When the play begins, Antony is consumed by his military failure at the Battle of Actium. His cowardice when fleeing the battlefield particularly haunts him, and upon his reunion with Ventidius, he begs the man to curse him. Unable to bear listening to his friend as he indulges himself in melancholy, Ventidius refuses to help Antony dig himself further into his hole of misery, using a simile in the process:
You are too sensible already
Of what/have done, too conscious of your failings,
And like a scorpion, whipped by others first
To fury, sting yourself in mad revenge.
I would bring balm, and pour it in your wounds,
Cure your distempered mind, and heal your fortunes.
Comparing Antony’s current state to that of a scorpion whose actions are unintentionally poisoning itself, Ventidius clearly articulates his good opinion of Antony’s character, affirming the man as a righteous and caring leader. Furthermore, the life and death of the figurative scorpion foreshadows the tragic end of the play and the way that the love Antony bears for Cleopatra will inevitably lead to his death. Thus, this simile reveals how Antony’s love for Cleopatra has become self-destructive in the eyes of those around him (and even to himself, as he is becoming aware of just how doomed they are).
