I will be even with thee, doubt it not.
I will get back at you, don't doubt it.
I'll make you pay for this, you can count on it.
i'll get back at u. count on it.
But why, why, why?
But what's your reason? What purpose would it serve? Why do you need to?
But why would you even want to?
but y??
Thou hast forspoke my being in these wars
And say’st it is not fit.
You have spoken against my being in these wars and said it isn't fitting for me.
You've been telling me I shouldn't be part of this war, saying it's not appropriate.
u said i shouldn't b in this war
Well, is it, is it?
Well, is it appropriate, is it?
Well, isn't that the truth?
isn't it tho?
Is ’t not denounced against us? Why should not we
Be there in person?
Isn't the war declared against us? Why shouldn't we be there in person?
Isn't this war happening because of me too? Why can't I be there?
war's against me 2. y can't i b there?
Well, I could reply:
If we should serve with horse and mares together,
The horse were merely lost. The mares would bear
A soldier and his horse.
Well, I could answer: if we sent stallions and mares into battle together, the stallions would be defeated. The mares would be burdened with carrying both a soldier and his horse.
Well, here's my point: if you sent male and female horses into battle together, the males would be useless. The females would end up carrying both soldiers and horses.
put stallions & mares in battle together? stallions r useless. mares end up carrying soldiers & horses.
What is’t you say?
What are you saying?
What's that supposed to mean?
what's that mean?
Your presence needs must puzzle Antony,
Take from his heart, take from his brain, from ’s time,
What should not then be spared. He is already
Traduced for levity, and ’tis said in Rome
That Photinus, an eunuch, and your maids
Manage this war.
Your being here will surely distract Antony, take away his heart, his mind, his attention - things that cannot be spared. He is already mocked for being frivolous, and it's said in Rome that Photinus, a eunuch, and your ladies are running this war.
Your being here will just confuse Antony and pull his focus away from what matters. He's already being ridiculed for not taking things seriously, and Rome is saying that a eunuch and your female servants are actually the ones in charge here.
u here distracts antony. rome says eunuch & ur maids r running the war anyway
Sink Rome, and their tongues rot
That speak against us! A charge we bear i’ th’ war,
And, as the president of my kingdom, will
Appear there for a man. Speak not against it.
I will not stay behind.
May Rome sink and may those who speak against us have rotting tongues! I bear a share of the responsibility for this war, and as the leader of my kingdom, I will appear as a man would. Don't argue against it. I will not stay behind.
To hell with Rome and anyone who speaks against us! I have a stake in this war as the ruler of Egypt, so I'm going to be there in the thick of it, doing what any leader would. Don't waste your breath arguing - I'm not staying home.
screw rome. i'm queen of egypt. i'm going. not staying home.
Nay, I have done.
Here comes the Emperor.
No, I'm done talking. Here comes the Emperor.
Alright, I'm done. Here comes Antony.
ok i'm done. here comes antony.
Is it not strange, Canidius,
That from Tarentum and Brundusium
He could so quickly cut the Ionian sea
And take in Toryne?—You have heard on ’t, sweet?
Isn't it strange, Canidius, that from Tarentum and Brundisium he could so quickly cross the Ionian sea and capture Toryne? Have you heard about it, my sweet?
Isn't it crazy, Canidius? He went from Tarentum and Brundisium, crossed the sea that fast, and took Toryne? You've heard about this, haven't you, my sweet?
how fast he moved from tarentum & brundisium. crossed sea & took toryne. u heard?
Celerity is never more admired
Than by the negligent.
Speed is never more impressive than when it's observed by those who were careless.
Speed looks impressive when you're the one who wasn't paying attention.
speed impresses u when u werent paying attention
A good rebuke,
Which might have well becomed the best of men
To taunt at slackness.—Canidius, we
Will fight with him by sea.
A good rebuke, which would have suited even the best of men to criticize laziness. Canidius, we will fight him by sea.
That's a fair point - even the best men would be right to criticize someone for being lazy. Canidius, we're fighting him at sea.
fair point. we fight at sea.
The historical Battle of Actium (31 BC) was decided before the first arrow flew. Antony's crews were depleted by disease and desertion. Many of his experienced soldiers had left the land forces to crew ships they had no expertise to sail. When Cleopatra's sixty-ship Egyptian fleet broke off and fled — historians debate whether this was panic, a pre-arranged signal, or a strategic retreat gone wrong — Antony's flagship followed hers. His remaining fleet surrendered. The land army held out for seven days before surrendering too. Shakespeare's pre-battle scene in 3-7 dramatizes the structural causes: the wrong battlefield chosen for the wrong reasons, with every qualified advisor on the wrong side of a closed door.
By sea, what else?
By sea - what else would we do?
