SCENE VII. Near Actium. MARK ANTONY's camp. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 7 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE VII. Near Actium. MARK ANTONY's camp. 

 Enter CLEOPATRA and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  CLEOPATRA  I will be even with thee, doubt it not. 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  But why, why, why? 

 CLEOPATRA  Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars, 

 And say'st it is not fit. 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  Well, is it, is it? 

 CLEOPATRA  If not denounced against us, why should not we 

 Be there in person? 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  [Aside]  Well, I could reply: 

 If we should serve with horse and mares together, 

 The horse were merely lost; the mares would bear 

 A soldier and his horse. 

 CLEOPATRA  What is't you say? 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  Your presence needs must puzzle Antony; 

 Take from his heart, take from his brain, 

 from's time, 

 What should not then be spared. He is already 

 Traduced for levity; and 'tis said in Rome 

 That Photinus an eunuch and your maids 

 Manage this war. 

 CLEOPATRA  Sink Rome, and their tongues rot 

 That speak against us! A charge we bear i' the war, 

 And, as the president of my kingdom, will 

 Appear there for a man. Speak not against it: 

 I will not stay behind. 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  Nay, I have done. 

 Here comes the emperor. 



 Enter MARK ANTONY and CANIDIUS  MARK ANTONY  Is it not strange, Canidius, 

 That from Tarentum and Brundusium 

 He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea, 

 And take in Toryne? You have heard on't, sweet? 

 CLEOPATRA  Celerity is never more admired 

 Than by the negligent. 

 MARK ANTONY  A good rebuke, 

 Which might have well becomed the best of men, 

 To taunt at slackness. Canidius, we 

 Will fight with him by sea. 

 CLEOPATRA  By sea! what else? 

 CANIDIUS  Why will my lord do so? 

 MARK ANTONY  For that he dares us to't. 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  So hath my lord dared him to single fight. 

 CANIDIUS  Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia. 

 Where Caesar fought with Pompey: but these offers, 

 Which serve not for his vantage, be shakes off; 

 And so should you. 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  Your ships are not well mann'd; 

 Your mariners are muleters, reapers, people 

 Ingross'd by swift impress; in Caesar's fleet 

 Are those that often have 'gainst Pompey fought: 

 Their ships are yare; yours, heavy: no disgrace 

 Shall fall you for refusing him at sea, 

 Being prepared for land. 

 MARK ANTONY  By sea, by sea. 

 DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  Most worthy sir, you therein throw away 

 The absolute soldiership you have by land; 

 Distract your army, which doth most consist 

 Of war-mark'd footmen; leave unexecuted 

 Your own renowned knowledge; quite forego 

 The way which promises assurance; and 

 Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, 

 From firm security. 

 MARK ANTONY  I'll fight at sea. 

 CLEOPATRA  I have sixty sails, Caesar none better. 

 MARK ANTONY  Our overplus of shipping will we burn; 

 And, with the rest full-mann'd, from the head of Actium 

 Beat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail, 

 We then can do't at land. 



 Enter a Messenger  Thy business? 

 Messenger  The news is true, my lord; he is descried; 

 Caesar has taken Toryne. 

 MARK ANTONY  Can he be there in person? 'tis impossible; 

 Strange that power should be. Canidius, 

 Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land, 

 And our twelve thousand horse. We'll to our ship: 

 Away, my Thetis! 



 Enter a Soldier  How now, worthy soldier? 

 Soldier  O noble emperor, do not fight by sea; 

 Trust not to rotten planks: do you misdoubt 

 This sword and these my wounds? Let the Egyptians 

 And the Phoenicians go a-ducking; we 

 Have used to conquer, standing on the earth, 

 And fighting foot to foot. 

 MARK ANTONY  Well, well: away! 



 Exeunt MARK ANTONY, QUEEN CLEOPATRA, and DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS  Soldier  By Hercules, I think I am i' the right. 

 CANIDIUS  Soldier, thou art: but his whole action grows 

 Not in the power on't: so our leader's led, 

 And we are women's men. 

 Soldier  You keep by land 

 The legions and the horse whole, do you not? 

 CANIDIUS  Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, 

 Publicola, and Caelius, are for sea: 

 But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar's 

 Carries beyond belief. 

 Soldier  While he was yet in Rome, 

 His power went out in such distractions as 

 Beguiled all spies. 

 CANIDIUS  Who's his lieutenant, hear you? 

 Soldier  They say, one Taurus. 

 CANIDIUS  Well I know the man. 



 Enter a Messenger  Messenger  The emperor calls Canidius. 

 CANIDIUS  With news the time's with labour, and throes forth, 

 Each minute, some. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 7 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 