48 pages 1 hour read

William Shakespeare

Antony and Cleopatra

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1607

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Act I

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Act I, Scene 1 Summary

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and analyzes the source text’s treatment of death by suicide. This guide also refers to the source text’s use of racist slurs against Romani people.

Two Roman soldiers named Philo and Demetrius discuss their concern that the Roman general Mark Antony is neglecting his duty to Rome because he has fallen in love with the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. Cleopatra teases Antony after he receives messages from the young Octavius Caesar and from his wife, Fulvia, telling him that he ought to return to them. Antony refuses to hear the messengers, telling Cleopatra that he prefers to spend time with her and enjoy the pleasures of life. They leave together to spend the night in leisure, and Philo and Demetrius lament that Antony no longer cares about his responsibilities as a triumvir, one of the three main leaders of his home country.

Act I, Scene 2 Summary

Cleopatra’s advisor Alexas brings in a soothsayer to tell fortunes. The queen’s maids, Charmian and Iras, learn from the soothsayer that they will outlive Cleopatra. They interpret this to mean that they will live very long lives. However, when they ask if they will bear children or marry great kings, the soothsayer responds that they will only if their wishes could grow wombs.

Related Titles

By William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

All's Well That Ends Well

William Shakespeare

All's Well That Ends Well

William Shakespeare

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE

logo

A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Coriolanus

William Shakespeare

Coriolanus

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Cymbeline

William Shakespeare

Cymbeline

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Hamlet

William Shakespeare

Hamlet

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Henry IV, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry IV, Part 2

William Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part 2

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Henry V

William Shakespeare

Henry V

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry VIII

William Shakespeare

Henry VIII

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry VI, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry VI, Part 3

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 3

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

King John

William Shakespeare

King John

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Love's Labour's Lost

William Shakespeare

Love's Labour's Lost

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Measure For Measure

William Shakespeare

Measure For Measure

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Othello

William Shakespeare

Othello

William Shakespeare