andysreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
lokster71's review against another edition
4.0
I have seen this on stage once. With Patrick Stewart as Antony and Harriet Walter as Cleopatra. Both fine actors. I never think of it as one of my favourite Shakespeare.
However reading it has made me push it up my list again. It’s structure is complex with multiple locations and characters. But I think Shakespeare ties it together pretty neatly or at least as as neatly as the First Folio let’s us see. There are, as the introduction notes, a few errors or misprints that arise from the manuscript source that became the First Folio.
Antony and Cleopatra’s romance is positioned as much as a clash of cultures as a love affair. The male, martial Rome v the female, louche Egypt. And when Antony flees Actium to follow Cleopatra his Roman honour is destroyed.
For me thought the character with most of the best lines is Enobarbus. It is he who gets the ‘Age cannot wither her…’ speech. But he also gets the great line ‘Think and Die’, in response to Cleopatra’s question - ‘What shall we do?’ He also gets “The loyalty well held to fools does make/ Our faith mere folly.’ That reminded me so much of the followers of Boris Johnson.
I’m now keen to see it in the theatre once again. Although as the recent death of Glenda Jackson reminds us Cleopatra is a notoriously difficult role to play. But yes, bring on another trip to the theatre.
However reading it has made me push it up my list again. It’s structure is complex with multiple locations and characters. But I think Shakespeare ties it together pretty neatly or at least as as neatly as the First Folio let’s us see. There are, as the introduction notes, a few errors or misprints that arise from the manuscript source that became the First Folio.
Antony and Cleopatra’s romance is positioned as much as a clash of cultures as a love affair. The male, martial Rome v the female, louche Egypt. And when Antony flees Actium to follow Cleopatra his Roman honour is destroyed.
For me thought the character with most of the best lines is Enobarbus. It is he who gets the ‘Age cannot wither her…’ speech. But he also gets the great line ‘Think and Die’, in response to Cleopatra’s question - ‘What shall we do?’ He also gets “The loyalty well held to fools does make/ Our faith mere folly.’ That reminded me so much of the followers of Boris Johnson.
I’m now keen to see it in the theatre once again. Although as the recent death of Glenda Jackson reminds us Cleopatra is a notoriously difficult role to play. But yes, bring on another trip to the theatre.
melisacabelloc's review against another edition
Faking ur death to make him feel bad? 10/10
kendyllgull's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this play just yet. I feel like I need to read it again before I can make a decision.
literatureaesthetic's review against another edition
4.0
read for uni — i think this might be my new favourite Shakespearean play. Cleopatra is a girlbosses DREAM.
charlottesometimes's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jenmkin's review against another edition
5.0
The way this play explores the power someone does and doesn't have and holds that against societal perceptions and also explores the idea of agency being attached to legacy and what perceptions we leave behind is top tier