William Shakespeare
The famous love story of Antony and Cleopatra. The play is set at a time when the Roman Empire was divided between Octavius (Julius Caesar's great nephew and heir), Lepidus and Mark Antony. It gives an insight into the historical context of the political state of the vast Roman Empire whilst at the same time exploring an extraordinary and enduring love affair. Power struggles abound - East v. West, male v. female, wives v. husbands, civilisation v. sybarites to mention a few! However, it is the passionate liaison between Mark Antony, a brave and much admired soldier, General and triumvir responsible for the Eastern end of the Roman Empire and Cleopatra, Queen of a rich and fertile Egypt, whose position had been stabilised by her early relationship with Julius Caesar, that we remember. The enigma of their story remains, providing an "infinite variety" for the imagination through the ages.
This play was written during Shakespeare's last great burst of creativity. Within the five years between 1604-1608, he had completed five major tragedies - Othello, Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra and Corialanus. Inspired by Plutarch's "Lives of Noble Grecians and Romans", Antony and Cleopatra is a story of politics and passion, complexities and contradictions, history and histrionics, culminating in the deaths of both of the main protagonists.
At Ridgeway
Modified 30 September 2001