Antony and Cleopatra is a heart-rending tragedy of two royal lovers. Shakespeare’s play has its sources in Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, written at the beginning of the second century.
Mark Antony was one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire after the death of Caesar, Brutus and Cassius. Other rulers were Octavius Caesar and Lepidus. Mark Antony was in love with Cleopatra, the ruler of Egypt and an extremely beautiful woman. From Alexandria, Antony had to come back to Rome, as the empire was threatened by the rebellion of Sextus Pompey, who had been previously defeated by Julius Caesar. He had to marry Octavia, the sister of Octavius, in order to make peace with him. Cleopatra was jealous, but she realized that Antony did not love Octavia. He soon returned to Alexandria to be with Cleopatra. Caesar is incensed and declared war on Antony and Cleopatra. In spite of being a renowned soldier and strategist, Antony chose to fight Caesar at sea and was defeated. Cleopatra went to her tomb and sent intimation to Antony that she was dead; Antony, devastated, tried to take his life too. He was brought to Cleopatra’s tomb and Antony died in her arms. She too committed suicide by inciting a venomous snake to bite her.
You must be familiar with the expression ‘my salad days’. It is from Antony and Cleopatra and it means the youthful and inexperienced period in an individual’s life.
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