Antony and Cleopatra
Synopsis
One of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies, Antony and Cleopatra, tells the tale of Mark Antony, one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire, and Cleopatra, the infamous Queen of Egypt. After living the life of luxury in Egypt, Antony is compelled to return to Rome when the empire is threatened by the rebellion of Sextus Pompey. However, he soon butts heads with Octavius Caesar, who objects to his ally’s selfish, imperious attitude. Antony marries Caesar’s sister, Octavia, in an effort to heal the rift between them and the men make peace with Pompey.
When Cleopatra hears about Antony’s marriage to Octavia, she flies into a jealous rage even though she knows that Antony does not love Octavia. Antony goes to Athens but he is angered when war breaks out between Caesar and Pompey and sends his new wife back to her brother in Rome while Antony goes to Egypt. Incensed with Caesar’s behavior, Caesar declares war on both Antony and Cleopatra. The two leaders go into battle, with their lives and their honor at stake. Despite his reputation as world’s greatest soldier, Antony chooses to fight on sea--a decision that proves to be his undoing. Cleopat
Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Book Details
Antony and Cleopatra is a play by William Shakespeare that was first performed in The plot centers around the romantic affair between a Roman general, Mark Antony, and the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. It is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, portraying the downfall of Mark Antony and Cleopatra and their eventual deaths due to a conflict with Octavius Caesar, the future Emperor Augustus. Shakespeare had previously written the tragedyJulius Caesar in , and this play continues to follow the history of Rome’s transformation from a republic into an empire.
Major Themes
In this play, Shakespeare explores The Clash of Cultural Values through the romance between the titular characters, The Subversion of Gender Roles, and The Complications of Public Identity.
Adaptations
The play has been adapted in many forms since it was first performed. In , it was made into a Hollywood film directed by and starring Charleton Heston, which received poor reviews. In , Trevor Nunn’s Royal Shakespeare Society version was adapted for TV, and in the BBC released another TV version as part of its BBC Television Shak
Antony and Cleopatra Summary
Here is a short Antony and Cleopatra summary:
After defeating Brutus and Cassius, following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony becomes one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire, together with Octavius Caesar and Lepidus, and is responsible for the eastern part of the empire. He falls in love with Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, and settles in Alexandria. However, he is compelled to return to Rome when the empire is threatened by the rebellion of Sextus Pompey, the son of Pompey, who had been defeated by Julius Caesar.
As his wife has just died, Antony marries Octavius&#; sister, Octavia, in an attempt to heal the rift between the two emperors. They make peace with Pompey. When Cleopatra hears about Antony&#;s marriage she flies into a jealous rage, but knows that Antony does not love Octavia. Antony goes to Athens, but when war breaks out between Caesar and Pompey, Antony sends Octavia back to Rome and returns to Egypt.
Caesar is incensed with Antony&#;s behaviour and he declares war on both Antony and Cleopatra. When the Romans arrive Antony is offered a choice of how to fight, and despite being renowned as the world&#;s greatest
Triumvir. One third of the triumvirate, the alliance between Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus that rules the Roman Empire. Antony is a great general, beloved by his men. He is middle-aged. He is also a lover of pleasure, far less single-minded than Octavius. He is a complicated and fatally divided man, failing to rise to the task of generalship at key points. Plutarch represents his love for Cleopatra as the cause of his doom, and Shakespeare shares this view, but the play also shows their love as a kind of triumph, beautiful and wonderful on its own terms.
Queen of Egypt. She is the last of the Greek dynasty that began its rule over Egypt, centuries before, with Ptolemy. (Ptomely was a general under Alexander the Great who inherited the Egyptian part of Alexander's empire after Alexander's death.) Cleopatra is the lover of Antony, and others in the past, including the deceased Julius Caesar. She is middle-aged. Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare's most accomplished creations, an intriguing woman who wraps great men around her finger. She is possessive, commanding, dramatic. She is complicated and fickle. Her own emotions are of supreme importance to her, and she has a violent temper
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