The First Folio is the sole authority for this play. The print house copy appears to have been a transcript of Shakespeare’s foul papers.
_________________
Subdivisions of ACTS & SCENES are resolutely NOT in the FOLIO. Locations of ACTS 2 to 4 are by Rowe (1709) and ACT 5 by Pope (1728)
Indeed, there are such an INORDINATE number of SCENES (42 of them! once again established by Dyce in 1857), that I am sorely tempted to LEAVE THEM OUT of our initial graph. In part, to see if Dyce’s subdivision is indeed justified.
1.1: line 1 (reads “Act 1 scene 1 begins at line 1″)
1.2: line 77
1.3: line 298
1.4: line 428
1.5: line 523
2.1: line 614
2.2: line 678
2.3: line 963
2.4: line 1011
2.5: line 1024
2.6: line 1175
2.7: line 1333
3.1: line 1494
3.2: line 1538
3.3: line 1620
3.4: line 1684
3.5: line 1726
3.6: line 1751
3.7: line 1858
3.8: line 1960
3.9: line 1968
3.10: line 1974
3.11: line 2023
3.12: line 2107
3.13: line 2152
4.1: line 2389
4.2: line 2409
4.3: line 2467
4.4: line 2502
4.5: line 2552
4.6: line 2575
4.7: line 2621
4.8: line 2647
4.9: line 2694
4.10: line 2736
4.11: line 2747
4.12: line 2752
4.13: line 2809
4.14: line 2822
4.15: line 2996
5.1: line 3107
5.2: line 3200
As far as I can tell, the action of the three first scenes (1.1–3) is most likely continuous. As would be, it seems to me, those of 2.2–4, 2.6–7, 3.4–5, & 4.13–14. As usual with Shakespeare, the two battles — ACTIUM (3.7–10) & ALEXANDRIA (5.5–12) — would have been worked (i.e. rehearsed) as continuous stage units. This reduces the number of scenes from 42 to a workable 25.
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Entrances & exits of Characters
According to their order of appearance.
• (2,81) reads “enters at line 2, exits at line 81″.
• (3200 [rip 3567] 3636)
reads “enters at line 3200, dies at line 3567, corpse exits at line 3636.
• PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS are capitalized.
Demetrius & Philo
(2,76)
ANTONY (Roman triumvir)
(15,69) (170,297) (314,427) (695,880) (963,1010) (1117,1279) (1352,1493) (1564,1619) (1684,1725) (1881,1939) (1967,1972) (2023,2105) (2167,2184) (2255,2381) (2409,2466) (2502,2546) (2552,2574) (2627,2646) (2647,2693) (2736,2746) (2753,2756) (2764,2808) (2832,2996) (3010 [rip 3075] 3107) RIP
CLEOPATRA
(15,69) (156,172) (298,427) (523,613) (1025,1174) (1620,1683) (1858,1939) (2049,2106) (2152,2381) (2409,2466) (2502,2551) (2660,2693) (2787,2797) (2809,2822) (2997,3107) (3200 [rip 3567] 3636) RIP
Messenger #1 (Caesar’s)
(26,69) (170,206) (464,522) (2584,2589)
ENOBARBUS (friend of Antony)
(77,172) (228,297) (678,962) (1176,1332) (1353,1493) (1538,1619) (1726,1750) (1858,1939) (1976,2106) (2152,2230) (2255,2388) (2409,2466) (2575,2620) (2694 [rip 2721] 2735) RIP
Charmian (attendant of Cleopatra)
(77,172) (298,427) (523,613) (1025,1174) (1620,1683) (2049,2106) (2152,2381) (2409,2466) (2502,2551) (2809,2822) (2997,3107) (3200,3436) (3471 [rip 3587] 3636) RIP
Iras (attendant of Cleopatra)
(77,172) (298,427) (523,613) (1025,1174) (1620,1683) (2049,2106) (2152,2381) (2409,2466) (2809,2822) (2997,3107) (3200,3478) (3530,3636)
