Tony and Cleop Act Three Scene Seven Sub-Scene One

 

Act Three

Scene Seven

Sub-Scene One

Who dares

 

Enobarbus went to Egypt and met the Queen. He was invited to her chamber. She was on the van alone; her maids were sent away. The Roman approached her and asked.

“May I know about the war that you waged for Mark Antony?”

“I will get even with you; I have no doubts about that if anyone waged war on Mark Antony, will battle me in person.”

“I just want to …….”

“You are invited to my chamber and accuse me of the war which have not taken place yet.” The Queen looked at Enobarbus. “Did the holidays dull your mind?”

“But why, why, why? We were at peace with the Romans.” Enobarbus said. “You must not get involved. Let the Romans settle their own conflicts…… peacefully.”

“Peace was the intention. Now you tell me, I should not take part in this war and that it is not appropriate. They threaten Mark Antony.” The Queen said. “Does the mate not stand with its lover in the fight? Or turned onto the lover like a mantis?”

“My Queen, I do not know of any creature by that name.” Enobarbus said.

“Mantis is an insect. The female praying mantis devours her mate. It does not seem to deter them from trying to reproduce. To the contrary, the continuation of the species is proof positive that death by sex is a successful evolutionary strategy. Though sexual cannibalism is a taxonomically rare phenomenon,” The Queen explained. “The black widow spider does that too. The male places part of its body between the fangs of the female. Obviously, this leaves it open to being eaten. However, some studies have shown that black widows rarely eat their mates in the wild and that this occurs more frequently in captivity.”

“Does it remind you of the male action? All males, irrespective of where and what’ they all need sex, and who else provides them the avenue. Us, the females.” The Queen squared off her explanation. “There is a reason we open our legs.”

“Oh, I studied hard at the workings of sex.” The Queen smiled.

“Sex was once the consummation at marriage, but over the years of being married, or was not, the needs of sex took prominence with need to be pleasured. Sex is pleasing, and men for one found it most rewarding. The women were mostly the recipient of it, or the fallacy that we must achieve orgasm. Not all of us did, we carve the art of faking it. I could squirt but …...”

“Please, Queen. Spare me the details.” Enobarbus cut her off. 

“Okay, you may not do it like us. Anyway, the work of sex soon evolved into a trade named prostitution; it was seen as a "necessary evil" that aided in marital fidelity, especially as a system that would allow men to obtain sex when their wives did not desire it.  That trade has been around since Man discover there was other modes of getting it. The women perfected it by demanding favours or gifts. Darn, do you know how tedious is it for us to be moved and hauled like a baggage on a storm hit ship.”

“Please, Queen. Spare me the details, please.” Enobarbus cut her off once more. He felt his libido was dwindling to mere trickles then in his pants.

“Sex as in prostitution; men tend to brand us to that when we open our legs for others, was not a crime in the part of the century, and thus brothels, in some men’s terms bawdy houses; drunks get bawdy when they had one too many at the taverns but they get called names. It was tolerated in the cities and the laws against individual prostitutes were enforced only occasionally. The wives did not protest. It was better to feign a headache.”

“Well, is it appropriate, is it?” Enobarbus looked at the Queen. “We were to discuss the war? Or was it peace.”

“Yes, it was. And to the war that was declared against me or Mark Antony? Why shouldn't I be there in person?” The Queen moved on to the subject matter.

“Well, if I may or could, I will say leave the fighting to the... boys.  If the ladies were to go to war with both men and women, like the name ladies, the men would be undone by the women. The women would seduce the male soldiers. Or ….” Enobarbus was trying to deter the Queen from being involved.

“What are you saying? Male masculinity or plain pork ham chauvinistic ego?” The Queen asked.

“I am trying to protect Mark Antony. If you were there, your presence would inevitably distract Antony. You had taken his heart and his mind off the war at hand, which we certainly could not afford.”

“After the frenzy of a fight, Mark Antony may need to be relieved of his anger by me. I am his saviour.” The Queen said.

“Acceptable risks…...” Enobarbus found himself losing the debate; however, he was not to give up.

“The boss,” Enobarbus said, drawing on rank. “He has already been criticized for being frivolous, and it is said in Rome that Mardian the eunuch...”

“Do not call him by name and that degrading term together. He is my boy.”

“Yes, Mardian and your maids control this war.” Enobarbus said.

“So, the ladies here are soldiers. If they cannot shoot well, they can sure fuck them to hell." The Queen roared out. “

“To hell with Rome! And let them rot, those who criticize us! I will do my duty in the war, and as the ruler of my kingdom, I will appear there just as a man would. Do not oppose my plan. I would not be left behind.”