Description

Antony and Cleopatra (1607) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Inspired by Thomas North’s translation of Plutarch’s Lives—a series of biographies on influential figures of the ancient world—Shakespeare wrote Antony and Cleopatra sometime between 1599 and 1601. Often considered a sequel of sorts to his earlier play Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra has served as source material for countless film and television adaptations. “Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch / Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.” For his wit and wordplay alone, William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest writer to ever work in the English language. Where he truly triumphs, however, is in his ability to portray complex human emotions, how these emotions contribute to relationships, and how these relationships interact with politics, culture, and religion. As the Roman Republic faces threats both foreign and domestic, Mark Antony—a triumvir alongside Lepidus and Octavius—abandons his duties to remain in Alexandria with his lover, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. When the demands of state become impossible to ignore any longer, he returns to Rome. There, he is encouraged to marry Octavia, the sister of his fellow ruler. At the risk of rupturing their fragile relationship, he consents, enraging Cleopatra. As conflict with Octavius forces Antony out of the triumvirate, he returns to his lover to rule over Egypt. But Rome and revenge are never too far away. This edition of William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Description

The acclaimed Pelican Shakespeare series edited by A. R. Braunmuller and Stephen Orgel   The legendary Pelican Shakespeare series features authoritative and meticulously researched texts paired with scholarship by renowned Shakespeareans. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare’s time, an introduction to the individual play, and a detailed note on the text used. Updated by general editors Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, these easy-to-read editions incorporate over thirty years of Shakespeare scholarship undertaken since the original series, edited by Alfred Harbage, appeared between 1956 and 1967. With definitive texts and illuminating essays, the Pelican Shakespeare will remain a valued resource for students, teachers, and theater professionals for many years to come.   For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Description

In this extraordinary play, one of Shakespeare’s finest tragedies, a once-great general finds himself torn between his duty to the Roman Empire and his passionate attachment to Cleopatra, the alluring “Queen of the Nile.” In depicting the collision of two contrasting cultures — Antony’s world of political conniving and the hedonistic pleasures of Cleopatra’s court — the playwright portrays a timeless paradox of human nature, the quest for seemingly irreconcilable goals. The action of the play ranges from Alexandria and Rome to Syria and Athens, from the rugged quarters of military camps to the luxurious atmosphere of the Egyptian court. In the latter milieu Antony lingers, shamed by his overwhelming passion for Cleopatra yet irresistibly drawn toward love as a source of vitality and renewal. After ignoring increasingly urgent demands by his co-ruler, Octavius Caesar, for his return to Rome, Antony reluctantly obeys at last, marrying Octavius’s sister and forming a fragile political alliance. This bond shatters when he returns to Cleopatra’s side. Octavius declares war on the lovers, forcing them into a battle for world domination with dramatic and unforgettable consequences. Brimming with Shakespeare’s matchless poetry, Antony and Cleopatra is one of the world’s great plays. In this inexpensive edition, it will enthrall students of drama and literature, poetry lovers, and all who appreciate Shakespeare’s art.

Description

The Signet Classics edition of the tragedy that features one of Shakespeare’s greatest female characters. A magnificent drama of passion and war, this riveting play presents the complicated relationship between the seductive, cunning Egyptian queen Cleopatra and the Roman leader Mark Antony, a man torn between an empire and love. This revised Signet Classics edition includes unique features such as: • An overview of Shakespeare’s life, world, and theater • A special introduction to the play by the editor, Sylvan Barnet • A selection from Plutarch’s Lives of Noble Grecians and Romans, the source from which Shakespeare derived Antony and Cleopatra • Dramatic criticism from Samuel Johnson, A. C. Bradley, John F. Danby, and others • A comprehensive stage and screen history of notable actors, directors, and productions • Text, notes, and commentaries printed in the clearest, most readable text • And more…