Antony and Cleopatra Video

Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Written in 1607, the play is often grouped among Shakespeare’s Roman plays including Julius Caesar and Coriolanus. Antony and Cleopatra is set in two primary locations: Rome, Italy, and Alexandria, Egypt during the first century BC. It depicts the rising tension among members of the Roman triumvirate that formed in the wake of Julius Caesar’s murder. At the same time, the play focuses on the romantic relationship between Marc Antony – a member of the triumvirate – and Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. The play is famously chaotic, toggling rapidly between Rome and Egypt to showcase the stark differences between the two civilizations.

The play begins at Cleopatra’s palace in Alexandria, where the titular lovers revel in the pleasures of the East with food, drink, and merriment. Antony’s soldiers look disapprovingly on as they scorn Antony’s transformation from a formidable general to a weakened lover. The indulgences do not last long, however, as Antony soon receives word about the status of the Roman Empire. His brother has waged war on his fellow triumvir, Octavius, and Antony’s wife, Fulvia, has died. These developments force Antony to return to Rome and part from Cleopatra, who dramatically expresses her anger and distrust.

Back in Rome, Octavius Caesar and Lepidus, the two other members of the triumvirate, express their distaste for Antony’s lifestyle in Egypt. They discuss the advancing threat of Pompey, a dangerous adversary who controls the seas surrounding Italy. When Antony finally arrives back in Rome, tension mounts between him and Octavius. To solidify their commitment to the triumvirate, Antony marries Octavius’s sister, Octavia. Shortly thereafter, a soothsayer warns Antony that in a contest with Octavius Caesar, Antony will lose.

The triumvirate, now reconciled, meets with Pompey, who submits in the presence of Antony. That night, while Pompey hosts the triumvirs, his subordinate Menas offers to slay the three men and make Pompey the unequivocal ruler of the Roman world. Out of honor, Pompey declines the offer, but questions whether it was the right decision. Shortly after, Antony takes his new wife, Octavia, to Athens.

Back in Egypt, Cleopatra is beside herself with grief when she hears of Antony’s marriage to Octavia. She beats her messenger and threatens him with a knife, asking for only good news from this point on. She commits to winning Antony back despite his new marriage and recommitment to Rome.

Some time passes as Antony and Octavia reside in Athens. Antony receives word that Octavius has moved against Pompey, slandered Antony’s name, and now prepares for war against Antony himself. Antony sends Octavia back to Rome to attempt peace talks with her brother, but the situation only deteriorates: Octavius kills Pompey and imprisons Lepidus. Antony returns to Egypt to reconcile with Cleopatra.

Antony and Cleopatra team up in the war against Octavius, but Antony makes a number of strategic blunders. He attacks Octavius by sea when a land victory would have been more probable. In the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra panics and flees the battle with 60 of her ships, and Antony follows her, abandoning his men. This angers his soldiers, and most of them desert Antony in his crusade.

In Alexandria, Antony is grief-stricken over his decision to follow Cleopatra and abandon his men. Only his close friend and confidant, Enobarbus, remains loyal. Antony expresses anger with himself and Cleopatra before eventually resigning himself to defeat. He decides to take in all the pleasures of Egypt and its queen, knowing that he cannot defeat Octavius.

Antony continues to live chaotically in Egypt, acting out and shifting between extreme emotions of anger, grief, and nostalgia. Eventually, Enobarbus defects to Octavius’s camp, but is so overcome with remorse that he dies. The fleet deserts Antony, and he becomes convinced that Cleopatra has betrayed him.

Fearing Antony’s retaliation, Cleopatra locks herself in her monument and has a messenger send word to Antony that she is dead. Antony decides to end his life in order to reunite with Cleopatra. His servant, Eros, refuses to kill Antony, killing himself instead. Antony falls on his own sword. He is brought to Cleopatra and her ladies, who hoist him up into the monument before he dies in Cleopatra’s arms.

When Octavius hears about Antony’s death, he is moved to tears. Octavius intends to keep Cleopatra alive so that he can parade her through the streets of Rome. He sends a man to Cleopatra in her monument to tell her she has nothing to fear from Octavius, but a messenger, Dolabella, secretly informs Cleopatra of Octavius’s true intent.

Cleopatra meets with Octavius and obediently discusses her terms of surrender. Once Octavius is gone, however, Cleopatra pulls out a poisonous asp and she and her ladies commit suicide by allowing the snake to bite them. When Octavius discovers what she has done, he expresses respect for Cleopatra’s final act of queenly defiance. He orders that Antony and Cleopatra be buried together before he leaves to begin his reign as Rome’s first emperor.