Act 4 of Antony and Cleopatra shows Antony’s last battles, Enobarbus’s desertion and death, and Antony’s own death in Cleopatra’s arms. Antony wins one small victory, loses again at sea, believes Cleopatra has betrayed him and then hears a false report that she has killed herself. This page gives a scene-by-scene summary of Act 4, an analysis of its main ideas and the key quotes to remember. To follow the story from the start of the conflict, read the Act 3 summary.

Act 4 Summary by Scene

Scenes 1 to 6: The Last Supper and Enobarbus’s Desertion

Caesar receives Antony’s challenge to fight him alone. He laughs at it and says he will win by strength of numbers, not by single combat. In Alexandria, Antony speaks kindly to his servants at supper and tells them it may be the last time they serve him. Enobarbus scolds him for making them weep, and Antony explains that he only wants to thank them. That night, soldiers on watch hear strange music in the air and under the earth. They take it as a sign that the god Hercules, whom Antony loved, is leaving him.

In the morning, Cleopatra helps Antony put on his armour, and he goes cheerfully to battle. Then Antony learns that Enobarbus has joined Caesar. Instead of anger, he orders his treasure to be sent after Enobarbus with a kind farewell, and he blames his own fortune for corrupting an honest man. At Caesar’s camp, Enobarbus receives the treasure and is crushed by guilt. He says he is the worst villain on earth and decides to find a ditch to die in.

Scenes 7 to 12: Victory, Death of Enobarbus and Defeat

On the battlefield, Antony’s army wins an unexpected victory on land. He praises his soldiers, and he singles out Scarus, who fought bravely despite his wounds. Antony returns to Cleopatra in triumph and greets her warmly.

At night in Caesar’s camp, Enobarbus speaks to the moon, asks the world to remember him as a traitor and dies of a broken heart. The soldiers who find him are moved by his death.

Antony then prepares to fight on both land and sea, and he climbs a hill to watch his fleet. To his horror, the ships go over to Caesar’s side. Antony decides that Cleopatra has betrayed him, and he drives her away with bitter insults. He says he is lost and that she has sold him to his enemy.

Scenes 13 to 15: The False Report and Antony’s Death

Cleopatra, afraid of Antony’s rage, takes the advice of her attendants and locks herself in her monument. She sends her servant Mardian to tell Antony that she has died with his name on her lips. Antony believes the report. His mood changes at once from anger to grief, and he decides to join her in death. He asks his servant Eros to kill him, since Eros once promised to do so when asked. Eros draws his sword, but he turns it on himself and dies instead. Antony then falls on his own sword, but the wound does not kill him quickly.

While Antony lies bleeding, Cleopatra’s secretary Diomedes arrives and tells him the truth: Cleopatra is alive. Antony asks his guards to carry him to the monument. Cleopatra will not come down, because she fears Caesar’s soldiers, so her women lift Antony up to her with a rope. In her arms, Antony tells her to seek her own safety with Caesar and to remember him as a great man. He dies, and Cleopatra faints. When she recovers, she mourns for him and says that nothing worth noticing is left in the world. She resolves to die in the high Roman manner and not to live as a prisoner.

Analysis of Act 4

Antony’s changing moods

Antony swings between hope, rage and sorrow in this act. He praises his men, then curses Cleopatra, then mourns her in the same speech. In one famous passage, he compares himself to clouds that change shape until nothing is left. The image shows how his identity is breaking apart as his fortunes fall. Read more about his arc on the characters page.

Enobarbus’s tragedy

Enobarbus’s death is among the most moving scenes in the play. He leaves Antony because his reason tells him to, but Antony’s generosity makes his shame unbearable. He proves that loyalty cannot be dropped as easily as a sensible man might think.

Loyalty and sacrifice

Eros chooses death rather than strike his master, and his act shows the same kind of devotion that Enobarbus feels. The deaths of Enobarbus and Eros show that Antony still inspires love, even in defeat. See the themes page for the full discussion of honour and loyalty.

The false report

Cleopatra’s false message leads straight to Antony’s attempted suicide. Her plan is meant to calm his anger, but it destroys him. This shows how misunderstanding and fear work as tragic forces in the play. Some readers see it as selfish and others as a sad mistake.

Death as dignity

The final scene gives Antony a noble death. He dies not as a defeated general, but as a lover in Cleopatra’s arms. The language becomes quiet and solemn, which prepares the audience for Cleopatra’s own death in Act 5.

Language and Style in Act 4

The language of Act 4 grows more personal and more solemn as the act goes on. Antony uses images of clouds, melting shapes and fading light to describe his own loss of self. Enobarbus speaks to the moon, which turns his death into a private confession. The scenes are short and sudden, so the audience feels the speed of the collapse. In the final scene, the pace slows, and the long speeches give Antony and Cleopatra a dignity that the political scenes do not allow them.

Key Quotes from Act 4

• “I am alone the villain of the earth” (Enobarbus, Scene 6): his guilt after receiving Antony’s treasure.
• “Not Caesar’s valour hath o’erthrown Antony, but Antony’s hath triumphed on itself” (Antony, Scene 14): he blames himself.
• “I am dying, Egypt, dying” (Antony, Scene 15): his death in Cleopatra’s arms.
• “The odds is gone, and there is nothing left remarkable beneath the visiting moon” (Cleopatra, Scene 15): her grief.

Read all of them explained on the famous quotes and meanings page.

Exam Questions on Act 4

• Why does Enobarbus leave Antony, and what happens to him afterward?
• Explain the effect of Cleopatra’s false report on Antony.
• How does Eros show loyalty to Antony?
• Describe the death of Antony in Scene 15.

Continue Reading

• Antony and Cleopatra Act 5 Summary and Analysis
• Antony and Cleopatra Act 3 Summary and Analysis
• Antony and Cleopatra Plot Summary
• Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide and Essay Questions