Antony and Cleopatra

by: William Shakespeare

Act 4 Scene 7

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Original Text	Modern Text
Alarum. Drums and trumpets. Enter AGRIPPA and others	A call to battle is sounded. Drums and trumpets sound. AGRIPPA and other soldiers of Caesar’s enter.
AGRIPPA Retire! We have engaged ourselves too far. Caesar himself has work, and our oppression Exceeds what we expected.	AGRIPPA Retreat! We’ve advanced too far. Caesar himself is in trouble and there are more adversaries than we expected.
Exeunt	They exit.
Alarums. Enter ANTONY, and SCARUS, wounded	A battle call. ANTONY enters with SCARUS, who is wounded.
SCARUS O my brave Emperor, this is fought indeed! 5Had we done so at first, we had droven them home With clouts about their heads.	SCARUS Oh, my brave Emperor, this is what I call a fight! If we’d fought like this before, we’d have driven them home with bandaged heads.
ANTONY Thou bleed’st apace.	ANTONY You’re bleeding a lot.
SCARUS I had a wound here that was like a “T,” But now ’tis made an “H.”	SCARUS I had a scar here that looked like a “T”; now it’s an “H.”
Sound retreat far off	Distant trumpets sound the retreat.
ANTONY They do retire.	ANTONY They’re retreating.
SCARUS We’ll beat ’em into bench-holes. I have yet 10Room for six scotches more.	SCARUS We’ll chase ’em into their latrines. I still have room for six more wounds.
Enter EROS	EROS enters.
EROS They are beaten, sir, and our advantage serves For a fair victory.	EROS They’re retreating, sir, and our superiority indicates a clear victory.
SCARUS Let us score their backs And snatch ’em up, as we take hares, behind! ’Tis sport to maul a runner.	SCARUS Let’s slash their backs and grab ’em like we do rabbits, from behind. It’s fair game to mark a coward.
ANTONY I will reward thee 15Once for thy sprightly comfort and tenfold For thy good valor. Come thee on.	ANTONY I’ll reward you once for your cheerfulness and ten times for your courage. Come on.

Read the Summary of Act IV, scenes i–viii

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