The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra: Act 2, Scene 6 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 6 of The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Flourish. Enter Pompey and Menas at one door, with Drum and Trumpet; at another Caesar, Lepidus, Antony, Enobarbus, Maecenas, and Agrippa, with Soldiers marching. POMPEY Your hostages I have, so have you mine, And we shall talk before we fight. CAESAR Most meet That first we come to words, and therefore have we Our written purposes before us sent, 5 Which if thou hast considered, let us know If ’twill tie up thy discontented sword And carry back to Sicily much tall youth That else must perish here.	Back at Mount Misenum, in southern Italy, Pompey’s crew has just walked in to meet with the triumvirate and attendants. They’re ready to do some old-school negotiating before they fight. Caesar refers to a letter the triumvirs sent that outlines some terms the enemies can discuss.
POMPEY To you all three, 10 The senators alone of this great world, Chief factors for the gods: I do not know Wherefore my father should revengers want, Having a son and friends, since Julius Caesar, Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted, 15 There saw you laboring for him. What was ’t That moved pale Cassius to conspire? And what Made the all-honored, honest, Roman Brutus, With the armed rest, courtiers of beauteous freedom, 20 To drench the Capitol, but that they would Have one man but a man? And that is it Hath made me rig my navy, at whose burden The angered ocean foams, with which I meant To scourge th’ ingratitude that despiteful Rome 25 Cast on my noble father. CAESAR Take your time.	Pompey points out he’s fighting to avenge the death of his father. Quick history lesson: Pompey (the elder) was defeated by Julius Caesar and had to flee to Egypt, where he was murdered.
ANTONY Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails. We’ll speak with thee at sea. At land thou know’st How much we do o’ercount thee. 30	Ignoring this, Antony points out that although Pompey’s force at sea is masterful, Rome’s land forces far outweigh Pompey’s.
POMPEY At land indeed Thou dost o’ercount me of my father’s house; But since the cuckoo builds not for himself, Remain in ’t as thou mayst. LEPIDUS Be pleased to tell us— 35 For this is from the present—how you take The offers we have sent you. CAESAR There’s the point. ANTONY Which do not be entreated to, but weigh What it is worth embraced. 40 CAESAR And what may follow To try a larger fortune. POMPEY You have made me offer Of Sicily, Sardinia; and I must Rid all the sea of pirates; then to send 45 Measures of wheat to Rome. This ’greed upon, To part with unhacked edges and bear back Our targes undinted. ALL That’s our offer.	Pompey knows they're right about his troops being out of their league on land, and when pressed, he goes over the terms that have been offered. The triumvirs have said that Pompey can have Sicily and Sardinia if he rids the sea of pirates and sends wheat to Rome on occasion. (Remember with Pompey’s sea control, he strangled shipping lanes, so goods to Rome were blocked. Hungry Romans = angry Romans.)
POMPEY Know then 50 I came before you here a man prepared To take this offer. But Mark Antony Put me to some impatience.—Though I lose The praise of it by telling, you must know When Caesar and your brother were at blows, 55 Your mother came to Sicily and did find Her welcome friendly.	Pompey is ready to agree to the terms except for one little thing. It seems that he entertained Antony’s mom in Sicily while Caesar and Antony’s brother Lucius was at war. Pompey just wants his generosity to be acknowledged.
ANTONY I have heard it, Pompey, And am well studied for a liberal thanks, Which I do owe you. 60	Antony apologizes and admits he owes Pompey some big thank yous. Thousands of lives are saved and war is averted.
POMPEY Let me have your hand. They clasp hands. I did not think, sir, to have met you here. ANTONY The beds i’ th’ East are soft; and thanks to you, That called me timelier than my purpose hither, For I have gained by ’t. 65 CAESAR, to Pompey Since I saw you last, There’s a change upon you. POMPEY Well, I know not What counts harsh Fortune casts upon my face, But in my bosom shall she never come 70 To make my heart her vassal. LEPIDUS Well met here. POMPEY I hope so, Lepidus. Thus we are agreed. I crave our composition may be written And sealed between us. 75 CAESAR That’s the next to do. POMPEY We’ll feast each other ere we part, and let’s Draw lots who shall begin. ANTONY That will I, Pompey. POMPEY No, Antony, take the lot. But, first or last, 80 Your fine Egyptian cookery shall have The fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar Grew fat with feasting there. ANTONY You have heard much. POMPEY I have fair meanings, sir. 85 ANTONY And fair words to them. POMPEY Then so much have I heard. And I have heard Apollodorus carried—	They shake on it, and agree to feast together, but not before Pompey gets in a few jibes at Antony about how being with Cleopatra means that he’s getting Julius Caesar’s sloppy seconds.
