Antony and Cleopatra
Play
Antony and Cleopatra begins with just Antony
and Octavius Caesar (also called Caesar) ruling the
entire Western world, Lepidus the third member of the
Roman trumviarate leaving. Antony, in theory rules the
eastern Roman empire, but though married to Fluvia,
chooses to live in Alexandria, Egypt with his mistress,
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Octavius is not impressed....
Caesar (Octavius) feels his friend is too distracted
by the Egyptian Queen and perhaps his interests no longer
lie where they should as Antony spends more and more
time with Cleopatra... Octavius summons Antony back
to Rome, Antony refusing, only returning to Rome under
the threat of war with Pompey and when his wife Fulvia
dies.
Back in Rome, the two rulers of the Roman empire try
to make peace again through the marriage of Octavius'
sister Octavia to Antony. This only delays a growing
tension between the two rulers. Trouble between the
two quickly returns when Antony abandons Octavia to
be with his lover once more. Furious at this affront,
Caesar decides to settle this with his army, determined
to take back Egypt in revenge.
With the stronger and more experienced army, Caesar
quickly starts to defeat his old friend. Octavia tries
to end this feud but is once again abandoned by her
husband for his mistress. Octavius is now even more
enraged. Cleopatra, meanwhile convinces her lover to
accept Caesar's challenge to fight not on land but at
sea, Antony ignoring the advise of his aides suggesting
he should do otherwise. During the epic naval battle,
Cleopatra deserts the battlefield, Antony foolishly
following, giving Caesar victory at the Battle of Actium.
Now in a postion of strength, Caesar refuses his old
friend's pleas for peace instead trying to break up
Antony and Cleopatra by allowing Cleopatra to remain
Queen of Egypt should she kill her lover. Cleopatra
does not agree, Caesar's army fighting his friend and
now rival on land to Caesar's ultimate defeat, the two
facing off the next day. When Egyptian forces retreat
once again from the battlefield, Antony calls his lover
a traitor and threatens to kill her.
To save her life, Cleopatra runs to her tomb, telling
her attendants to proclaim her death. Caesar has victory
in sight, Antony's best friend Enobarbus, even abandoning
him to join Caesar's side. Stung with guilt, Enobarbus
kills himself soon thereafter. Knowing he will soon
be beaten and grieving the loss of his beloved Queen,
Antony asks friend Eros to kill him, only to fall on
his sword instead when Eros takes his own life rather
than kill his friend. Though dying, his servants bring
him before Cleopatra where he professes his deep love
for her before passing away. Caesar too grieves the
loss of his once close friend, promising the Queen mercy
but planning on her parading her as a war prize, humiliating
her. Fearing such a life under Caesar's control, and
still grieving the death of her lover, she kills herself
by letting poisonous asps (snakes) bite her, her attendants
quickly follow suit, Chairman (1st Attendant) committing
suicide by asp whilst second attendant Iras, dies from
the shock and grief of losing her Queen. In an act of
kindness, Caesar allows the two lovers to be buried
together. Caesar now alone, rules the entire Roman empire...
Contents
Dramatis
Personæ
Act I
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V
Act II
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI, Scene VII
Act III
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI, Scene VII, Scene
VIII, Scene IX, Scene
X, Scene XI
Act IV
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI, Scene VII, Scene
VIII, Scene IX, Scene
X, Scene XI, Scene
XII, Scene XIII
Act V
Scene I, Scene
II
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