First published in the Folio of 1623, William Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” is the historical drama based on the lives of its title characters. Based upon the historical accounts contained within Plutarch’s “Lives”, this dramatic tragedy follows the relationship between Mark Antony and Cleopatra from the time of the Sicilian revolt up until Cleopatra’s suicide. At the outset of the play Mark Antony is part of the ruling Second Triumvirate of Rome and is living in Egypt engaged in an affair with the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. When the word that his wife has died and that Pompey is raising an army to challenge the authority of the triumvirate, Mark Antony returns to Rome to help manage the situation. What follows is a brilliant depiction of the intrigue surrounding the struggle for power in ancient Rome and the conflict in which Mark Antony finds himself embroiled, between his duties as leader and his passionate desire for the enchanting Cleopatra. One of the bards more complex plays, “Antony and Cleopatra” is a work which defies simple classification. This edition is includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson, an introduction by Charles Harold Herford, and a biographical afterword.
