Antony and Cleopatra
Shakespeare wrote the greatest play about how passion and politics destroy each other.
tragedyEnglishmoderateshort · ~3.5h
Influence
6.0/10
Popularity
7.0/10
“Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.”
Why It Matters
Shakespeare wrote the greatest play about how passion and politics destroy each other. Cleopatra is one of the most complex female characters in all of drama, and the play's grand, sprawling structure mirrors the empires collapsing within it. It is Shakespeare working at the absolute peak of his powers.
Notable Quotes
“I am dying, Egypt, dying; only I here importune death awhile, until of many thousand kisses the poor last I lay upon thy lips.”
“Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have immortal longings in me.”