Act 4, Scene 3 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

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Act 4, Scene 3 Summary of Antony and Cleopatra

Act 4, Scene 3 of Antony and Cleopatra is a brief, atmospheric scene that takes place at night before the palace in Alexandria. It shifts the perspective away from the royal figures to the common soldiers on watch. The scene opens with two soldiers taking their posts for the night guard. They acknowledge that the impending battle the next day “will determine one way.” They are soon joined by a third and fourth soldier, who express hope that if their navy thrives, their brave and purposeful land army will stand strong.

Suddenly, their conversation is interrupted by the eerie sound of music (“hautboys”) playing from somewhere below them. The soldiers are startled and listen closely. The music seems to be coming from “i’ the air” and “Under the earth”. While one soldier initially hopes it is a good sign, another grimly interprets the supernatural noise as a dark omen: “‘Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony loved, / Now leaves him.” Uneasy and unnerved by the phenomenon, the soldiers decide to follow the noise to see if the other watchmen hear it as well. They mutually agree that the event is deeply “strange”.

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Analysis of Act 4, Scene 3

The most critical moment in this scene is the Second Soldier’s interpretation of the ghostly music as the god Hercules abandoning Antony. In Roman mythology and within the context of the play, Antony associates himself with the strength and heroic lineage of Hercules. The explicit departure of his patron deity serves as a powerful, supernatural confirmation that Antony’s cosmic luck has run out and his ultimate defeat is destined.

Shakespeare uses the sensory detail of underground music to build an intense atmosphere of dread on the eve of the battle. The fact that the music seems to emanate from “under the earth” gives it a ghostly, funereal quality, foreshadowing death and tragedy.

Following Antony’s highly emotional and theatrical farewell to his servants in the previous scene, this short interlude acts as a chilling, quiet transition. It effectively shifts the mood from melancholic feasting to the eerie, inevitable reality of the coming war.

Related:

• Act 4, Scene 1 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 2 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 4 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 5 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 6 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 7 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 8 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 9 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 10 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 11 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 12 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 13 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 14 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
• Act 4, Scene 15 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra

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