Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra Act 4

What has happened up to the end of Act 3?

We have seen been introduced to all the major characters and their different motives and needs. We have seen the main conflicts and have watched the gradual break down in the relationship between Octavius Caesar and Mark Anthony despite the politically inspired marriage of Antony to Octavia. We have also seen the development of the most important themes in the play especially the internal conflict Antony has between Rome and all that it represents (Order, logic, power) and Egypt (representing sensual pleasure, emotion, indulgence). We have also seen the development of the theme of Antony and Cleopatra's struggle to come to terms with approaching old age and their desire to hold on to the pleasures of youth. The first three acts also introduce and develop the idea of nobility versus treachery, whether it is Pompei rejecting the opportunity to murder his guests because it would be ignoble or Cleopatra's constant insecurity around Antony's fidelity towards her while he remains married to someone in Rome.

By the time Act 4 begins Antony and Caesar have become totally estranged from each other and are ready to go to war against each other.

This is the climax of the play, the "big showdown". Act 4 has many short (often very short) scenes moving back and forth between Casar's headquarters and Antony's. Each scene increases the tension as the final clash approaches and the audience is given new indications of the battle-readiness of each side. As a sub-plot we also see Enobarbus, Antony's closest aide deserting him and throwing his lot in with Caesar. Antony's response to this betrayal is contrasted with Caesar's decision to put the deserters from Antony's forces in the frontline where they are most vulnerable. Enobarbus realizes he has made a grave mistake and, in despair, he takes his own life.

What happens when the two forces meet?

Initially, Antony has the upper hand and Caesar's troops under the leadership of Agrippa are forced to retreat. Antony is extravagant in honouring his general, Scarus, before Cleopatra and they wait to resume the battle the next day. The following day Antony makes the mistake of sending the Egyptian fleet to attack the Romans at sea, planning to follow up with a finishing-off operation on land, but he watches as the Egyptians are completely defeated and he blames Cleopatra, saying she has betrayed him. He realizes all is lost and tells his men to escape and save themselves. He is so overcome with despair both at being defeated and at what he thinks is a betrayal by Cleopatra that he asks one of his men to kill him. The soldier kills himself instead, (is this an act of nobility and respect for Antony, or is it an act of cowardly treachery?) leaving Antony to stab himself, but he does not die immediately. In the meantime, Cleopatra and her retinue have escaped to the monument and sent word to Antony that she died with his name on her lips. Antony is mortally wounded but not yet dead when a messenger arrives to tell him that the previous news of Cleopatra's death was false and that she is still alive in the monument. Antony has himself taken to her and she and her ladies lift him into the monument with some difficulty. (This can come across as quite comical and clumsy - a touch of dark humour - do you think it was intended as such? Why or why not?) The act ends with Antony dying in Cleopatra's arms.

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Antony and Cleopatra

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