Pompey speaks with the confidence of a man who believes in his own righteous cause — but his righteous confidence is always slightly fragile. He invokes the gods, his father's honor, his popular support. Watch for how quickly he has to revise his certainties.
If the great gods be just, they shall assist
The deeds of justest men.
If the great gods are just, they will support the actions of the most righteous men.
If the gods are truly fair, they'll back up people doing the right thing.
if gods are fair they help the just
Menecrates is the philosophical comfort — he responds to Pompey's impatience with reflections on divine timing. His role is to steady Pompey when strategy falters.
Know, worthy Pompey,
That what they do delay they not deny.
Understand, worthy Pompey, that what they delay they do not refuse.
Listen, Pompey—when the gods delay something, that doesn't mean they're refusing it.
delayed isn't denied
Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays
The thing we sue for.
While we are asking at their throne, the thing we are asking for falls to pieces.
While we keep begging the gods, what we're asking for just falls apart.
begging for it makes it crumble
We, ignorant of ourselves,
Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers
Deny us for our good; so find we profit
By losing of our prayers.
We, ignorant of our own nature, often beg for our own harm, which the wise powers refuse us for our benefit. And so we profit by losing what we prayed for.
We're so blind to ourselves that we often beg for things that would hurt us—and the wise gods refuse us for our own good. So we actually come out ahead when our prayers don't come true.
we beg for things that hurt us the gods refuse them to help us we profit when prayers fail
I shall do well.
The people love me, and the sea is mine;
My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope
Says it will come to th’ full. Mark Antony
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make
No wars without doors. Caesar gets money where
He loses hearts. Lepidus flatters both,
Of both is flattered; but he neither loves
Nor either cares for him.
I will do well. The people love me, and the sea is mine. My powers are growing, and my hopeful sense of destiny says they will reach their peak. Mark Antony sits in Egypt at dinner and will make no wars away from home. Caesar gains money where he loses hearts. Lepidus flatters both, and both flatter him in return; but he neither loves nor cares for either of them.
I'm going to do just fine. The people love me, and I control the sea. My power keeps growing, and I've got a really good feeling it will reach its height. Mark Antony is sitting in Egypt having meals and won't start any wars far from home. Caesar makes money but loses people's affection. Lepidus plays up to both of them, and they both play up to him; but he doesn't actually love or care about either one.
i'm fine. people love me. i own the sea. my power grows. antony's eating in egypt, won't fight. caesar makes money but loses hearts. lepidus flatters everyone but loves nobody
Menas is Pompey's sharpest lieutenant — pragmatic, skeptical, and more willing to act than his master. He sees things clearly and says them plainly. Watch for how his practical intelligence will eventually lead him to a moral crisis Pompey can't share.
Caesar and Lepidus
Are in the field. A mighty strength they carry.
Caesar and Lepidus are out on campaign. They possess considerable military might.
Caesar and Lepidus are out there with a serious army.
caesar and lepidus are mobilized with serious strength
Where have you this? ’Tis false.
Where did you hear this? It's false.
Where are you getting that information from? That's not true.
where'd you hear that? false
Sextus Pompey's power rests almost entirely on his father's name. Pompey the Great was one of Rome's most celebrated generals — he'd conquered the East, dealt with pirates, was Julius Caesar's rival and ally by turns. His murder (ordered by the Egyptian king, at Caesar's instigation) was one of the defining outrages of the late Republic. Sextus Pompey is the son of a legend. He commands real forces — particularly naval power — but his authority derives partly from inherited grievance. This is why he keeps invoking his father: 'the ingratitude Rome cast on my noble father.' He is fighting a war of honor as much as a war of strategy. And Shakespeare captures the problem exactly: a man fighting for his father's honor may be more committed but less flexible than a man fighting for his own.
From Silvius, sir.
From Silvius, sir.
From Silvius, sir.
from silvius, sir.
He dreams. I know they are in Rome together,
Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love,
Salt Cleopatra, soften thy waned lip!
Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both;
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts;
Keep his brain fuming. Epicurean cooks
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite,
That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour
Even till a Lethe’d dullness—
He's dreaming. I know they are in Rome together, looking for Antony. But may all the charms of love, Cleopatra with your salt and charm, soften your aging lips! Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust combine with both. Tie up this pleasure-seeker in an endless feast. Keep his mind spinning. Let gourmet cooks sharpen with sauce without limit his appetite, so that sleep and eating delay his honor and duty until he reaches a forgetful stupor—
He's just daydreaming. I know they're in Rome looking for Antony. But I wish all the seductive power, Cleopatra with your charm and wit, would soften your aging lips! Let magic and beauty work together, blend lust with both. Keep this pleasure-lover trapped in endless feasting. Keep his brain spinning. Have lavish chefs use unlimited sauce to stir his appetite, so eating and sleeping delay his duty until he sinks into a stupid daze—
he's daydreaming. they're in rome. but i wish cleopatra would use all her charms keep him drowning in feasts fed and drunk til he forgets duty
How now, Varrius!
