Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer.
Th’ Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,
With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder.
To see ’t mine eyes are blasted.
Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer. Th’ Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral, With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder. To see ’t mine eyes are blasted.
Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer. Th’ Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral, With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder. To see ’t mine eyes are blasted.
naught, naught, all naught! i can behold no longer. th’ antoniad, the egyptian admiral, with all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder. to see ’t mine
Scarus is the most viscerally angry voice among Antony's men — he speaks in images of violent disgust when he's outraged, but his loyalty to Antony personally is fierce. Watch for how his fury is always directed at the situation, never quite at Antony himself.
Gods and goddesses,
All the whole synod of them!
Gods and goddesses, All the whole synod of them!
Gods and goddesses, All the whole synod of them!
gods and goddesses, all the whole synod of them!
What’s thy passion?
What’s thy passion?
What’s thy passion?
what’s thy passion?
The greater cantle of the world is lost
With very ignorance. We have kissed away
Kingdoms and provinces.
The greater cantle of the world is lost With very ignorance. We have kissed away Kingdoms and provinces.
The greater cantle of the world is lost With very ignorance. We have kissed away Kingdoms and provinces.
the greater cantle of the world is lost with very ignorance. we have kissed away kingdoms and provinces.
How appears the fight?
How appears the fight?
How appears the fight?
how appears the fight?
On our side, like the tokened pestilence,
Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt,
Whom leprosy o’ertake, i’ th’ midst o’ th’ fight,
When vantage like a pair of twins appeared,
Both as the same—or, rather, ours the elder—
The breeze upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails and flies.
On our side, like the tokened pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt, Whom leprosy o’ertake, i’ th’ midst o’ th’ fight, When vantage like a pair of twins appeared, Both as the same—or, rather, ours the elder— The breeze upon her, like a cow in June, Hoists sails and flies.
On our side, like the tokened pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt, Whom leprosy o’ertake, i’ th’ midst o’ th’ fight, When vantage like a pair of twins appeared, Both as the same—or, rather, ours the elder— The breeze upon her, like a cow in June, Hoists sails and flies.
on our side, like the tokened pestilence, where death is sure. yon ribaudred nag of egypt, whom leprosy o’ertake, i’ th’ midst o’ th’ fight, when vant
The historical Battle of Actium is one of history's most analyzed military disasters — and one of its most debated. Historians still argue about whether Cleopatra's retreat was panic, a pre-planned strategic escape to preserve her treasure fleet, or a signal misinterpreted. What is undisputed: when her fleet turned, Antony followed. His flagship broke off from the fight mid-battle. Shakespeare condenses this into Scarus's savage image — 'a doting mallard' — and Enobarbus's two-word elegy: 'Alack, alack.' The play doesn't need a battle. It needs only the moment of flight and the witnesses to it.
That I beheld.
Mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not
Endure a further view.
That I beheld. Mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not Endure a further view.
That I beheld. Mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not Endure a further view.
that i beheld. mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not endure a further view.
She once being loofed,
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.
She once being loofed, 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.
She once being loofed, 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.
she once being loofed, the noble ruin of her magic, antony, claps on his sea-wing and, like a doting mallard, leaving the fight in height, flies after
Alack, alack!
Alack, alack!
Alack, alack!
alack, alack!
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!
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!
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!
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 exampl
Ay, are you thereabouts?
Why, then, good night indeed.
Ay, are you thereabouts? Why, then, good night indeed.
Ay, are you thereabouts? Why, then, good night indeed.
ay, are you thereabouts? why, then, good night indeed.
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
toward peloponnesus are they fled.
’Tis easy to’t, and there I will attend
What further comes.
’Tis easy to’t, and there I will attend What further comes.
’Tis easy to’t, and there I will attend What further comes.
’tis easy to’t, and there i will attend what further comes.
To Caesar will I render
My legions and my horse. Six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.
To Caesar will I render My legions and my horse. Six kings already Show me the way of yielding.
To Caesar will I render My legions and my horse. Six kings already Show me the way of yielding.
to caesar will i render my legions and my horse. six kings already show me the way of yielding.
I’ll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.
I’ll yet follow The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason Sits in the wind against me.
I’ll yet follow The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason Sits in the wind against me.
i’ll yet follow the wounded chance of antony, though my reason sits in the wind against me.
The Reckoning
The catastrophe arrives not with a crash but with the image of a man following a ship. Scarus's language is brutal and precise — 'a doting mallard' chasing a fleeing cow. Canidius decides to defect on the spot. Enobarbus stays with Antony not because he believes in the cause but because he cannot yet bring himself to leave. The scene is fourteen speeches and it contains the turning point of the entire play.
If this happened today…
Three executives on a glass mezzanine watch their company's stock price as the product launch fails live on stage. 'I can't watch this anymore,' says one. 'It's total collapse.' 'He just walked off the stage to follow her to the greenroom,' says another. 'I've never seen anything so embarrassing.' The third one opens his phone and emails the competitor's HR. 'I'm staying,' says the first. 'My reason says to leave. My loyalty says to stay.' He stays.