Mardian (attendant of Cleopatra)
(77,172) (1028,1174) (2809,2822) (2850,2869) (3200,3636)
Soothsayer (attendant of Cleopatra)
(77,172) (974,998)
Messenger #2 (Cleopatra’s)
(203,208) (1052,1120) (1132,1156) (1624,1670)
Messenger #3 (Antony’s)
(211,218) (1922,1939) (1956,1959)
Alexas (attendant of Cleopatra)
(228,297) (562,613) (1620,1683) (2410,2466)
CAESAR Octavius (Roman triumvir)
(428,522) (697,880) (963,973) (1176,1279) (1352,1493) (1564,1619) (1751,1857) (1960,1966) (2107,2151) (2389,2408) (2575,2589) (2747,2751) (3108,3199) (3334,3423) (3595,3636)
LEPIDUS (Roman triumvir)
(428,522) (678,880) (1011,1024) (1176,1279) (1352,1493)
POMPEY
(614,677) (1175,1279) (1352,1493)
Minas (friend of Pompey)
(614,677) (1175,1279) (1352,1493)
Varrius (friend of Pompey)
(648,677)
Ventidius (friend of Antony)
(695,880) (1008,1010) (1494,1537)
Maecenas (friend of Caesar)
(697,962) (1011,1024) (1176,1279) (1352,1493) (1751,1857) (2389,2408) (3108,3199) (3334,3423)
Agrippa (friend of Caesar)
(697,962) (1011,1024) (1177,1279) (1352,1493) (1538,1619) (1751,1857) (2107,2151) (2389,2408) (2575,2589) (2622,2625) (3108,3199)
A soldier of Anthony’s army
(1931,1959) (2526,2546) (2552,2574)
OCTAVIA (sister of Caesar, wife of Antony)
(963,973) (1564,1619) (1684,1725) (1792,1857)
Eros (friend of Antony)
(1726,1750) (2049,2106) (2506,2546) (2552,2574) (2637,2646) (2823,2876) (2888 [rip 2934] 2996) RIP
Canidius (lieutenant-general to Antony)
(1881,1959) (1967,1975) (2006,2019)
Taurus (lieutenant-general to Caesar)
(1960,1975)
Scarus (friend of Antony)
(1981,2016) (2627,2646) (2648,2693) (2736,2746) (2753,2773)
Thidias (friend of Caesar)
(2107,2151) (2205,2279) (2310,2332)
DOLABELLA (friend of Caesar)
(2107,2151) (2575,2589) (3108,3113) (3275,3423) (3434,3447) (3588,3636)
Ambassadors
(2115,2151) (2167,2184)
Decretas (friend of Antony)
(2947,2963) (3114,3199)
Four Soldiers of Antony’s army
(2467,2501)
Diomedes (attendant of Cleopatra)
(2961,2996) (3005,3107)
Proculcius (friend of Caesar)
(3108,3189) (3209,3283) (3334,3423)
Clowne
(3492,3530)
___________
With A & C the metaphoric and analogical possibilities inherent to the term BODY POLITIC are explored probably to their fullest extent. And “all’s fair in love & war” as the saying goes.
Excatly as in the HISTORIES, characters may here be distinguished according to their (political) affiliation.
• With triumvir ANTONY:
ENOBARBUS (until line 2466)
EROS
CANIDIUS
SCARUS
DECRETAS (until line 2996)
MESSENGER #3
SOLDIERS
AMBASSADORS
VENTIDIUS
• With triumvir CAESAR Octavius:
MAECENAS
AGRIPPA
TAURUS
THIDIAS
DOLABELLA
PROCULCIUS
MESSENGER #1
& ENOBARBUS (from line 2575)
DECRETAS (from line 3005)
• With triumvir LEPIDUS:
Unfortunately for him, the 3rd triumvir appears to be all alone.
• With POMPEY:
MINAS
VARRIUS
• With CLEOPATRA:
CHARMIAN
IRAS
MARDIAN
ALEXAS
SOOTHSAYER
MESSENGER #2
DIOMEDES
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•Battle of ACTIUM: (1960,1976)
•Battle of ALEXANDRIA
1st day: (2621,2647)
2nd day: (2736,2752)