List iconAntony and Cleopatra:
Act 4, scene 14List icon

Antony and Cleopatra
Act 4, scene 14

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Entire Play

Antony and Cleopatra tells the story of a romance between two powerful lovers: Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, and Mark Antony,…

Act 1, scene 1

Antony refuses to hear the messengers from Rome and declares that nothing matters but his love for Cleopatra.

Act 1, scene 2

Antony learns that Fulvia, his wife, has died. That and other news, especially news of Pompey’s threat to Caesar, make…

Act 1, scene 3

Cleopatra, after accusing Antony of hypocrisy and betrayal, gives him leave to depart from Egypt.

Act 1, scene 4

Octavius Caesar condemns Antony’s behavior in Egypt, and, in the face of attacks by Pompey, Menas, and Menecrates, he wishes…

Act 1, scene 5

Cleopatra receives a pearl and a message from Antony and resolves to send him a letter each day that he’s…

Act 2, scene 1

Pompey learns that Antony has left Egypt for Rome, and fears that Antony and Caesar will unite against him.

Act 2, scene 2

Antony agrees to marry Caesar’s sister Octavia as a way of cementing the newly reestablished bond between the men. Enobarbus…

Act 2, scene 3

Antony promises Octavia that he will henceforth live according to the rule. A Soothsayer advises Antony to keep his distance…

Act 2, scene 4

Lepidus sets off to do battle with Pompey, urging Maecenas and Agrippa to hasten the departures of Antony and Caesar.

Act 2, scene 5

Cleopatra learns of Antony’s marriage and, in her fury, beats the messenger who brought the news.

Act 2, scene 6

In a prebattle conference, Pompey is offered terms by Caesar, Antony, and Lepidus. After Antony thanks Pompey for his earlier…

Act 2, scene 7

At the feast on Pompey’s galley, Pompey refuses the suggestion that he kill his guests and thus become “lord of…

Act 3, scene 1

Having won a victory for Antony, Ventidius explains why it would be politically unwise to achieve further success. We learn…

Act 3, scene 2

Caesar and Octavia take a tearful farewell of each other, and Antony and Octavia depart for Athens.

Act 3, scene 3

Cleopatra is reassured by further description of Octavia.

Act 3, scene 4

At the news of Caesar’s hostile actions, Antony begins to prepare for war, but gives Octavia permission to go to…

Act 3, scene 5

With Caesar having imprisoned Lepidus, Caesar and Antony now divide the rulership of their world. Antony’s navy is prepared to…

Act 3, scene 6

Octavia arrives in Rome, to be told that Antony has left Athens for Egypt.

Act 3, scene 7

Over the pleading of his soldiers and officers and encouraged by Cleopatra, Antony decides to fight Caesar by sea.

Act 3, scene 8

Caesar orders his army to provoke no battle by land.

Act 3, scene 9

Antony sets his squadrons.

Act 3, scene 10

Antony turns his ship in mid-battle to follow Cleopatra’s flight. His officers begin to desert.

Act 3, scene 11

Antony, in despair over his action, accuses Cleopatra but then forgives her.

Act 3, scene 12

Caesar refuses to grant Antony’s petition for clemency, but he agrees to hear Cleopatra’s suit if she will banish or…

Act 3, scene 13

Antony has Thidias whipped for kissing Cleopatra’s hand, then makes plans to renew his battle with Caesar. Enobarbus decides to…

Act 4, scene 1

Caesar mocks Antony’s challenge to single combat and prepares for battle.

Act 4, scene 2

Antony asks his servants to tend him for a few more hours.

Act 4, scene 3

Antony’s soldiers standing guard hear music indicating that the god Hercules is leaving Antony.

Act 4, scene 4

Cleopatra and Eros arm Antony for battle.

Act 4, scene 5

Antony learns that Enobarbus has left, and sends Enobarbus’ chest and treasure to him in Caesar’s camp.

Act 4, scene 6

Enobarbus, faced with Caesar’s callousness and Antony’s generosity, realizes the magnitude of his fault in deserting Antony.

Act 4, scene 7

Antony and his soldiers rejoice in a victory.

Act 4, scene 8

Antony orders a march through Alexandria to celebrate their victory.

Act 4, scene 9

Enobarbus dies expressing his remorse for turning his back on Antony.

Act 4, scene 10

Antony places himself so that he can watch his galleys doing battle at sea.

