Antony and Cleopatra the play by William ShakespeareText - script of Antony and Cleopatra play by William Shakespeare Cast and characters in Antony and Cleopatra play by William Shakespeare Index of plays by William Shakespeare Introduction - The play and the image displayed in the picture This section is dedicated to Antony and Cleopatra, the play by William Shakespeare. The picture is 18th century and image displayed represents the essence of the play which, we hope, will bring to life a famous scene or character from the play. The information provided on this section of william-shakespeare.info includes famous quotes / quotations from Antony and Cleopatra, summary of the plot or story, facts about the play, a list of the cast and characters and access to the full text - script of the play by William Shakespeare.
Summary of the plot or story The play tells of the scandalous affair between the Roman general Antony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Their blind passion which leads to their ultimate downfall and deaths. The plot encompasses the strong themes of ambition, power, love, friendship, deception and disaster.
Information provided about the play William Shakespeare never published any of his plays and therefore none of the original manuscripts have survived. Eighteen unauthorised versions of his plays were, however, published during his lifetime in quarto editions by unscrupulous publishers (there were no copyright laws protecting Shakespeare and his works during the Elizabethan era). A collection of his works did not appear until 1623 ( a full seven years after Shakespeare's death on April 23, 1616) when two of his fellow actors, John Hemminges and Henry Condell, posthumously recorded his work and published 36 of William’s plays in the First Folio. Some dates are therefore approximate other dates are substantiated by historical events, records of performances and the dates plays appeared in print.
Date first performed It is believed that the drama was first performed between 1606 and 1607. In the Elizabethan era there was a huge demand for new entertainment and Antony and Cleopatra would have been produced immediately following the completion of the play.
Date first printed It is believed that the script was first printed in 1623 in the 'First Folio'. As William Shakespeare clearly did not want his work published details of the play would have therefore been noted, and often pirated without his consent, following a performance. The settings for Antony and Cleopatra The settings are Alexandria in Egypt and Rome & Misenum in Italy Theme of Antony and Cleopatra The drama is categorised as a Tragedy
Number of words in Antony and Cleopatra The number of words in the script, according to the Complete Public Domain Text is 22,960
Most important characters The most important characters are: Marc Antony and Cleopatra | |
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Famous Quotes / Quotations The quotes from the work are amongst Shakespeare's most famous including 'My salad days...'. Details of this famous quote follows, complete with information regarding the Act and the Scene, allowing a quick reference to the section of the play that this quotation can be found in. Please click here for the full text of the script of the play.
"My salad days, when I was green in judgment." - (Act I, Scene V).
"There ’s beggary in the love that can be reckon’d." Act i. Scene 1.
"This grief is crowned with consolation." Act i. Scene 2.
History of Antony and Cleopatra The drama was based on the real lovers of Roman History
William Shakespeare's Main Source Shakespeare found inspiration in Plutarch's "Lives" the Roman Empire and the lives of the Caesars Inspiration from Antony and Cleopatra The work has inspired other works, such as the film Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
The Cast and Characters Click the link at the top of the page to access a list of all the cast and characters in the play. |