ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE), A REVIEW.pdf

A Review on 

Antony and Cleopatra (William Shakespeare)

University of Freiburg

Englisches Seminar,

Freiburg, Germany

Khaled Saifulla

The Triumvirate, Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and Marcus Lepidus are the rulers Roman Empire.  Mark Antony living in Egypt, conducts an affair with the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. He falls in love with the beauty of her and prefers spending time in Egypt. In Rome, Demetrius and Philo, friends of Antony surprising to fall in love of with Cleopatra, discuss about Antony’s ignoring the domestic problems of Rome. When from Rome a messenger with a letter, arrives to the palace of Cleopatra, Antony has no mood to hear anything about Rome, Cleopatra insists him on listening the news though. Antony rather says, “Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide arch / Of the ranged empire fall.” (Act i, Scene i). Without hearing the message, after leaving the couple to the offstage, Demetrius and Philo express their shock at the general’s disrespect for Caesar and the military affair of the empire.

Antony comes back on the stage with a messenger who informs him that Fulvia, Antony’s wife fighting against Caesar, is defeated and flees away from Rome to Greece. Another new messenger arriving at the stage, informs that after having fled to Greece, his wife, Fulvia is dead.  Antony mourns for his wife’s death and calling for one of his followers, Domitius Enobarbus, tells him that they must prepare to go back to Rome and they return to Rome, Cleopatra does not want Antony to go back though. He says, “I must from this enchanting queen break off”. (Act 1, Scene 2). Antony returns to Rome to fight against Pompey, another military leader who tries to take control of the empire. When Antony is in back in Rome, Octavius complains against him for neglecting his duty and ignoring military affairs during his living in Egypt. Agrippa, Octavius Caesar’s follower, suggest that Antony should marry Octavius’s sister, Octavia to melt the distance between both. Antony accepting the suggestion, marries Octavia. Antony and Octavius Caesar shake their hands and promise to be brothers.

On the other hand, when a messenger comes to Cleopatra and tells her that Antony is married with Octavia, Octavius’s sister, she is fire with rage in jealous. Cleopatra beats the messenger and sends him off to get details about Octavia’s age, acts, height and beauty. He comes back and describes that Octavia is plain and unimpressive with ‘short, low-browed, round-faced and with unruly hair’. Hearing the details about Octavia, Cleopatra is confident, and she hopes that Antony will come back again to Egypt.

In Pompey’s house, Pompey and his men, Menas, Menecrates discussing about the battle against the Triumvirate, he tells them that they will win the upcoming war because their army is stronger at the sea than the Triumvirate. However, before the battle, the Triumvirate and Pompey agree to a treaty by giving back to Pompey Sicily and Sardinia. Antony and Octavia celebrating the truce with Pompey, Lepidus and Octavius leave Rome for Athens. Later, Octavius and Lepidus breaking the truce, declare war against Pompey and Pompey loses the battle. Antony, having learned about the war against Pompey, he is enraged and serious controversies with Octavia, he returns to Egypt and Octavia goes back to Rome to be with her brother, Octavius Caesar. When Octavia returns to Rome, Octavius Caesar being angry at Antony for the disgrace of his sister and for going back to Cleopatra, gets ready for the battle against him.

Meanwhile, Antony prepares for the battle with the help of the Cleopatra’s ships. A soothsayer warns him that he will surely lose; he tries for a battle against Octavius Caesar though. After starting the war when Caesar’s army and Antony’s army cross the paths, the sounds of the battle come from the off-stage. In the middle of the battle when Cleopatra’s ships turning sail, flee away, Antony follows her, and his forces are defeated. Antony blames Cleopatra for losing the battle against Caesar. When Cleopatra begs Antony’s forgiveness for her cowardliness, Antony forgives her saying, "Give me a kiss. Even this repays me --" (Act iii. Scene xii) and prepares for another battle against Caesar.