ENOBARBUS No more of that. He did so. POMPEY What, I pray you? 90 ENOBARBUS A certain queen to Caesar in a mattress. POMPEY I know thee now. How far’st thou, soldier? ENOBARBUS Well, And well am like to do, for I perceive Four feasts are toward. 95 POMPEY Let me shake thy hand. I never hated thee. I have seen thee fight When I have envied thy behavior. ENOBARBUS Sir, I never loved you much, but I ha’ praised you 100 When you have well deserved ten times as much As I have said you did. POMPEY Enjoy thy plainness; It nothing ill becomes thee.— Aboard my galley I invite you all. 105 Will you lead, lords? ALL Show ’s the way, sir. POMPEY Come. They exit, except for Enobarbus and Menas.	Enobarbus, Antony’s friend and confidante, stops the joking around before someone gets their throat cut, and they all go carousing on Pompey’s ship.
MENAS, aside Thy father, Pompey, would ne’er have made this treaty.—You and I have known, sir. 110 ENOBARBUS At sea, I think. MENAS We have, sir. ENOBARBUS You have done well by water. MENAS And you by land. ENOBARBUS I will praise any man that will praise me, 115 though it cannot be denied what I have done by land. MENAS Nor what I have done by water. ENOBARBUS Yes, something you can deny for your own safety: you have been a great thief by sea. 120 MENAS And you by land. ENOBARBUS There I deny my land service. But give me your hand, Menas. They clasp hands. If our eyes had authority, here they might take two thieves kissing. 125 MENAS All men’s faces are true, whatsome’er their hands are. ENOBARBUS But there is never a fair woman has a true face. MENAS No slander. They steal hearts. 130 ENOBARBUS We came hither to fight with you. MENAS For my part, I am sorry it is turned to a drinking. Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune. ENOBARBUS If he do, sure he cannot weep ’t back 135 again.	Menas, Pompey’s friend, and Enobarbus, from Antony’s camp, are left alone to discuss the newly made truce. They’re friends, though they admit there’s a little edge to this whole affair. Pompey the elder would never have done what Pompey the younger has done. Having made this compromising pact, the younger Pompey can kiss his good fortune goodbye. You weren’t supposed to make nice with the enemy, it seems. It wasn’t the manly, Roman thing to do.
MENAS You’ve said, sir. We looked not for Mark Antony here. Pray you, is he married to Cleopatra? ENOBARBUS Caesar’s sister is called Octavia. MENAS True, sir. She was the wife of Caius Marcellus. 140 ENOBARBUS But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius. MENAS Pray you, sir? ENOBARBUS ’Tis true. MENAS Then is Caesar and he forever knit together. 145	They then discuss how Antony has married Octavia.
ENOBARBUS If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would not prophesy so. MENAS I think the policy of that purpose made more in the marriage than the love of the parties. ENOBARBUS I think so, too. But you shall find the band 150 that seems to tie their friendship together will be the very strangler of their amity. Octavia is of a holy, cold, and still conversation. MENAS Who would not have his wife so? ENOBARBUS Not he that himself is not so, which is 155 Mark Antony. He will to his Egyptian dish again. Then shall the sighs of Octavia blow the fire up in Caesar, and, as I said before, that which is the strength of their amity shall prove the immediate author of their variance. Antony will use his affection 160 where it is. He married but his occasion here. MENAS And thus it may be. Come, sir, will you aboard? I have a health for you. ENOBARBUS I shall take it, sir. We have used our throats in Egypt. 165 MENAS Come, let’s away. They exit.	They discuss the fact that Antony and Octavia's marriage was clearly arranged for political purposes, as Octavia is a quiet and cold, especially compared to the sultry Cleopatra waiting in Egypt. Further, Enobarbus predicts that, rather than seal the bond between Antony and Caesar, the marriage will ruin any goodwill between the men because there's no way that Antony will remain faithful to Octavia. Antony’s inevitable betrayal of Octavia is bound to anger Caesar.