line. When Enobarbus is alone, he receives a messenger who says that Antony has brought Enobarbus’ treasure over, even though he is a traitor. He decides that he would rather die than take up arms against Antony:

“I am alone the villain of the earth,

And feel I am so most. O Antony,

Thou mine of bounty, how wouldst thou have paid

My better service, when my turpitude

Thou dost so crown with gold! This blows my heart:

If swift thought break it not, a swifter mean

Shall outstrike thought: but thought will do't, I feel.

I fight against thee! No: I will go seek

Some ditch wherein to die; the foul'st best fits

My latter part of life.”

On the battlefield, Caesar’s forces commanded by Agrippa are in retreat as they seriously underestimated Antony and his army. Then we hear that Antony’s men have won the battle and Alexandria has been taken back. Caesar commends the valour of his men and specifically that of Scarus.

A little later, under the walls of Alexandria, Antony glotes and vows that the next day he will totally destroy Caesar’s forces. Then Cleopatra enters and Antony says he loves her and that she is the only thing that could pierce his armour and penetrate his heart.

“To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts,

Make her thanks bless thee.

O thou day o' the world,

Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all,

Through proof of harness to my heart, and there

Ride on the pants triumphing!”                                                             Antony then tells Cleopatra to praise Scarus, for his bravery and Cleopatra says that Scaris will get a suit of armour made of gold which was once worn by a king himself. Antony and his troops triumphantly march into the streets of Alexandria.

Back at Caesar’s camp, the sentries discuss the coming battle as Enobarbus berates himself nearby. Unaware that he is being watched, Enobarbus rails against his life, wishing for its end and hoping that history will mark him as a traitor and a fugitive. After he collapses and dies and the sentries take his body back to Caesar.

Antony determines that Caesar means to attack him by sea and declares himself ready. He wishes his enemy were equipped to fight in fire or air, swearing he would meet him in those places if he could. This is true because next we cross to Caesar who holds his armies back, as he does indeed prepare to attack Antony at sea.

We cross to Anthony who is with Scarus about to watch the naval battle. Scarus says that  Cleopatra’s fleet as weak, and laments that the soothsayers refuse to share their knowledge regarding the battle’s outcome. Antony watches as the Egyptian fleet betrays him and defects to Caesar. Antony then tells Scarus to disband his own army and give permission for his soldiers to leave. Alone, Anthony blames Cleopatra and her mystical charms for his demise.

“All is lost;

This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me:

My fleet hath yielded to the foe; and yonder

They cast their caps up and carouse together

Like friends long lost. Triple-turn'd whore!

'tis thou

Hast sold me to this novice; and my heart

Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly;

For when I am revenged upon my charm,

I have done all. Bid them all fly; begone.

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more:

Fortune and Antony part here; even here

Do we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts

That spaniel'd me at heels, to whom I gave

Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets

On blossoming Caesar; and this pine is bark'd,

That overtopp'd them all. Betray'd I am:

O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm,--

Whose eye beck'd forth my wars, and call'd them home;

Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end,--

Like a right gipsy, hath, at fast and loose,

Beguiled me to the very heart of loss.

What, Eros, Eros!”

Then Cleopatra enters and Antony is angry at her betrayal and threatens to kill her. Cleopatra leaves.

A little later, Cleopatra tells her maids of Antony’s fury and Charmian suggests that Cleopatra lock herself in her monument and that word is sent to Antony that Cleopatra killed herself due to his anger. Cleopatra agrees and word is sent to Antony.

Antony prepares to kill Cleopatra for her betrayal. Then Mardian arrives with his news that Cleopatra is dead. Antony is distraught that he would have thought Cleopatra false:

“Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,

And we must sleep.

That thou depart'st hence safe,

Does pay thy labour richly; go.

Off, pluck off:

The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep

The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!

Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,

Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace.

No more a soldier: bruised pieces, go;

You have been nobly borne. From me awhile.

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and

Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now

All length is torture: since the torch is out,

Lie down, and stray no farther: now all labour

Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles

Itself with strength: seal then, and all is done.

Eros!--I come, my queen:--Eros!--Stay for me:

Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,

And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:

Dido and her AEneas shall want troops,

And all the haunt be ours… Since Cleopatra died,

I have lived in such dishonour, that the gods

Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword

Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back

With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack

The courage of a woman; less noble mind

Than she which by her death our Caesar tells

'I am conqueror of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros,

That, when the exigent should come, which now

Is come indeed, when I should see behind me

The inevitable prosecution of

Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,

Thou then wouldst kill me: do't; the time is come:

Thou strikest not me, 'tis Caesar thou defeat'st.

Put colour in thy cheek… Eros,

Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see

Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down

His corrigible neck, his face subdued

To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat

Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded

His baseness that ensued?”

Then Cleopatra’s servant Diomedes, arrives and tells that Clepatra is alive. But all is too late, Anthony is dying and he asks that he is taken to Cleopatra:

“Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides;

'Tis the last service that I shall command you…

… do not please sharp fate

To grace it with your sorrows: bid that welcome

Which comes to punish us, and we punish it

Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up:

I have led you oft: carry me now, good friends,

And have my thanks for all.”

On top of a monument, Cleopatra says that she will never leave this monument. The dying Antony is brought below Cleopatra. Cleopatra calls down to Antony, and Antony calls up to her. Antony is heaved up to Cleopatra. They kiss. Antony asks Cleopatra to ask mercy of Caesar but Cleopatra says that she will die by her own hand. Antony reminisces about his own glory days as he dies:

“The miserable change now at my end

Lament nor sorrow at; but please your thoughts

In feeding them with those my former fortunes

Wherein I lived, the greatest prince o' the world,

The noblest; and do now not basely die,

Not cowardly put off my helmet to

My countryman,--a Roman by a Roman

Valiantly vanquish'd. Now my spirit is going;

I can no more.”

As Antony dies, Cleopatra curses the world and then faints:

“Noblest of men, woo't die?

Hast thou no care of me? shall I abide

In this dull world, which in thy absence is

No better than a sty? O, see, my women,

The crown o' the earth doth melt. My lord!

O, wither'd is the garland of the war,

The soldier's pole is fall'n: young boys and girls

Are level now with men; the odds is gone,

And there is nothing left remarkable

Beneath the visiting moon.”

When Cleopatra comes around again, she then decides that they must bury Antony in Roman fashion and then she must seek out death herself.

“No more, but e'en a woman, and commanded

By such poor passion as the maid that milks

And does the meanest chares. It were for me

To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods;

To tell them that this world did equal theirs

Till they had stol'n our jewel. All's but naught;

Patience is scottish, and impatience does

Become a dog that's mad: then is it sin

To rush into the secret house of death,

Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women?

What, what! good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian!

My noble girls! Ah, women, women, look,

Our lamp is spent, it's out! Good sirs, take heart:

We'll bury him; and then, what's brave,

what's noble,

Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,

And make death proud to take us. Come, away:

This case of that huge spirit now is cold:

Ah, women, women! come; we have no friend

But resolution, and the briefest end.”