“if you find him sad,
say I am dancing: if in mirth, report
that I am sudden sick”
I,iii,4
Here Cleopatra confirms what Enobarbus has told us about her, sealing the idea that Enobarbus is intuitive in such situations.
When Enobarbus tells Antony of these predictions in a rather scathing manner, he reacts like he would rather preserve his friendship with Enobarbus than protect the name of his beloved Cleopatra. If he had wanted to defend her he would have tried to protect her rather than make comments like ‘would I had never seen her’. At this point Enobarbus explains how he would have missed ‘ a wonderful piece of work’ this is an example of where Enobarbus can be more rational and poetic than Antony. Antony is using very strong comments like wishing he never met her but Enobarbus is stopping him and bringing him back down to earth. The idea that Enobarbus is like an older brother to Antony is a common critical position and here is evidence. In fact it gives out the impression that Enobarbus is helping Antony manage his life, which means that when Antony inevitably goes against his opinion it will end in his downfall.
Antony then tells Enobarbus that Fulvia is dead, something which Enobarbus isn’t too saddened to hear. To tell a man to ‘give the gods a thankful sacrifice’ after the death of his wife is surely an insensitive thing to do, but Enobarbus is able to sense that he can get away with such a comment. He is always a realist, always capable of a comic insight
This first scene between Antony and Enobarbus serves its purpose to establish that Enobarbus is intelligent, wise, experienced and perceptive. It also shows us a likeable character with a cheery, relaxed attitude to life that people cannot fail to enjoy. Shakespeare deliberately uses him as a dramatic foil to other characters in the play, especially the other Romans
In act II scene ii we see another side of Enobarbus, we see the dramatic showman in him. This part was obviously added by Shakespeare to add drama and richness to the play and subsequently has become one of the most often quoted speeches.
‘the barge she sat in’ starts the first verse of Enobarbus’s speech and it is full of imagery and fine rich language. For example in this first 16 lines there are many rich and royal words used;
‘burnished, throne, gold, perfumed, silver, cloth of gold, Venus, smiling cupids’
This language gives a sense of how rich and colourful the Egyptian life is and how noble and spectacular Cleopatra is. The adjectives are all rich and luxurious, these really conjure up fantastic images. Enobarbus says the ‘winds were lovesick with them’, the wind was in love her. He also says that they beat the water to follow them faster, this adds some authority to the description of Cleopatra. This first part starts by talking about her throne, but then goes on to the ‘cloth of gold’ and ‘Venus’ both things which we associate with extra terrestrial life. This hints that she was so great she was God-like, a Goddess amongst humans.
Enobarbus goes on to describe her sailing into shore with her women attendants to be like a flock of mermaids. He says there was ‘ a strange invisible perfume’ that ‘hits the sense of the adjacent wharf’s’, the language gives a beautiful image of a boat sailing slowly into dock with an aura that consumes all in its way.
After all of this beautiful language and ‘out of this world’ imagery Enobarbus brings her down to earth. He tells of how he had seen her once hopping ‘forty paces through the public street’. This is something one would not expect from a queen, but he explains that ‘she did make defect perfection’. He also says, a very important quote about her ‘age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety’ this means that she has a number of different sides to her personality – not too far from Enobarbus himself.
The effect of Enobarbus making this long and inspiring speech has a number of different level’s. The first and most obvious is that they (the Romans) want to know what Cleopatra is like, and Enobarbus wants to tell them - the cat who’s got the cream. This is the showmanship coming out of Enobarbus, he has the upper hand and he is not ashamed of boasting. There is no question that he enjoys all the attention he receives because of this speech and therefore uses it to the best of his ability.
Another reason for this speech is Enobarbus’s admiration for Cleopatra. He does seem to have a lot of respect for Cleopatra, he says in the second scene;
“o sir, you had then left unseen a wonderful piece of work,
which not to have been blest withal would have discredited
your travel”
This shows that he likes her enough to describe her so favourably, the fact that he admires her does not mean that he has any sort of sexual desire for her in fact his language is so tender it is most certainly only a professional admiration.
