The Use of Tense in Antony and Cleopatra Shakespeare's use of tense in Antony and Cleopatra is apparently [1] rather irregular. However, it is important to note that Shakespeare was a playwright and his job was to write interesting dramas, not accurately record the details of the story. It therefore seems quite unfair to expect him to use time precisely. However, to dismiss Shakespeare's use of time as a mere mistake or the byproduct of his dramatization of history [2] is to commit an injustice. One could easily argue that there is a method to all this.[3]To demonstrate this we can analyze a part of the play, looking at scene 3 of Act 1. This is where Anthony finally finds the courage to leave Egypt. In Act 1 Scene 4, we are in Rome and here we have Caesar complaining about Antony while messengers bring news of how Pompey is at sea as well as his allies Menecrates and Menas. In Act 1 Scene 5 we are back in Egypt and Cleopatra is talking about how much she misses Anthony. In Act 2, Scene 2 we have returned to Rome and Anthony has finished his journey across the Mediterranean. Antonio and Cesare talk to each other again and decide to consolidate their relationship (or destroy it, depending on the level of cynicism). Octavia should marry Anthony. In Act 2, Scene 5, news of Antony's engagement has reached Cleopatra in Egypt, and although she laments and raves, she doesn't actually do anything constructive about it. In Act 2, Scene 7 we are back in Rome and there is a party where the three triumvirates get drunk to varying degrees. In Act 3, Scene 2, Ottavia and Antony leave Rome together. The next scene is in Egypt, where once again very little action takes place. In Act 3, Scene 4 the most notable act of condensation occurs when eight years of marriage between Octavia and Antony is expected to have occurred. In Act 3, Scene 6 we are in Rome discussing the fact that Antony has left Octavia in Athens and returned to Egypt.[4] So we see that in this part of the play a lot of things happened in Rome, while in Egypt it might as well have been a long afternoon for all the deeds and deeds that happened.