Act 4, scene 11

Caesar orders his land forces to remain quiet unless attacked.

Act 4, scene 12

Antony watches as his ships desert him and join Caesar’s. He vows to kill Cleopatra, on whom he blames this…

Act 4, scene 13

Cleopatra, in terror, flees to her monument and sends Antony word that she is dead.

Act 4, scene 14

Antony, receiving the news that Cleopatra has taken her own life, orders Eros to kill him. Eros instead kills himself….

Act 4, scene 15

Antony is pulled up into the monument, where he dies.

Act 5, scene 1

Caesar expresses grief for Antony’s death. Fearing that Cleopatra will kill herself and thus prevent his displaying her in his…

Act 5, scene 2

While Proculeius is delivering Caesar’s message of comfort to Cleopatra, other of Caesar’s soldiers surprise and capture her. Dolabella enters…
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⌜Scene 14⌝
Enter Antony and Eros.

ANTONY 
 Eros, thou yet behold’st me?
EROS  Ay, noble lord.
ANTONY 
 Sometime we see a cloud that’s dragonish,
 A vapor sometime like a bear or lion,
5 A ⌜towered⌝ citadel, a pendent rock,
 A forkèd mountain, or blue promontory
 With trees upon ’t that nod unto the world
 And mock our eyes with air. Thou hast seen these
 signs.
10 They are black vesper’s pageants.
EROS  Ay, my lord.
217
Antony and Cleopatra
ACT 4. SC. 14

ANTONY 
 That which is now a horse, even with a thought
 The rack dislimns and makes it indistinct
 As water is in water.
EROS 15 It does, my lord.
ANTONY 
 My good knave Eros, now thy captain is
 Even such a body. Here I am Antony,
 Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
 I made these wars for Egypt, and the Queen,
20 Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine—
 Which whilst it was mine had annexed unto ’t
 A million more, now lost—she, Eros, has
 Packed cards with ⌜Caesar⌝ and false-played my glory
 Unto an enemy’s triumph.
25 Nay, weep not, gentle Eros. There is left us
 Ourselves to end ourselves.

Enter Mardian.

 O, thy vile lady!
 She has robbed me of my sword.
MARDIAN  No, Antony,
30 My mistress loved thee and her fortunes mingled
 With thine entirely.
ANTONY  Hence, saucy eunuch! Peace!
 She hath betrayed me and shall die the death.
MARDIAN 
 Death of one person can be paid but once,
35 And that she has discharged. What thou wouldst do
 Is done unto thy hand. The last she spake
 Was “Antony, most noble Antony.”
 Then in the midst a tearing groan did break
 The name of Antony; it was divided
40 Between her heart and lips. She rendered life
 Thy name so buried in her.
219
Antony and Cleopatra
ACT 4. SC. 14

ANTONY  Dead, then?
MARDIAN  Dead.
ANTONY 
 Unarm, Eros. The long day’s task is done,
45 And we must sleep.—That thou depart’st hence safe
 Does pay thy labor richly. Go.Mardian exits.
 Off, pluck off!
⌜Eros begins to remove Antony’s armor.⌝
 The sevenfold shield of Ajax cannot keep
 The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!
50 Heart, once be stronger than thy continent;
 Crack thy frail case. Apace, Eros, apace!
 No more a soldier. Bruisèd pieces, go.
 You have been nobly borne.—From me awhile.
Eros exits.
 I will o’ertake thee, Cleopatra, and
55 Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now
 All length is torture. Since the torch is out,
 Lie down and stray no farther. Now all labor
 Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles
 Itself with strength. Seal, then, and all is done.—
60 Eros!—I come, my queen.—Eros!—Stay for me.
 Where souls do couch on flowers, we’ll hand in hand,
 And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze.
 Dido and her Aeneas shall want troops,
 And all the haunt be ours.—Come, Eros, Eros!

Enter Eros.