What's your news, Varrius?
What's going on, Varrius?
hey varrius, what's up?
This is most certain that I shall deliver:
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome
Expected. Since he went from Egypt ’tis
A space for farther travel.
I am certain in what I will report: Mark Antony is expected in Rome every hour. Since he departed from Egypt, there has been enough time for the journey.
I can confirm that Mark Antony is expected to arrive in Rome any moment now. Since he left Egypt, there's been plenty of time for him to get there.
antony's expected in rome he's had time to travel from egypt
I could have given less matter
A better ear.—Menas, I did not think
This amorous surfeiter would have donned his helm
For such a petty war. His soldiership
Is twice the other twain. But let us rear
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Can from the lap of Egypt’s widow pluck
The ne’er lust-wearied Antony.
I would have preferred to listen to less trivial matters.—Menas, I did not believe this pleasure-loving man would put on his helmet for such a small war. His military skill is twice as great as the other two combined. But let us think of ourselves as strong, that our power can pull the man who is never tired of lust from Cleopatra's lap.
I would've rather heard about more important things.—Menas, I never expected this man devoted to pleasure would put on armor for such a pointless war. His military genius is worth twice as much as the other two put together. But let's believe in ourselves— we're powerful enough to pull Antony, who can never get enough of lust, away from Cleopatra's embrace.
i'd rather hear better news. he won't fight over petty wars. but his military skill is incredible. we're strong enough to pull him from cleopatra
I cannot hope
Caesar and Antony shall well greet together.
His wife that’s dead did trespasses to Caesar;
His brother warred upon him, although I think,
Not moved by Antony.
I don't expect that Caesar and Antony will greet each other warmly. Antony's dead wife wronged Caesar. His brother made war on Caesar, though I think not at Antony's command.
I don't believe that Caesar and Antony will greet each other with warmth. Antony's dead wife wronged Caesar. His brother went to war against Caesar, but I don't think Antony was behind it.
caesar and antony won't greet well his dead wife wronged caesar his brother warred on him but not antony's idea
I know not, Menas,
How lesser enmities may give way to greater.
Were’t not that we stand up against them all,
’Twere pregnant they should square between themselves,
For they have entertained cause enough
To draw their swords. But how the fear of us
May cement their divisions, and bind up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
Be’t as our gods will have’t! It only stands
Our lives upon to use our strongest hands.
Come, Menas.
I do not know, Menas, how smaller enmities give way to greater ones. If we were not standing against them all, it would be likely they would fight among themselves, for they have enough cause to draw their swords. But whether the fear of us may join their divisions, and bind together their petty differences, we do not yet know. Be it as our gods will have it! It depends only on our lives that we use our strongest power. Come, Menas.
I don't know, Menas, how smaller rivalries turn into larger conflicts. If we weren't opposing them as one, I'd expect they'd fight each other— they've got enough reason to draw their swords. But whether our threat makes them unite their separate grudges and patch up their small quarrels, we just don't know yet. Whatever the gods will! It all depends on our lives making full use of our strongest power. Let's go, Menas.
smaller enmities lead to bigger ones if we weren't against them they'd fight each other but our threat might unite them we don't know yet the gods decide we use all our power
The Reckoning
The scene is a strategic update delivered from the enemy's point of view — and it shows Shakespeare's structural brilliance. We've seen Antony decide to leave Egypt; now we see his enemy counting on him staying. When the news arrives that Antony is coming, Pompey has to think fast. He keeps his confidence, but his prayer for Cleopatra to hold Antony back has already failed. The audience is ahead of Pompey, which gives every line a slight edge of dark comedy.
If this happened today…
A startup founder is pitching investors on why his main competitor won't be a problem: 'their CEO is completely distracted, he's basically checked out, we've got at least another year.' Then someone walks in mid-pitch with news: the CEO just announced he's cutting his sabbatical short and coming back. The founder keeps his poker face, recalibrates, and says: 'well, that changes our competitive timeline, but we still have a strong position.' He's rattled but won't show it.