Another battle starts, and Antony’s soldiers are defeated as well because Cleopatra’s ships surrender to Octavius Caesar and it seems to support to Caesar’s fleet. Antony being frustrated, accuses Cleopatra for the loss of the war and he plans to kill her saying, “All is lost! This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me” (Act iv, Scene xii). In order to protect herself, Cleopatra sends Mardian, a eunuch, to tell Antony that she has killed herself and she does really love him, and her last dying word is ‘Antony’. Antony getting the news of Cleopatra’s suicide, with grief he orders to Eros, one of his followers, to stab him but Eros kills himself instead. Antony taking Eros’s valiant act his lesson falls on his sword and he is injured severely. Arriving at the stage, Diomedes, Cleopatra’s servant brings a news that Cleopatra really is not dead and still she is alive. Antony hearing this news, tells his followers to take him to Cleopatra and he is carried off to Cleopatra’s monument. Cleopatra orders to her ladies to lift Antony to her because of Caesar’s fearing, she does not want to come down from the monument. Antony bleeding all over the place, tells Cleopatra that he is dying, Cleopatra with great sorrow, continues looking at his face and after few times, Antony dies in her arm. At Octavius Caesar’s camp, learning Antony’s suicide, he mourns for his death.

An Egyptian servant coming to Octavius Caesar, asks him about his behavior with Cleopatra. He tells him that he will treat her with dignity and gently. When Octavius Caesar sends his follower, Proculeius, to Cleopatra to surrender and to inform that Octavius has assured her safety, she angrily refuses his proposal. Proculeius leaves and Octavius entering at the stage, tells Cleopatra that if she surrenders to him, he will not harm her. Octavius Caesar leaves and Cleopatra thinking herself, decides to die rather than to be captive to Rome. She asks her servants Charmian and Iras to bring her clothes and crown because she wants to see her how she looks most beautiful when she dies. At her request, a common man brings a basket in which he has hidden several poisonous snakes (asps).

 Click the download below to get the full PDF version of the book.

 Cleopatra kisses Iras who immediately overcoming by her emotion, falls in death. Cleopatra taking a snake from the basket puts it on her breast and expresses her rage to Caesar. When Charmian seeing a snake on her breast, starts crying out, Cleopatra putting another snake to her breast, lets it bite her and she falls dead calmly. As soon as Caesar’s followers enter the stage, Charmian being very sad, puts a snake to her breast and she dies as well. Octavius Caesar and Dolabella entering the stage, find three dead bodies and experience conflicting emotions among them. Caesar admiring her royal nature and noble end, orders Dolabella to organize the funeral ceremony saying, “She shall be buried by her Antony. No grave upon the earth shall clip in it. A pair so famous” (Act v, Scene ii). Cleopatra is buried next to Antony and Antony and Cleopatra’s death leave Octavius Caesar to be the first Roman Emperor.

Click the download button below to get the PDF file. 

>>DOWNLOAD

A Review on Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare)

A Review on  Julius Caesar

(William Shakespeare)

University of Freiburg 

Englisches Seminar,

Freiburg, Germany

Khaled Saifulla

At the beginning of the stage performance, curious onlookers eagerly await to watch the play, ‘Julius Caesar’. Meanwhile, Caesar accompanied with his followers comes on the stage. Caesar is loved, respected and supported by most of the citizens of Rome though some wary citizens conspire to assassinate him even before he becomes the king. Cassius is the leader of conspirators who convinces Caesar’s trusted friend, Marcus Brutus in conspiring against Caesar. After defeating Pompey when Caesar comes back to Rome, the working people have one-day holiday to celebrate the victory and they have gone out to see Caesar and rejoice in his triumph. Flavius and Murellus, two Roman officials, become angry with the commoners and tell them to go back home because they think that Caesar is the threat for the Roman’s republican rule. They disperse the folk and remove the banners and signs of Caesar from the streets.

While Caesar accompanied with his followers is marching through the streets of Rome, Antony shows his loyalty to him saying, “When Caesar says, ‘Do this’, it is performed” (Act ii, Scene ii). A soothsayer calls out Caesar in demonstrating Caesar’s authority, “Beware the Ides of March” (Act i, Scene ii) but Caesar dismisses it and continues with his entourage. Left behind Cassius and Brutus engage in conversation. Cassius suggests that Caesar has recently seemed distant towards him as he is usually friendly. Brutus assures him that it is nothing personal; it is only because he is ‘with himself at war’ and it is his conflict of private and public. In his continuing effort, Cassius plans to convince Brutus to rebel against Caesar by writing several letters in different handwriting, hinting at Caesar’s ambition so that Brutus understands that the letters come from different Roman citizens. After writing the letters, he tells Cinna, a fellow conspirator, to throw them into Brutus’s window. After much deliberation and reading the letters provided by his servant, Lucius, Brutus have decided to join the conspirators and assassinate Caesar for the general good of Rome.

