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Act 2, Scene 5 Summary of Antony and Cleopatra
Act 2, Scene 5 of Antony and Cleopatra returns to Alexandria at Cleopatra’s palace. It offers a dramatic shift from the political manoeuvrings of Rome to the highly charged emotional world of the Egyptian queen. The scene opens with a restless and bored Cleopatra. She initially calls for music, dubbing it the “moody food / Of us that trade in love,” but immediately changes her mind and suggests playing billiards with Charmian. When Charmian declines, Cleopatra decides they will go to the river to fish. The thought of fishing prompts her to fondly reminisce about a past time she went angling with Antony; she laughs about how her diver secretly attached a “salt-fish” (a dried, salted fish) to Antony’s hook to trick him. She goes on to recall a night of revelry where she got Antony so drunk that she carried him to bed, and then put her own dresses and mantles on him while she strapped on his famous sword, Philippan.
Her nostalgic daydreaming is interrupted by the arrival of a Messenger from Italy. Desperate for news of Antony, Cleopatra swings wildly between promising the messenger vast wealth (“a shower of gold, and hail / Rich pearls upon thee”) if Antony is well, and threatening him with horrific violence if he brings bad news.
The Messenger cautiously reveals that Antony is well and has made peace with Caesar. Cleopatra is initially overjoyed, but the Messenger then delivers the crushing blow: Antony is bound to Octavia in marriage.
Cleopatra instantly flies into a terrifying rage. She curses the messenger with “the most infectious pestilence,” strikes him down repeatedly, drags him around by his hair, and even draws a knife on him. She screams that she will whip him with wire and stew him in brine. Terrified, the Messenger flees.
Charmian begs her to calm down. She tells her that the man is innocent, to which Cleopatra replies, “Some innocents ‘scape not the thunderbolt.” She demands the messenger be brought back. When he timidly returns and confirms the marriage again, she dismisses him, bitterly realising that in praising Antony she had “dispraised Caesar.” Heartbroken and faint, she immediately begins plotting to size up her new rival. She instructs Alexas to go to the messenger and get a detailed description of Octavia: her features, her age, her inclination, her height, and the colour of her hair. The scene ends with Cleopatra deeply conflicted, especially after realising that Antony is “painted one way like a Gorgon, / The other way’s a Mars.”
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Analysis of Act 2, Scene 5
The scene is characterised by the “shoot the messenger” trope. In fact, this is one of literature’s most famous examples of punishing the bearer of bad news. Cleopatra’s violent treatment of the messenger highlights her absolute, unchecked power in Egypt and her lack of emotional regulation. Unlike the stoic Romans who ask their messengers not to “mince the general tongue” (as Antony does in Act 1, Scene 2), Cleopatra demands that reality conform to her desires. She offers to buy good news with gold or punish bad news with death.
Asides that, Cleopatra’s anecdote about getting Antony drunk and dressing him in her clothes while she wore his sword, Philippan, is highly symbolic. It illustrates the complete subversion of traditional Roman gender roles within their relationship. In Egypt, Cleopatra wears the pants (or, the sword). She effectively emasculates the great Roman general and turns him into her plaything.
Upon accepting the truth of the marriage, Cleopatra’s immediate reaction is to assess her competition. Her demand to know Octavia’s height, age, and hair colour humanises her. It shows a vulnerable, deeply insecure woman underneath the terrifying queen. She needs to find flaws in Octavia to reassure herself of her own superior allure.
Cleopatra’s final observation that Antony is both a “Gorgon” (a monster) and a “Mars” (a god of war) encapsulates her turbulent relationship with him. He is a monster for betraying her and marrying another woman, yet he remains the magnificent, god-like figure she is helplessly obsessed with. This duality mirrors the broader themes of the play, where characters are constantly torn between opposing extremes.
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 6 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
- Act 2, Scene 7 Summary and Analysis of Antony and Cleopatra
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