ACT III, 11: WHITHER HAST THOU LED ME, EGYPT?
In a sense, the tragic fall of Antony occurs in Scene 10. The tragic fall refers not to the protagonist’s death, but to his fall from a position of honor and respect. Yet, one of the aspects that makes this play so unusual, so different from other tragedies, is that the tragic fall actually began in the very first act of the play. Even in the scene that begins this play, there are comments about the change in Antony – about how Antony has lost his ability to think reasonably and to act nobly. In Act IV Antony attempts to regain his honor, but his efforts are too late and too little. He has been plunging (or falling) downwards for too long. The crash – the fall – is inevitable (to be expected).
Antony knows that his behavior has been shameful and dishonorable. In the first sentence of Scene 11, Antony comments that the land “is ashamed” to hold him (2). Even the dirt on the bottom of the ground, Antony suggests, is more honorable than he. Antony also comments on his bravery and manhood: “I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards to run and show their shoulders” (7-8). The first part of this sentence actually has a double meaning: (1) first, Antony has literally fled, run away from the enemy. But (2) Antony has also fled from himself in the sense that he has become a lesser man. He has fled from his sense of duty, obligation, nobility, and honor. He has also fled from his reason. He is no longer quite himself.
Antony thinks about the greatness he had shown in the past and contrasts himself to Octavius (beginning at line 35). During the battle against Brutus and Cassius (the leaders of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar), Antony showed strength and leadership while the inexperienced Octavius was of little help. “Yet now – no matter” (40). Antony realizes that whatever great deeds he performed in the past will not help him now. The past is over.
And the greatness that was once Antony is also over.
At the end of this scene Antony blames
Cleopatra and asks her the following: “O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt?” (51). The word whither means where, and Egypt, of course, refers to the Queen of Egypt. Yet, Antony realizes that he must really blame himself. Antony is extremely depressed at this point. He is in the midst of despair. At this point, Antony is ready to give up.
Scene 12 is brief and is set in Octavius Caesar’s camp in Egypt. Antony sends a lowly ambassador (a schoolmaster) as a messenger. The low status of the messenger reflects Antony’s own feelings of lowliness and defeat. The messenger tells Octavius that Antony submits (gives up) and makes only one request: to live in Egypt. The messenger adds that if Octavius will not allow him to live there, then Antony would like to live in Athens, Greece. Finally, the messenger adds that Cleopatra also submits and humbly asks that her children may be allowed to wear the crown of Egypt.
Octavius Caesar responds that he will not grant Antony his requests and that he will only grant Cleopatra’s request if she immediately drives Antony away or kills him. After Antony’s messenger leaves, Octavius tells his own messenger to go see Cleopatra. This messenger is to promise that Octavius will give Cleopatra whatever she wants if she will give up Antony. Essentially, Octavius is telling the messenger to lie to Cleopatra. He realizes that Cleopatra is now worried and desperate, and that may cause her to betray Antony.
In the final scene of Act III Cleopatra asks Antony’s man (Enobarbus) if she or Antony is responsible for their defeat. Enobarbus responds, “Antony only, that would make his will lord of his reason” (3-4). The word will here refers specifically to sexual desire, but the word emotion could also be used as a substitute. Antony allowed his emotions, his sexual desires, to rule over his reason. In other words, his emotions took over and he became completely irrational. Once again Shakespeare is declaring quite clearly that in the conflict of reason versus emotion, even the best and noblest of men cannot control what happens to them. Even in the best of men, emotions can defeat reason.
Antony and his messenger then enter the stage. Antony becomes angry that Octavius Caesar has denied his request to live in Egypt or Greece. So, he tells the messenger to return to Octavius with a challenge to single combat – to a battle of two champions – with the winner to take everything (lines 24-27).
In an aside, Enobarbus comments on the foolishness of Antony’s challenge (beginning at line 28). Octavius would never agree to such a challenge. He has nothing to gain by it. He has already defeated Antony. Enobarbus then suggests that Antony has completely lost his reason in making such a foolhardy challenge. Octavius has not only defeated Antony’s navy, he “hast subdued his judgement, too” (35-36). The word subdue means to defeat or conquer, and the word judgement is another way of saying reason. Octavius has conquered Antony’s reason.