EROS 
65 What would my lord?
ANTONY  Since Cleopatra died
 I have lived in such dishonor that the gods
 Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
 Quartered the world and o’er green Neptune’s back
70 With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
221
Antony and Cleopatra
ACT 4. SC. 14

 The courage of a woman—less noble mind
 Than she which, by her death, our Caesar tells
 “I am conqueror of myself.” Thou art sworn, Eros,
 That when the exigent should come, which now
75 Is come indeed, when I should see behind me
 Th’ inevitable prosecution of
 Disgrace and horror, that on my command
 Thou then wouldst kill me. Do ’t. The time is come.
 Thou strik’st not me; ’tis Caesar thou defeat’st.
80 Put color in thy cheek.
EROS  The gods withhold me!
 Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
 Though enemy, lost aim and could not?
ANTONY  Eros,
85 Wouldst thou be windowed in great Rome and see
 Thy master thus with pleached arms, bending down
 His corrigible neck, his face subdued
 To penetrative shame, whilst the wheeled seat
 Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
90 His baseness that ensued?
EROS  I would not see ’t.
ANTONY 
 Come, then, for with a wound I must be cured.
 Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn
 Most useful for thy country.
EROS 95 O, sir, pardon me!
ANTONY 
 When I did make thee free, swor’st thou not then
 To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once,
 Or thy precedent services are all
 But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.
EROS 
100 Turn from me then that noble countenance
 Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.
ANTONY Lo thee!⌜He turns away.⌝
223
Antony and Cleopatra
ACT 4. SC. 14

EROS 
 My sword is drawn.
ANTONY  Then let it do at once
105 The thing why thou hast drawn it.
EROS  My dear master,
 My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
 Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.
ANTONY ’Tis said, man, and farewell.
EROS 
110 Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?
ANTONY  Now, Eros.
EROS 
 Why, there, then.⌜Stabs⌝ himself.
 Thus I do escape the sorrow
 Of Antony’s death.⌜Dies.⌝
ANTONY 115 Thrice nobler than myself,
 Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what
 I should and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros
 Have by their brave instruction got upon me
 A nobleness in record. But I will be
120 A bridegroom in my death and run into ’t
 As to a lover’s bed. Come then, and, Eros,
 Thy master dies thy scholar. To do thus
 I learned of thee. ⌜He stabs himself.⌝ How, not dead?
 Not dead?
125 The guard, ho! O, dispatch me!

Enter a ⌜company of the⌝ Guard, ⌜one of them named
Dercetus.⌝

FIRST GUARD  What’s the noise?
ANTONY 
 I have done my work ill, friends. O, make an end
 Of what I have begun!
SECOND GUARD  The star is fall’n.
FIRST GUARD 
130 And time is at his period.
225
Antony and Cleopatra
ACT 4. SC. 14

ALL  Alas, and woe!
ANTONY Let him that loves me strike me dead.
FIRST GUARD Not I.
SECOND GUARD Nor I.
THIRD GUARD 135Nor anyone.
⌜All but Antony and Dercetus⌝ exit.
DERCETUS 
 Thy death and fortunes bid thy followers fly.
⌜He takes Antony’s sword.⌝
 This sword but shown to Caesar with this tidings
 Shall enter me with him.

Enter Diomedes.

DIOMEDES Where’s Antony?
DERCETUS 140There, Diomed, there.
DIOMEDES Lives he? Wilt thou not answer, man?
⌜Dercetus exits.⌝
ANTONY 
 Art thou there, Diomed? Draw thy sword, and give me
 Sufficing strokes for death.
DIOMEDES  Most absolute lord,
145 My mistress Cleopatra sent me to thee.
ANTONY 
 When did she send thee?
DIOMEDES  Now, my lord.
ANTONY  Where is she?
DIOMEDES 
 Locked in her monument. She had a prophesying
150 fear
 Of what hath come to pass. For when she saw—
 Which never shall be found—you did suspect
 She had disposed with Caesar, and that your rage
 Would not be purged, she sent you word she was
155 dead;
 But fearing since how it might work, hath sent
227
Antony and Cleopatra
ACT 4. SC. 15

 Me to proclaim the truth, and I am come,
 I dread, too late.
ANTONY 
 Too late, good Diomed. Call my guard, I prithee.
DIOMEDES 
160 What ho! The Emperor’s guard! The guard, what ho!
 Come, your lord calls.

Enter four or five of the Guard of Antony.

ANTONY 
 Bear me, good friends, where Cleopatra bides.
 ’Tis the last service that I shall command you.
FIRST GUARD 
 Woe, woe are we, sir, you may not live to wear
165 All your true followers out.
ALL  Most heavy day!
ANTONY 
 Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate
 To grace it with your sorrows. Bid that welcome
 Which comes to punish us, and we punish it,
170 Seeming to bear it lightly. Take me up.
 I have led you oft; carry me now, good friends,
 And have my thanks for all.
⌜They⌝ exit bearing Antony ⌜and the body of Eros.⌝


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