Antony and Cleopatra

William Shakespeare
No Fear Act 2 Scene 2
No Fear Act 2 Scene 2 Page 1

Original Text

Modern Text
Enter ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS
ENOBARBUS and LEPIDUS enter.

LEPIDUS

Good Enobarbus, ’tis a worthy deed,
And shall become you well, to entreat your captain
To soft and gentle speech.

LEPIDUS

Good Enobarbus, you would be doing a very good thing if you advised your captain to speak calmly and quietly.

ENOBARBUS

                                                   I shall entreat him
To answer like himself. If Caesar move him,
5Let Antony look over Caesar’s head
And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonio’s beard,
I would not shave ’t today.

ENOBARBUS

I will advise him to speak as he usually does. If Caesar makes him mad, let Antony stand tall and speak as loudly as Mars, the god of war. By Jupiter, if I were Antony, I wouldn’t shave my beard today. I’d leave it long and dare Caesar to insult me by pulling on it, just so I could fight him.

LEPIDUS

’Tis not a time for private stomaching.

LEPIDUS

This is not the time for dwelling on personal grievances.

ENOBARBUS

10Every time serves for the matter that is then born in ’t.

ENOBARBUS

It’s always appropriate to deal with matters as they arise.

LEPIDUS

But small to greater matters must give way.

LEPIDUS

But major issues must come before minor ones.

ENOBARBUS

Not if the small come first.

ENOBARBUS

Not if the minor ones come up first.

LEPIDUS

Your speech is passion. But pray you stir
No embers up. Here comes the noble Antony.

LEPIDUS

You speak out of passion, but I beg you not to stir things up. Here comes the noble Antony.
Enter ANTONY and VENTIDIUS
ANTONY and VENTIDIUS enter.

ENOBARBUS

15And yonder, Caesar.

ENOBARBUS

And there comes Caesar.
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, MECAENAS, and AGRIPPA
CAESAR, MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA enter from another door.

ANTONY

(to VENTIDIUS ) If we compose well here, to Parthia.
Hark, Ventidius.

ANTONY

(to VENTIDIUS ) If we can come to an agreement here, we’ll move on to Parthia. Listen, Ventidius.
They talk aside
They talk privately together.

CAESAR

(to MECAENAS ) I do not know, Maecenas. Ask Agrippa.

CAESAR

(to MAECENAS ) I don’t know, Maecenas. Ask Agrippa.
Previous section Act 2, Scene 1 Next page   Act 2, Scene 2, Page 2
Read the Summary

Read the Summary of Act I, scenes iv–v; Act II, scenes i–ii
Take a study break

Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Quote from The Office
Take a study break

Every Book on Your English Syllabus, Summed Up in Marvel Quotes

Popular pages: Antony and Cleopatra

Take a Study Break