The reasons Shakespeare would use these are to do with drama as well as establishing more of Enobarbus’s character. It develops more points for his repertoire. It also develops our appreciation of him as a character, we notice that he is so much more eloquent than all the other Romans just through language. Enobarbus uses picturesque language which is matched with vulgar and course language from the Romans another example of how he is a dramatic foil;
“royal wench!
She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed:
He ploughed her, and she cropped”
This is a very noticeable contrast in language which will be apparent to any audience. Another reason that Shakespeare may have included this speech is that he is trying to build Enobarbus up as part of a team with Antony and Cleopatra. This speech ends with the audience feeling victorious as Enobarbus comes across as the most knowledgeable and civilised in the scene. This highlights the sadness and tragedy of Enobarbus’s desertion.
In act two scene seven Antony and Enobarbus are having a drinking session with Caesar and the Romans. Antony and Enobarbus show them how to have a good time and Enobarbus leads them all in a rousing song. Shakespeare intended to make us see how human and sociable Enobarbus was in this scene, it makes him seem attractive to an audience.
In act three scene six Enobarbus confers with Menas about Antony and predicts correctly that “he will to his Egyptian dish again”, this is when Enobarbus starts realising the danger of his situation. Enobarbus realises what is going to happen at this point but tries to stay with Antony. At this point he really does not want to leave Antony. Shakespeare’s intentions here are to prove that Enobarbus knows what is going on and that if it wasn’t for the hopelessness of Antony’s situation Enobarbus may be able to help. This adds frustration to the plot. Although Enobarbus is disgusted at Antony’s ridiculous military judgements he still wants to stay by him.
“I’ll yet follow
the wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
sits in the wind against me”
He stands with Antony until very near the end where he makes his tragic desertion in act four scene six. In this scene we see the roman soldiers talking to Enobarbus but in a condescending tone.
“Mock not, Enobarbus; I tell you true
best you safed the bringer out of the host”
This is a contrast to the way Antony speaks to Enobarbus, but Enobarbus only realises too late adding poignancy. Enobarbus has found himself in a ‘catch 22’ he has betrayed Antony and feels like he must kill himself.
“I am alone the villain of the earth,
and feel I am so most. O Antony…
I fight against thee? No. I will go seek
Some ditch wherein to die: the foul’st best fits
My latter part of life”
This ten line speech is full of sadness and regret that will tug on the audiences heart strings. The fact that Enobarbus has betrayed Antony seems to devastate him more than the prospect of death. This is how we see that the whole fraternity side of Antony and Enobarbus is still so true. When Enobarbus does kill himself it is even more depressing.
“melancholy , poisonous , disponge , hang , heart , flint , hardness , grief , break , finish , foul , master-leaver”
In his last speech Enobarbus has a lot of death-related words.All of these words muster an atmosphere and create dark, dismal sinister and macabre imagery. He begs forgiveness from Antony and asks that the world registers him as a ‘master-leaver’ and a ‘fugitive’. As we can see from this Enobarbus has no self respect left and the only way he can generate some dignity is to kill himself in the noble way, by falling on his sword. His last words were ‘Antony’ which illustrates his love and bond he had with Antony.
Enobarbus’s death is made so poignant and tragic because of what it symbolises. Enobarbus has always been a voice of reason and wisdom to Antony and his death meant that Antony was imminently doomed. The reason it is so tragic is because of the love the audience has for Enobarbus, and we get that love from watching all his other sides. The showman; the drinking partner; the wise foreseer; the shoulder to lean on; the good friend and the noble soldier are all sides that appeal to us and make us connect with Enobarbus so when he dies we all despair. Therefore the range of Enobarbus is all of these things and there contribution to the play is effectively a sense of poignancy, regret and tragedy.
