Enter a Sentry and his company; Enobarbus follows

SENTRY          If we be not relieved within this hour

We must return to th’ court of guard. The night

Is shiny, and they say we shall embattle

By th’ second hour i’th’ morn.

FIRST WATCH                       This last day was

A shrewd one to’s.

ENOBARBUS              O bear me witness, night—

SECOND WATCH       What man is this?

FIRST WATCH                                   Stand close, and list him.

ENOBARBUS Be witness to me, O, thou blessèd moon,

When men revolted shall upon record

Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did

Before thy face repent.

SENTRY                      Enobarbus?

SECOND WATCH                   Peace; hark further.  (4.10.1-10)

 

Will there be a visual cue that these are Caesar’s troops? Perhaps, although by this point in the play the alternation is expected—and it’ll be apparent immediately that these aren’t Antony’s carousers. It’s deep night; there will be torches or at least a lantern. The captain, the sentry, is anxious and on edge: if we be not relieved within this hour we must return to th’ court of guard. If no one comes to take over from us soon then I say we just go back to base. After all, the night is shiny—it’s bright, presumably with moonlight—and they say (ah, rumour, always good for raising the stakes, the level of apprehension) we shall embattle by th’ second hour i’th’ morn. Word is that we’re going to be in battle order, fighting again, well before it’s light, well before dawn. (That was what Antony was saying in the previous scene, so, yes, and Caesar’s informants have passed it on, if it’s not generally known.) One of the company of the watch wants to have a bit of a debrief, circumlocutory, laconic, about the debacle on the battlefield the day before: this last day was a shrewd one to’s. A tough one, wasn’t it, lads, didn’t come out of that very well, did we? But there’s an interruption: Enobarbus, alone, as he thinks, with his misery and despair. O bear me witness, night, he says, with an air of finality. The second soldier might be jumpy—is this a spy? or else just curious. What man is this? His companion, perhaps older, warier, more experienced, says shhhh, just stand close, and list him. Give it a minute, see what he’s got to say. And Enobarbus is in the midst of desperate self-accusation and recrimination: be witness to me, o, thou blessèd moon (that was why it was just established that the night was shiny) when men revolted shall upon record bear hateful memory, when other traitors and deserters are being abused and condemned in the history books, spoken about with disapproval and disgust, o moon, can you at least bear witness that at the last poor Enobarbus did before thy face repent? There’s no one else to see, to take note of just how sorry I am for what I’ve done, how much I regret it, how much I hate myself for what I’ve done. Enobarbus?! said with incredulity, by the sentry. Antony’s right-hand man, always good for a laugh and a drink? What’s going on here? Peace; hark further. Shut up and listen.