On the other hand, Caesar’s wife Calpurnia has had a dream in which Caesar is murdered. In the morning, she tries to plead with Caesar not to leave home that day. He has finally agreed to stay at home. After few times when Decius, one of the conspirators, arrives, he convinces Caesar with a flattering interpretation of Calpurnia’s dream to go to the Senate House. When Artemidorus, A Roman writer and philosopher has come to know about the conspiracy against him, he writes a letter naming the conspirators to warn him, but he has not heed upon the letter and refuses to read it. As soon as Caesar enters the Senate House, according to their plan of action, Casca first stabs him.

At the end when Brutus approaches Caesar to attack him, Caesar recognises him, and he falls into death telling his famous speech, “Et tu, Brute?” ‘And you too, Brutus’ (Act iii,Scene i). Brutus tells other conspirators to bathe their hands and swords with Caesar’s blood and declare, “Let’s all cry, Peace, freedom and liberty” (Act iii.Scene i). A servant sent by Antony arrives at the Senate House and asks Brutus that Antony asks for permission to come here to know the reason of Caesar’s death. Brutus agrees with him and Antony comes and asks Brutus why they have killed Caesar. Brutus replies that they have killed Caesar though he loves him, and he will explain later why they have exactly assassinated him. Antony also asks for Brutus’s permission to talk in Caesar’s funeral and Brutus agrees with him.

When all conspirators leave the stage, Antony is lamenting on Caesar’s dead body and promises himself to take revenge of Caesar’s murder. Onstage, Brutus delivers his speech saying that they have killed Caesar because he was ambitious, and his ambition was a threat of Roman liberty. He also tells the people that he loves Caesar, but he loves Rome more than him. Brutus is happy because the crowd seems to be satisfied with his Talk for supporting him to be the next Caesar of Rome. After leaving Brutus, Antony starts his Talk and shows the Ceasar’s dead body to crowd and reads out the will of Caesar which is for the welfare of the common people of Rome. Antony finally could turn the people’s mind by his emotional speech against Brutus. After his speech people spread with rage in the streets and all the conspirators including Brutus leave the city.

In the meantime, Octavius, Caesar's adopted son, arrives Rome and Antony, Lepidus and Octavius form the second Triumvirate to rule the country. The Triumvirate discussing themselves plan to fight and destroy Brutus, Cassius and all other conspirators. On the other side, Brutus and Cassius are forming armies from outside of the city for a war against the second Triumvirate. At a Camp, Brutus and Cassius have a heated quarrel about money and honour. When Cassius comes to know that Brutus is angry with him because of his wife’s death Portia, they ultimately reunite and prepare to fight against Antony and Octavius. Late one night when Lucius, Brutus’s servant sings a song and he falls in sleep but Brutus reading a book, is still awake. The ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus telling him, ‘evil spirit’, it will meet again ‘at Philippi’ and it disappears. Next day in the morning, Brutus sends Lucius to Cassius to prepare to march to Philippi.

On the other hand, Antony and Octavius discussing between them prepare for a battle against Brutus and Cassius to take revenge on Ceasar’s assassination. Brutus and Cassius somehow from different omens feeling to lose the battle of Philippi, Cassius tells Brutus if they lose this battle, they will not meet again, and it is the last Talk between them. They say to each other good- bye and go to the battle. When Cassius comes to know by Pindarus that Titinius is captured by Antony’s army, losing hope the victory of the battle, he tells Pindarus to kill him with his own sword and he finally is died. On the other hand, Brutus is in the war fighting against Octavius until he is defeated. Brutus getting the news of Cassius’s suicide, with grief and being defeated in the ultimate battle, he kills himself. When Antony finds the dead Brutus, he admires Brutus, saying, “This was the nobles Roman of them all.” (Act v, Scene v). He also tells that Brutus has killed the Caesar for the ‘common good’ instead of envy. With the death of Brutus and Cassius and defeating their all soldiers, the Triumvirate start to rule Rome again in order.

