3 h 3 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What can love demand from a general whose duty belongs to Rome and whose heart belongs to Egypt?
In William Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra, Mark Antony stays in Alexandria while Rome watches with alarm. A great commander and one of Rome's three rulers, he is drawn to Cleopatra, Egypt's clever, proud queen. She wants both his love and her throne. Neither can keep politics outside their bond.
In Rome, the cool, patient Octavius Caesar wants to rule alone. His sister Octavia marries Antony to hold a fragile peace, but duty and desire pull in opposite directions. The play races between Rome and Alexandria, setting feasts beside armies and private feelings against public power. Love, comedy and grief share the stage.
What you’ll discover
- A queen of contrasts Meet Cleopatra in her changing moods, where pride, wit and fear crowd together.
- Love against duty Follow Antony as his bond with Cleopatra strains his place in Rome.
- Peace aboard a galley Enter Pompey's loud, drunken feast, where a treaty brings no sense of safety.
- A friend's clear eye Hear Enobarbus speak bluntly about the people and powers that claim Antony's loyalty.
- An empire on stage Move through swift scenes across the Mediterranean, where intimate choices carry vast political stakes.
Is it for you?
This summary suits readers who like stories where love and politics pull against each other, and anyone who wants to approach Shakespeare's Roman world with a map in hand. It may suit you less if you want a tight, single-plot drama.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Rome Watches Antony Lose Himself
- Egypt and Rome Pull in Opposite Ways
- A Marriage Is Made to Keep the Peace
- Pompey, Politics and a Fragile Peace
- Antony Returns to Cleopatra and Pays for It
- Loyalty Breaks and Honour Is Tested
- What the Play Says About Love and Power
- How Shakespeare Tells It: Speed, Poetry and Contrasts
Who’s who
- Mark AntonyA Roman general and one of three rulers of Rome, torn between his duty and his love for Cleopatra.
- CleopatraQueen of Egypt, clever, proud and changeable, who wants to hold Antony and keep her throne.
- Octavius CaesarYoung Roman ruler who is cool and patient, and who wants to rule the empire alone.
- EnobarbusAntony's blunt, witty officer and friend, who sees Cleopatra and Rome clearly and speaks his mind.
- OctaviaCaesar's sister, who marries Antony to keep peace between the two men.
- CharmianCleopatra's loyal attendant, who shares her jokes and her fears.
- LepidusThe weakest of the three Roman rulers, who tries to keep Antony and Caesar friendly.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 3 h 3 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: 0,14 USD a day, then 0,27 USD a day, never raised. Or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Antonio e Cleopatra in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Poetry & DramaFree to read
Antonio e Cleopatra
by William Shakespeare· 1623
A Roman general’s love conflicts with his duties to Rome.
Excellent
- The whole book free
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
Opens right away, on any device
Read the whole book freeNo sign-upNothing to pay
Language: Italiano
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 8
Rome Watches Antony Lose Himself
The play opens in Alexandria, where Philo, a Roman soldier, complains about his general. Mark Antony, once a great commander, now seems to be a servant to the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. Philo says Antony has turned from a warrior into a lover who has no mind for his duties.
Antony and Cleopatra then enter, and the scene proves Philo half right. They tease each other and speak in huge terms about love. Antony refuses at first to hear messengers from Rome, as if the empire were a minor matter.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
William Shakespeare
1564–1616 · English playwright and poet
William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet, born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He worked in London as an actor and playwright. He wrote plays, including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, and published sonnets in 1609. He died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More by William Shakespeare
All 17 books
Free
Free
Free
FreeMore like this
FreeOur mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Antonio e Cleopatra
Is the whole book really free?
Yes. Antonio e Cleopatra is one of 200 complete books that are free to read and hear, with no sign-up and nothing to pay. Start free and you also get 200,000+ more classics, the 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Antony and Cleopatra about?
It is about the love between the Roman general Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and how it clashes with Roman politics and the rivalry between Antony and Octavius Caesar.
Is Antony and Cleopatra a true story?
It is based on real history. Shakespeare took the story from Plutarch's life of Antony, in Thomas North's English version, and shaped it into drama. He changed and compressed events for the stage.
When was Antony and Cleopatra written?
Scholars usually date it to around 1606 or 1607. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623, after Shakespeare's death.
Popular in poetry and plays
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
