William Shakespeare's
Antony and Cleopatra
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Act III. Scene V.
Athens. Another room in Antony's house.
Enter ENOBARBUS and EROS.
- ENOBARBUS
- How now, friend Eros?
- EROS
- There's strange news come, sir
- ENOBARBUS
- What, man?
- EROS
- Caesar and Lepidus have made wars upon Pompey.
- ENOBARBUS
- This is old. What is the success1?
- EROS
- Caesar, having made use of him in the wars 'gainst Pompey, presently denied him rivality2, would not let him partake in the glory of the action; and not resting here, accuses him of letters he had formerly wrote to Pompey; upon his own appeal, seizes him. So the poor third is up, till death enlarge his confine.
- ENOBARBUS
- Then, world, thou hast a pair of chaps3, no more;
And throw between them all the food thou hast,
They'll grind the one the other. Where's Antony?
- EROS
- He's walking in the garden - thus - and spurns
The rush4 that lies before him; cries 'Fool Lepidus!'
And threats the throat of that his officer
That murdered Pompey.
- ENOBARBUS
- Our great navy's rigged
- EROS
- For Italy and Caesar. More, Domitius,
My lord desires you presently5. My news
I might have told hereafter6.
- ENOBARBUS
- 'Twill be naught,
But let it be. Bring me to Antony.
- EROS
- Come, sir.
Exeunt.
Next
Notes:
1. success: result
2. rivality: equal partnership
3. chaps: jaws
4. spurns the rush: kicks aside straw in his path (?)
5. presently: immediately
6. my news... hereafter: I should have told you that first and saved my news until later
Summary:
This scene is necessary since Shakespeare was unable to show the battles being discussed. It serves to bring us up to date on the actions of Caesar, Eros informing Enobarbus that the treaty with Pompey has been broken and that Lepidus has been accused of treason and jailed. Since Enobarbus is the closest thing to an objective narrator in the play, his prophetic and pessimistic words as they prepare for battle carry weight.
I transcribed this by hand from the 1998 edition of the New Swan Shakespeare, which is published by the Longman Group and edited by John Ingledew. Hence, any errors are my own. Also mine is the scene summary, though the footnotes rely mostly on the New Swan.
dustfromamoth started this project, I have ripped off her format.