A Review On Salome (Oscar Wilde)

          A Review on
          Salome (Oscar Wilde)     
          University of Freiburg 
           Seminar, Freiburg, Germany
           Khaled Saifulla

Onstage, Narraboth, the captain of the guard, the Page of Herodias and some other soldiers gathering at the balcony, watch the moonlit sky. At the offstage, Salome, the princess, sits at the dinner table with her mother Herodias and her stepfather, King Herod Antipas. Narraboth is secretly in deep love with Salome, looking at her, praises her beauty. The Page of Herodias warns Narraboth to stop staring too much at the princess saying, “look at her too much ... Something terrible might happen" (Salome 1893, p. 3) but the Young Syrian ignores his warning. Meanwhile, the voice of the prophet Jokanaan, (John the Baptist), is heard from a nearby cistern where he is imprisoned by the king.

From the banquet, Salome comes out for a fresh air and hears Jokannan’s voice. A servant entering to the stage, tells Salome to go back to the feast and the Young Syrian tells her too to return to banquet but she ignores to join again. Hearing the prophecies of the prophet, she is curious to see and speak to him. Soldiers refusing her request, tell her that she is forbidden by Herod to see Jokanaan. Salome convinces Narraboth to bring Jokanaan to see him. Narraboth orders one of the soldiers to bring the prophet from the cistern. After few moments, the prisoner emerges from the cistern to the stage with a ladder. When the prophet arrives, Salome tries several times to go towards to him but every time he refuses to look at him let alone a kiss and tells her, “…… get thee to the desert, and seek out the Son of Man”. (Salome 1893, p. 11). Salome continually tries to touch his skin, hair and asks him to kiss saying, “I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan” (Salome 1893, p. 11).

The Young Syrian seeing Salome’s behavior, stabs himself and falls between her and Jokanaan. Jokanaan curses her and goes back to the cistern. When the prisoner disappears, being fascinated by his looks and voice keeps desire for his body and throws some flowers into the cistern.

The Page of Herodias mourns for the suicide of his friend, Narraboth and two soldiers rush to the dead body and try to hide it. Meanwhile, Herod and Herodias, accompanied with his guests, entering the stage to look for his stepdaughter, he slips in the blood on the floor and he recognizes it as a bad omen. The soldiers tell him that Narraboth has killed himself. Herod looking at Salome, offers her some fruits and wine saying, “I love to see in a fruit the mark of thy little teeth.” (Salome 1893, p. 16) but she tells him that she is not hungry. He accuses of her disobedience to Herodias but she tells him that her daughter is right complaining rather against him saying, “Why are you always gazing at her?” (Salome 1893, p. 15).

The voice of the Jokanaan is heard again from the cistern in which he insults Herodias. Herodias being in rage with him, asks Herod to hand him over to the Jews but he does not agree with her. He tells her that he is a holy man who has seen God and he even has not specifically mentioned her name in his voice. After having some arguments between Herod and Herodias about the King’s attention to Salome, Herod diverts him from the subject and asks Salome to dance for him. Firstly, she refuses to dance for him. When he promises to give her anything in return, she agrees to dance for him. She performs the Dance of the Seven Veils.

The delighted King asks her about her reward for dancing. Salome tells the King that she wants the head of Jokanaan on a silver charger. Herod is horrified to hear Salome’s demand. He offers her some other gifts including his fifty white peacocks with feet of gilded gold, but she keeps insisting on her demand.

Herodias suddenly taking the death ring from Herod’s hand, gives it to a soldier who gives it to the executioner to bring the head of Jokanaan. When he returns with the head of Jokanaan on the silver charger, Salome grabs it and starts kissing with the head of Jokanaan saying, “I have kissed thy mouth, Iokanaan”. (Salome 1893, p.32). Herod is enraged at Salome’s behavior and orders the soldiers to kill her saying, “Kill that woman!” (Salome 1893, p.32) and with his order the soldiers rush forward and kill her.