If the Daily Mail, The Sun or Newsday had existed in the days of yore, the headline would probably have read something like this:
Caesar's Successor Loses All for Love of
Egyptian Queen Who Commits Suicide.
Queen Cleopatra's body found with asp in bra.
The story so far:
Mark Antony, Caesar's successor is out to expand the Roman Empire when he is ensnared by the beauty of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. He waits around in Egypt until he is recalled to Rome by the threat of civil war and the death of his abandoned wife, Fulvia. His quarrel with Octavius Caesar is patched up by Antony marrying Octavia's sister, Octavia. Peace is made with Pompey, a Roman rebel, but then Octavius reneges on the deal and attacks Pompey.
Liz Taylor and Richard Burton in the 1963 epic film
Antony, who has returned to Cleopatra in the meanwhile, prepares to fight at the battle of Actium where he is defeated. Deserted by his best friend, Enobarbus and hearing of a false report of Cleopatra's death, Antony stabs himself. His wounded body is brought to Cleopatra and he dies in her arms. To avoid the shame of defeat and being publicly displayed as a prominent prisoner-of-war, Cleopatra commits suicide by causing herself to be bitten by a poisonous snake.
Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium
Antony and Cleopatra was probably written in 1606-7. WS's major source was Plutarch's Lives which had been translated into English by Sir Thomas North in 1579. The original story spanned several decades so WS, as usual compacted various scenes and events to fit into his play.
The play generally sticks closely to North's translation, but Enobarbus and Cleopatra's attendants are figments of WS's imagination. This play may be seen as an historical continuation of Julius Caesar, the action happening soon after the Roman leader's assassination.
This play is the last of WS's tragedies and its most famous lines include:
"My salad days,
When I was green in judgement."
and
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety."
"WORDS, WORDS, WORDS"
In addition, Cleopatra is the second 'wordiest' female character in WS's plays. She speaks 622 lines as opposed to Rosalind in As You Like It who speaks 668. Cleopatra's lover, Antony, is also a wordy character and speaks 766 lines.
Cleopatra's role is so exciting and demanding, perhaps even more so than Lady Macbeth and Desdemona, that many actresses have turned it down. The great tragedienne, Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) refused to play this part, saying she would hate herself if she didn't play it "as it ought to be played."
Finally, let a famous writer and an actors have the last word:
Agatha Christie:
To me, Cleopatra has always been an interesting problem. Is 'Antony and Cleopatra a great love story? I do not think so."
Sir Laurence Olivier:
I never really thought a lot about Antony - as a person, that is, I mean, really, he's an absolute twerp, isn't he?
&&&&&&&&&&
Next entry in the Shakespeare ABC: Actors (Elizabethan).
For comments, please write to: wsdavidyoung@gmail.com or on Facebook. Thank you.
Caesar's Successor Loses All for Love of
Egyptian Queen Who Commits Suicide.
Queen Cleopatra's body found with asp in bra.
The story so far:
Mark Antony, Caesar's successor is out to expand the Roman Empire when he is ensnared by the beauty of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. He waits around in Egypt until he is recalled to Rome by the threat of civil war and the death of his abandoned wife, Fulvia. His quarrel with Octavius Caesar is patched up by Antony marrying Octavia's sister, Octavia. Peace is made with Pompey, a Roman rebel, but then Octavius reneges on the deal and attacks Pompey.
Antony and Cleopatra was probably written in 1606-7. WS's major source was Plutarch's Lives which had been translated into English by Sir Thomas North in 1579. The original story spanned several decades so WS, as usual compacted various scenes and events to fit into his play.
The play generally sticks closely to North's translation, but Enobarbus and Cleopatra's attendants are figments of WS's imagination. This play may be seen as an historical continuation of Julius Caesar, the action happening soon after the Roman leader's assassination.
This play is the last of WS's tragedies and its most famous lines include:
"My salad days,
When I was green in judgement."
and
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety."
"WORDS, WORDS, WORDS"
In addition, Cleopatra is the second 'wordiest' female character in WS's plays. She speaks 622 lines as opposed to Rosalind in As You Like It who speaks 668. Cleopatra's lover, Antony, is also a wordy character and speaks 766 lines.
Cleopatra's role is so exciting and demanding, perhaps even more so than Lady Macbeth and Desdemona, that many actresses have turned it down. The great tragedienne, Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) refused to play this part, saying she would hate herself if she didn't play it "as it ought to be played."
Finally, let a famous writer and an actors have the last word:
Agatha Christie:
To me, Cleopatra has always been an interesting problem. Is 'Antony and Cleopatra a great love story? I do not think so."
Sir Laurence Olivier:
I never really thought a lot about Antony - as a person, that is, I mean, really, he's an absolute twerp, isn't he?
&&&&&&&&&&
Next entry in the Shakespeare ABC: Actors (Elizabethan).
For comments, please write to: wsdavidyoung@gmail.com or on Facebook. Thank you.
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