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Scene i : The play begins outside of Cleopatra's palace in Alexandria, Egypt. Two of the Roman general Mark Antony's officers discuss their leader's "dotage" upon the Egyptian queen and the neglect of his duty toward Rome. As Antony and Cleopatra enter, Philo tells his comrade to look and see that Antony, one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire, has been transformed into a "strumpet's fool." This establishes the major dramatic theme and the premise of the play's plot as a clash between the Roman and Egyptian worlds. Our first glimpse of Antony and Cleopatra interacting confirms this view: she taunts him about being married to a woman (Fulvia) whom he doesn't love while serving at the call of the Roman senate, and he reacts by refusing all messages from his homeland.Scene ii: Still at Cleopatra's palace, two of Cleopatra's servants, Charmian and Iras, consult a soothsayer. The fortuneteller predicts that they will both outlive their Queen. A messenger arrives and tells Mark Antony that his wife Fulvia and his brother have rebelled against Octavius Caesar, who is Julius Caesar's heir and a second member of the ruling Roman triumvirate. This revolt was defeated and another messenger reports that Fulvia is dead. Antony feels pangs of guilt, and vows to return to Rome in the midst of civil upheaval. Scene iii: Cleopatra is advised by Charmian and Iras to allow Antony to leave. She initially goads him, but upon learning of Fulvia's death, she accepts his departure for Rome and wishes him well. Scene iv: The setting now moves to Rome, as (Octavius) Caesar and the third member of the triumvirate, Lepidus, talk about recent events. The young Caesar expresses disgust at his "great competitor's" love affair with Cleopatra. A messenger arrives with the news that Pompey has joined forces with the pirates Menas and Menecrates in yet another rebellion. Caesar declares that he and Lepidus will raise a force to oppose the rebels. Scene v: Back in Alexandria, Cleopatra pines over her departed lover and envisions her brave Mark Antony on horseback, when a messenger appears with news and a gift from him. Cleopatra inquires about Antony's mood, and is told that he is neither sad nor merry. Scene i: At Pompey's house in Messina, he and his co-conspirators speak of their military plans against Octavius. Pompey is optimistic about the chances for the rebellion's success given that Mark Antony remains under Cleopatra's witchcraft. But he then learns that Antony has returned to Rome and hopes that Caesar and Antony will quarrel about Fulvia's treason.Scene ii: At the house of Lepidus in Rome, Antony and Caesar resolve this "trivial difference" away when Antony agrees that his wife and brother were wrong to take up arms and admits that he was wrong in not helping Caesar during his "poisoned hours" with Cleopatra. The veteran Roman officer Agrippa suggests that Antony and Augustus Caesar cement their alliance against the threat from Pompey through a marriage between Antony and Caesar's widowed sister, Octavia. Antony agrees. When the two leave however, Enobarbus first describes how Cleopatra first appeared to Antony on a richly-decorated barge and captured his love. Enobarbus says that Antony will not leave the Egyptian queen permanently because Cleopatra is not like other women. Scene iii: At Caesar's home in Rome, Antony is now married to Octavia and he promises Caesar's sister that while affairs of state may force him to leave home, he will remain loyal to her. The soothsayer arrives and tells Antony that Caesar's fortunes will rise higher than his will and that he should return to Egypt. Antony agrees to return to the East where his pleasure with Cleopatra lies. Scene iv: Lepidus, Agrippa and another Roman general, Maecenas, plan to leave Rome and join with Antony to fight against Pompey. Scene v: In Alexandria, a messenger tells Cleopatra that Antony is well, but that he is now married to Octavia. Enraged, she strikes the messenger, but then orders him to report the features of Antony's new wife, before retiring to her bedchamber. Scene vi: Near a battlefield at Misenum, Pompey and the other rebel leaders meet with Caesar, Antony, and Lepidus. They agree not to fight. After a deal is struck they decide to celebrate the peace by feasting aboard one of Pompey's ships. Scene vii: On board Pompey's ship, Lepidus becomes drunk. It is plain that he is not the equal of Antony and Caesar. The pirate Menas suggests to Pompey that they should now kill the Roman leaders. Pompey refuses, saying that having given his assent to a treaty, killing his adversaries now would violate his honor. Scene i: On a plain in Syria, one of Caesar's generals, Venditus, says to his lieutenant, Silius, that while they have defeated a force of Parthians, he will not pursue them because he does not want to outdo Mark Antony. Silius agrees that this is a politically wise course.Scene ii: In Rome, the three members of the triumvirate and Antony's Roman wife Octavia appear on stage. As Antony prepares to leave, tension arises between Antony and his new brother-in-law. Caesar cautions Antony not to allow the "cement" of their bond in marriage to Octavia to become a battering ram between them. Scene iii: In Egypt, Cleopatra receives the report of the messenger about Ocatvia's features. At the Queen's implicit urging, the messenger says that Antony's new wife is plain and old, and cannot compete for his affections against the charms of Cleopatra. Scene iv: At his house in Athens, Antony says to his wife that he is upset by her brother's "scant" treatment of him. Octavia is dismayed by the division between her husband and her brother. Antony agrees to let her serve as peacemaker but says that he will raise an army to fight Caesar should her efforts fail. Scenes v: Still in Athens, Enobarbus is told by Eros, another Roman military officer, that Caesar and Lepidus have made war on Pompey and beaten him. Scenes vi: Caesar is outraged that Mark Antony has not only returned to Cleopatra in Egypt, but crowned her and himself as the rulers of the Roman Empire in the East. Caesar tells s his sister of this, saying that her husband "hath given his empire up to a whore" and is now enlisting Eastern kings to fight in a coming war against Rome. Scenes vii-ix: At Antony's camp near Actium, Enobarbus tells Cleopatra that it is not fit for her to take part in the fight against Octavius. She replies with a defiantly profane "Sink Rome." Antony appears and tells Enobarbus that he plans to fight Caesar at sea even though his own land forces are superior. News arrives that Caesar has moved rapidly and a soldier urges Antony not to fight at sea. Two brief scenes (viii & ix) follow in which Caesar tells one of his generals not to strike by land until they have defeated Antony and Cleopatra at sea and Enobarbus establishes a post to view the sea battle. Scene x: Through Enobarbus, we learn that Antony has fled the sea battle aboard his flagship and that the other ships have followed him into retreat. We are then told that Antony was sailing after Cleopatra, the "nag of Egypt," who retreated from the battle. As a result, Enobarbus says, "the greater cantle of the world is lost" (l.6). He then says that he will surrender to Caesar. Scene xi: At Cleopatra's palace in Alexandria, the defeated Antony expresses shame to his troops and urges them to sail away with treasure ships. They loyally refuse. Cleopatra enters as both her servants and Antony's officers urge her to comfort him. She does so, and he professes his continuing love for her. Scene xii: At the Roman camp in Egypt, an ambassador from Mark Antony arrives to negotiate a truce. Antony wishes to remain in Egypt or in Athens, with Cleopatra as his queen. Caesar says that he will be liberal toward Cleopatra but that he has "no ears" for Antony's request. Scene xiii: At her palace, Cleopatra speaks with the ambassador. He tells the queen that Caesar believes that she joined with Antony out of fear, and she says that she is willing to accept Caesar's offer to "deliver" her from Antony and "kiss his conqu'ring hand." But Antony appears and has the ambassador whipped. He rebukes Cleopatra for her conniving schemes. Antony expects Caesar to land soon at Alexandria and vows to oppose him. He tells Cleopatra that there is hope yet, and she encourages him as her "brave lord." |
| Antony & Cleopatra |