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Act 2, Scene 7 Summary of Antony and Cleopatra
Act 2, Scene 7 of Antony and Cleopatra takes place on board Sextus Pompey’s galley off the coast of Misenum, where the Roman leaders are celebrating their newly forged peace treaty. The scene opens with servants preparing a banquet and noting that the leaders are already heavily intoxicated. They remark that Lepidus, in particular, is drinking “alms-drink” and that the heavy wine is raising a “war between him and his discretion.” As the leaders enter, Antony engages a very drunk Lepidus in a circular, nonsensical conversation about the flooding of the Nile and the crocodiles bred in the mud of Egypt.
During the feast, Pompey’s lieutenant, Menas, repeatedly urges Pompey to step aside for a private word. Menas asks Pompey, “Wilt thou be lord of the whole world?” Though the exact details of Menas’s treacherous plot are spoken out of earshot, Pompey clearly rejects the offer to seize absolute power. This prompts a frustrated Menas to secretly vow that he will never follow Pompey’s “pall’d fortunes” again. He opines that a man who will not take a grand opportunity when it is offered shall never find it again.
Meanwhile, Lepidus becomes completely incapacitated and must be carried ashore by an attendant. Enobarbus points out that the man currently being carried away “bears the third part of the world.” Menas jokes that “the third part, then, is drunk.” Antony continues to encourage the drunken revelry, while Octavius Caesar protests. Caesar complains that it is “monstrous labour” to wash his brain only to have it grow “fouler.” Caesar states he would rather “fast from all four days / Than drink so much in one.”
At Enobarbus’s suggestion, the men join hands to dance the “Egyptian Bacchanals” while a boy sings a song praising “Plumpy Bacchus.” Finally, a disgusted Caesar puts an end to the party. He declares that their “graver business / Frowns at this levity” and notes that their “wild disguise” has made fools of them all. The leaders bid each other goodnight and depart for the shore. They leave Enobarbus and Menas behind to continue their revelry.
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Analysis of Act 2, Scene 7
The celebration is superficially a testament to the new alliance, but Menas’s proposition exposes the ruthless, fragile nature of Roman politics. Menas’s disgust at Pompey’s refusal to seize absolute power demonstrates that in this political landscape, morality and honour are often liabilities, and hesitation leads to a fall from fortune.
Also worth noting is the weakness of Lepidus. His physical collapse mirrors his political impotence within the Triumvirate. He is easily manipulated into drinking too much. This reduces him to a joke among the soldiers and renders him a non-threat. His exit from the party physically illustrates his eventual exit from world power.
The scene sharply contrasts the two primary powers of Rome. Antony is completely in his element, holding court, explaining the wonders of Egypt, and eagerly initiating the “Egyptian Bacchanals.” He embraces the chaos and pleasure of the moment. Conversely, Octavius Caesar is rigid, disciplined, and openly resentful of the “monstrous labour” of losing his sobriety. It is Caesar who authoritatively halts the party, as he prioritises “graver business” over “levity.” This underscores Caesar’s unyielding nature and foreshadows his ultimate victory over the pleasure-driven Antony.
Even though the scene is set off the coast of Italy, the influence of the East dominates the Roman leaders. They discuss the Nile, dance Egyptian dances, and succumb to “soft and delicate Lethe.” The sensual, intoxicating world of Cleopatra has effectively infiltrated the harsh, militaristic world of Rome; it temporarily turns its greatest generals into uninhibited revellers.
Related:
- Act 2, Scene 1 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
- Act 2, Scene 2 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
- Act 2, Scene 3 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
- Act 2, Scene 4 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
- Act 2, Scene 5 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
- Act 2, Scene 6 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
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