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Antony and Cleopatra Play Summary (short)
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A short, easy summary of the play Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare. Timeline of events and symbols.
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Antony and Cleopatra notesPlot
Mark Antony is one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire (one of the three triumvirate). He lives
in Egypt and is having an affair with Queen Cleopatra.
He hears his wife, Fulvia, has died and Pompey is raising an army.
Antony returns to Rome.
Caesar is mad at Antony for neglecting his job as he was off enjoying himself in Egypt.
Antony arrives in Rome and fights with Caesar.
Antony and Caesar agree that Antony will marry Caesar’s sister, Octavia. This marriage will make
them more loyal to one another and stronger against Pompey.
Antony’s friend tells Caesar that Antony will likely return to Cleopatra.
Meanwhile, in Egypt, cleopatra hears that Antony is marrying and becomes furious.
A messenger tells her that Octavia is not as beautiful as herself, and Cleopatra believes she can win
Antony back.
Pompey arrives to meet other rulers of Rome (triumvirate), and they make a peace deal.
The four men drink to celebrate.
One of Pompey’s men (Menas) tells him that there is a plan to assassinate the other three (mutiny),
which would leave Pompey in charge of the entire empire. Pompey says he does not approve.
Antony leaves with Octavia.
Caesar breaks the peace agreement and fights war with Pompey, defeating him.
Antony returns but Octavia begs him to maintain a good relationship with her brother.
Antony sends her to Rome, and he returns to Egypt, and Cleopatra.
He raises an army to fight Caesar. (Because he broke the peace agreement and imprisoned Lepidus
under false accusations)
Caesar invades Egypt, and despite warnings, Antony and Cleopatra fight him at sea.
Cleopatras ships flee (she betrays Antony), and he follows.
Antony and cleopatra speak to Caesar – Antony asks to live in Egypt, and cleopatra asks that her
kingdom be passed down to her rightful heir.
Caesar won’t listen to Antony but agrees to listen to Cleopatra is she betrays Antony.
She seems to consider, and Antony feels betrayed, but he forgives her.
Antony gathers his troops again and defeats Caesar’s men.
Cleopatra returns to Antony.
They return to battle the next day. The Egyptians flee again, and Antony believes Cleopatra has
betrayed him. He vows to kill her.
To save herself, Cleopatra locks herself in her room and sends word that she has killed herself.
Antony, taken by grief, vows to join her in the afterlife.
He falls on his sword and mortally wounds himself. (suicide)
They take him to Cleopatra where they are reunited.
Caesar takes Cleopatra prisoner, but she learns of his plan to take her to Rome and kills herself
using poisonous snakes.
Antony and Cleopatra are buried together.
Main characters
Mark Antony
Antony is torn between his duties as a ruler and his love for Cleopatra.
His ideal version of himself though, is the Roman hero that defeated Caesar’s traitors. He is often
sad thinking about how far he strayed from who he is.
Cleopatra
The Romans mainly see her as a treacherous whore (strumpet). They don’t approve of Antony’s
relationship with her. They are threatened by her.
However, she proves a clever and ruthless woman, who tries to defend her kingdom and lineage at
all costs.
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