The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra Act III, Scene x Summary

  • Stage directions show Taurus with Caesar’s army and Canidius with Antony’s army as they both cross paths. We can hear the battle off-stage, but Enobarbus comes in to deliver the horrifying news: in the middle of the battle, just when fortune could have gone one way or the other, Cleopatra’s ship turned sail and ran away.
  • Antony, seeing her flee, also turned his sails and followed her, leaving the battle to ruins and his honor to mockery.
  • Canidius enters, announcing that this defeat was due to Antony not being remotely noble.
  • Canidius decides to defect to Caesar’s side with his troops, and Enobarbus leans toward defecting also, though he’s not too happy about it.