Act 4, Scene 2

Original Text

*Alexandria. A Room in the Palace. Enter Antony, Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas with others.* ANTONY. He will not fight with me, Domitius? ENOBARBUS. No. ANTONY. Why should he not? ENOBARBUS. He thinks, being twenty times of better fortune, He is twenty men to one.

Modern English

*Alexandria. A room in the palace. Antony enters with Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Alexas, and others.* ANTONY. He won't fight me in single combat, Domitius? ENOBARBUS. No. ANTONY. Why not? ENOBARBUS. He figures that with twenty times your luck on his side, he's as good as twenty men to your one.

Original Text

ANTONY. Tomorrow, soldier, By sea and land I'll fight. Or I will live, Or bathe my dying honour in the blood Shall make it live again. Woo't thou fight well? ENOBARBUS. I'll strike, and cry "Take all." ANTONY. Well said. Come on. Call forth my household servants. Let's tonight Be bounteous at our meal.—

Modern English

ANTONY. Tomorrow, soldier, I fight by sea and land. Either I'll survive this or wash my fading honor in enough blood to make it shine again. Will you fight hard? ENOBARBUS. I'll hit hard and bet everything on it. ANTONY. Well said. Let's go. Bring in my household servants. Tonight let's eat and drink without holding back.

Original Text

*Enter Servants.* Give me thy hand. Thou has been rightly honest; so hast thou, Thou, and thou, and thou. You have served me well, And kings have been your fellows. CLEOPATRA. [*Aside to Enobarbus.*] What means this? ENOBARBUS. [*Aside to Cleopatra.*] 'Tis one of those odd tricks which sorrow shoots Out of the mind.

Modern English

*Servants enter.* Give me your hand. You've been truly loyal — and you, and you, you, and you as well. You've all served me well, and kings have stood beside you as equals. CLEOPATRA. [*Aside to Enobarbus.*] What does this mean? ENOBARBUS. [*Aside to Cleopatra.*] It's one of those strange things that grief fires out of a mind under strain.

Original Text

ANTONY. And thou art honest too. I wish I could be made so many men, And all of you clapped up together in An Antony, that I might do you service So good as you have done. ALL THE SERVANTS. The gods forbid!

Modern English

ANTONY. And you too are honest and true. I wish I could somehow multiply myself into as many men as you are, and pack you all together into one Antony, so I could serve you as well as you have served me. ALL THE SERVANTS. Heaven forbid!

Original Text

ANTONY. Well, my good fellows, wait on me tonight. Scant not my cups, and make as much of me As when mine empire was your fellow too And suffered my command. CLEOPATRA. [*Aside to Enobarbus.*] What does he mean? ENOBARBUS. [*Aside to Cleopatra.*] To make his followers weep.

Modern English

ANTONY. Good men, wait on me tonight. Don't go easy on the wine — honor me tonight the same way you did when my empire was still standing and followed my command. CLEOPATRA. [*Aside to Enobarbus.*] What is he doing? ENOBARBUS. [*Aside to Cleopatra.*] Making his men weep.

Original Text

ANTONY. Tend me tonight; May be it is the period of your duty. Haply you shall not see me more, or if, A mangled shadow. Perchance tomorrow You'll serve another master. I look on you As one that takes his leave. Mine honest friends, I turn you not away, but, like a master Married to your good service, stay till death. Tend me tonight two hours, I ask no more, And the gods yield you for't!

Modern English

ANTONY. Stay with me tonight — it may be the last night you serve me. You may never see me again, or if you do, only as a broken shadow of what I am. Perhaps tomorrow you'll have a different master. I look at you the way a man looks at those he is about to leave. My honest friends, I'm not dismissing you — I'm bound to your loyal service as a husband to a wife, until death itself. Just give me two hours of your company tonight — that's all I ask. And may the gods reward you for it!

Original Text

ENOBARBUS. What mean you, sir, To give them this discomfort? Look, they weep, And I, an ass, am onion-eyed. For shame, Transform us not to women. ANTONY. Ho, ho, ho! Now the witch take me if I meant it thus! Grace grow where those drops fall! My hearty friends, You take me in too dolorous a sense, For I spake to you for your comfort, did desire you To burn this night with torches. Know, my hearts, I hope well of tomorrow, and will lead you Where rather I'll expect victorious life Than death and honour. Let's to supper, come, And drown consideration. *[Exeunt.]*

Modern English

ENOBARBUS. My lord, why are you putting them through this? Look — they're in tears. And I, fool that I am, have gone misty-eyed too. Enough — don't turn us all into weeping women. ANTONY. Ha, ha, ha! Damn me if that's what I meant to do! God bless every tear that falls! My dear friends, you've taken my meaning far too darkly. I was talking to give you heart, not take it away — I wanted you to light up this night with torches and make it a celebration. Listen: I'm confident about tomorrow. I'll lead you to a fight where I expect us to come home alive and victorious, not dead and merely honorable. Come, let's sit down to supper and stop brooding. *[They exit.]*

Antony and Cleopatra

Act 4, Scene 2

Act 4, Scene 2