By sea, of course. What other choice is there?
by sea. duh.
Canidius is the professional soldier in the room — he speaks in military realities, not rhetoric. Watch for how his agreement with Enobarbus carries the weight of institutional expertise that Antony is overriding.
Why will my lord do so?
Why will my lord do this?
My lord, why would you do that?
y would u do that?
For that he dares us to ’t.
Because he's challenging us to it.
Because he's daring us to fight at sea.
he's daring us 2
So hath my lord dared him to single fight.
And so my lord has challenged him to single combat.
So my lord has already challenged him to a one-on-one fight.
u already challenged him 2 single combat
Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,
Where Caesar fought with Pompey. But these offers,
Which serve not for his vantage, he shakes off,
And so should you.
Yes, and to fight this battle at Pharsalia, where Caesar fought with Pompey before. But Caesar ignores these offers since they don't help him, and you should ignore them too.
Yeah, and he wants to fight at Pharsalia, where Caesar and Pompey fought. But Caesar keeps turning down offers that don't work in his favor, so you should too.
fight at pharsalia where caesar fought pompey. caesar ignores offers that dont help him. u should 2.
Your ships are not well manned,
Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, people
Engrossed by swift impress. In Caesar’s fleet
Are those that often have ’gainst Pompey fought.
Their ships are yare, yours heavy. No disgrace
Shall fall you for refusing him at sea,
Being prepared for land.
Your ships don't have good crews. Your sailors are mule drivers and harvesters, people pressed into service quickly. In Caesar's fleet are those who have often fought against Pompey. His ships are fast, yours are heavy. There's no shame in refusing to fight him at sea since you're prepared for land warfare.
Your ships are badly crewed - you've got farmhands and mule drivers dragged into service. Caesar's fleet has actual sailors who've fought Pompey before. His ships are nimble, yours are slow. There's no shame in not fighting at sea when you're set up for land combat.
ur ships r manned by farmhands. caesar's got real sailors. his r fast ur r slow. no shame refusing sea battle
By sea, by sea.
On the water, on the water.
At sea, at sea.
the sea. over & over.
Most worthy sir, you therein throw away
The absolute soldiership you have by land;
Distract your army, which doth most consist
Of war-marked footmen; leave unexecuted
Your own renowned knowledge; quite forgo
The way which promises assurance; and
Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard
From firm security.
Most worthy sir, in doing this you throw away your complete military skill by land; you divide your army, which mostly consists of experienced foot soldiers; you abandon your own famous knowledge; you completely give up the path that promises victory; and you give yourself up to pure chance and risk, leaving behind solid security.
Sir, you're throwing away your whole strength as a land commander; you're splitting up an army of hardened foot soldiers; you're ignoring everything you know about warfare; you're giving up the one approach that would actually work; and you're trading certain victory for pure luck and danger.
u throw away ur land strength. split ur army. ignore what u know. give up what works. trade certainty 4 luck.
I’ll fight at sea.
The battle will be fought at sea.
I'm fighting at sea.
we're doing it on the sea.
I have sixty sails, Caesar none better.
I have sixty ships - Caesar has none better than mine.
I've got sixty ships. Caesar doesn't have anything better.
i got 60 ships. caesar's aint better.
Our overplus of shipping will we burn,
And with the rest full-manned, from th’ head of Actium
Beat th’ approaching Caesar. But if we fail,
We then can do ’t at land.
We will burn our extra ships, and with the remaining ones, fully crewed, from Actium we will defeat the approaching Caesar. But if we fail, we can still fight him on land.
We'll burn the ships we don't need and use the rest fully crewed to beat Caesar when he arrives at Actium. And if we somehow lose, we can always fight him on land anyway.
burn extra ships. use rest from actium 2 beat caesar. if we fail we fight on land.
Thy business?
What's your business?
What brings you here?
what do u want?
The news is true, my lord; he is descried.
Caesar has taken Toryne.
The news is true, my lord. He has been spotted. Caesar has taken Toryne.
It's all true, my lord. He's been spotted - Caesar has taken Toryne.
it's true. he's been seen. caesar took toryne.
Can he be there in person? ’Tis impossible;
Strange that his power should be. Canidius,
Our nineteen legions thou shalt hold by land,
And our twelve thousand horse. We’ll to our ship.
Away, my Thetis!
Can he be there in person? That's impossible. It's strange that his army should be there. Canidius, you will hold our nineteen legions on land, and our twelve thousand cavalry. We'll go to our ship. Let's go, my Thetis!
Is he actually there? That can't be. It's unbelievable that he got his forces there so fast. Canidius, you command our nineteen legions on land with twelve thousand horse. We're heading to the ship. Let's go, Cleopatra!
he's there in person?? canidius u hold 19 legions on land. we're heading 2 the ship. let's go!
