Antony and Cleopatra: Act 3, Scene 10

    tragedy

    Another part of the plain.

    Scene Summary

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    The sea battle has gone catastrophically wrong. Cleopatra's ships turned and fled; Antony followed her. His officers watch in disbelief. Enobarbus begins to think about leaving him.

    CANIDIUS marcheth with his land army one way over the stage; and TAURUS, the lieutenant of OCTAVIUS CAESAR, the other way. After their going in, is heard the noise of a sea-fight
    Alarum. Enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    Naught, naught all, naught! I can behold no longer:
    The Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
    With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:
    To see't mine eyes are blasted.
    Enter SCARUS
    SCARUS
    Gods and goddesses,
    All the whole synod of them!
    DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    What's thy passion!
    SCARUS
    The greater cantle of the world is lost
    With very ignorance; we have kiss'd away
    Kingdoms and provinces.
    DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    How appears the fight?
    SCARUS
    On our side like the token'd pestilence,
    Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt,--
    Whom leprosy o'ertake!--i' the midst o' the fight,
    When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd,
    Both as the same, or rather ours the elder,
    The breese upon her, like a cow in June,
    Hoists sails and flies.
    DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    That I beheld:
    Mine eyes did sicken at the sight, and could not
    Endure a further view.
    SCARUS
    She once being loof'd,
    The noble ruin of her magic, Antony,
    Claps on his sea-wing, and, like a doting mallard,
    Leaving the fight in height, flies after her:
    I never saw an action of such shame;
    Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before
    Did violate so itself.
    DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    Alack, alack!
    Enter CANIDIUS
    CANIDIUS
    Our fortune on the sea is out of breath,
    And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
    Been what he knew himself, it had gone well:
    O, he has given example for our flight,
    Most grossly, by his own!
    DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    Ay, are you thereabouts?
    Why, then, good night indeed.
    CANIDIUS
    Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
    SCARUS
    'Tis easy to't; and there I will attend
    What further comes.
    CANIDIUS
    To Caesar will I render
    My legions and my horse: six kings already
    Show me the way of yielding.
    DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS
    I'll yet follow
    The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
    Sits in the wind against me.
    Exeunt