Enter Caesar with his army, marching

CAESAR          Taurus!

TAURUS          My lord?

CAESAR          Strike not by land. Keep whole. Provoke not battle

Till we have done at sea.

[He gives him a scroll]

Do not exceed

The prescript of this scroll. Our fortune lies

Upon this jump.

Exeunt                         (3.8.1-5)

The contrast with the previous scene is so stark and deliberate as to be almost comic, not least in the brevity of the scene. Caesar is decisive, utterly in control, and has a plan—written down—from which he will not deviate. Strike not by land, that is, don’t attack on land yet, keep whole, keep your forces together. Provoke not battle till we have done at sea. Don’t allow the land battle to begin until the sea battle—which we will win, naturally—is over. His instructions are telegraphic, semaphoric in their concision; all that’s lacking is some version of Rome expects that every man will do his duty. And do not exceed the prescript of this scroll. Do exactly what’s written here, and no more. Antony gets messages, which he disregards; Caesar issues orders, which he expects and assumes will be obeyed to the letter, no more, no less. Our fortune lies upon this jump: this is it, this battle, this venture is crucial. It’s almost parodic in its efficiency, and Taurus says nothing except by demonstrating his complete obedience. The pace is picking up, and the battle of Actium is about to begin…