Enobarbus makes three separate arguments against the sea battle in this scene. He argues that Cleopatra will distract Antony. He argues that the ships are undermanned and outclassed. He argues that fighting at sea throws away Antony's greatest military asset. He is right on all three counts, and he is ignored on all three counts. What he cannot say directly — what Canidius does say, after Antony leaves — is the thing he knows: 'our leader's led.' Enobarbus is watching Antony's judgment fail in real time, and he is loyal enough to keep arguing rather than say the unsayable. Watch for how this dynamic evolves. His loyalty has a limit, and the play is about to find it.
How now, worthy soldier?
How are you, worthy soldier?
How are you doing, soldier?
hey soldier what's up?
O noble emperor, do not fight by sea.
Trust not to rotten planks. Do you misdoubt
This sword and these my wounds? Let th’ Egyptians
And the Phoenicians go a-ducking. We
Have used to conquer standing on the earth
And fighting foot to foot.
O noble emperor, don't fight at sea. Don't trust decaying ships. Do you doubt this sword and these wounds of mine? Let the Egyptians and Phoenicians play around on the water. We have been accustomed to conquering while standing on solid ground and fighting hand to hand.
My lord, please don't fight at sea. Don't trust rotting wooden ships. Have you forgotten my sword and these scars? Let the Egyptians and Phoenicians play around on the water. We've always won by standing on solid earth and fighting face to face.
my lord dont fight at sea. dont trust rotting ships. remember my sword & scars? we win on land hand to hand.
Well, well, away.
Well, well, away.
Well, well, away.
well, well, away.
By Hercules, I think I am i’ th’ right.
By Hercules, I think I'm right about this.
I swear to Hercules, I'm right about this.
i'm right about this.
Soldier, thou art. But his whole action grows
Not in the power on ’t. So our leader’s led,
And we are women’s men.
Soldier, you are right. But his whole plan doesn't give him the power for success. And so our leader is being led by her, and we have become slaves to women.
Soldier, you're absolutely right. But his whole plan doesn't actually work that way. Our leader has been taken over by her, and now we're all following a woman.
ur right. but he has no real power. leader's been taken over. we're slaves 2 women now.
You keep by land
The legions and the horse whole, do you not?
You keep the legions and the cavalry intact on land, don't you?
You're keeping the legions and cavalry whole on land, right?
u keeping legions & cavalry on land tho?
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius,
Publicola, and Caelius are for sea,
But we keep whole by land. This speed of Caesar’s
Carries beyond belief.
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, Publicola, and Caelius are assigned to sea, but we keep our forces whole on land. This speed of Caesar's is beyond what anyone can believe.
Marcus Octavius, Marcus Justeius, Publicola, and Caelius are going to sea, but our main army stays together on land. Caesar's speed is just incredible.
some go 2 sea. we keep army whole on land. caesar's speed is crazy.
While he was yet in Rome,
His power went out in such distractions as
Beguiled all spies.
While he was still in Rome, his army moved out in so many separate directions that it fooled all the spies.
Even when he was still in Rome, he split his forces so many ways that nobody's spies could figure out what was happening.
while he was in rome split forces so much spies had no idea
Who’s his lieutenant, hear you?
Who is his second-in-command, do you know?
Do you know who his lieutenant is?
who's his lieutenant?
They say one Taurus.
They say it's someone named Taurus.
They're saying it's a guy named Taurus.
they say taurus.
Well I know the man.
I know that man well.
I know him quite well.
i know him.
The Emperor calls Canidius.
The Emperor is calling for Canidius.
Antony wants you, Canidius.
antony wants u
With news the time’s with labour, and throes forth
Each minute some.
News keeps coming as if in labor, giving birth to fresh news every minute.
News keeps pouring in constantly, like it's being born every second.
news keeps coming nonstop. every minute.
The Reckoning
This is the scene where the disaster is decided. Enobarbus makes the clearest military case possible. Canidius agrees. A random soldier agrees. Everyone in Antony's camp agrees — except Antony, and except Cleopatra, whose sixty ships tip the calculation. The moment Antony says 'I'll fight at sea' for the second time, something is finished. His authority over his own decision-making has been transferred. The army knows it too: 'So our leader's led / And we are women's men.'
If this happened today…
A company is planning its biggest product launch. The CTO, the VP of Engineering, and the lead developer all agree: don't do the live demo. The product isn't ready. The CEO's new partner — who owns a large stake and has brand relationships — wants the live demo. 'We have sixty screens,' she says. The CEO says: 'We do the live demo.' The three technical people look at each other. One of them mutters afterward: 'The company is run by whoever he's sleeping with.' The demo crashes.