Flashcards for Antony and Cleopatra

Agrippa

Agrippa is a devoted Roman general and trusted adviser to Octavius Caesar, serving throughout the play as a pragmatic voice in political strategy within Caesar's inner circle.

character

Charmian

Charmian is Cleopatra's closest attendant and confidante, appearing in nearly every scene set in the Egyptian court.

character

Cleopatra

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, stands as the captivating and unpredictable heart of Shakespeare's tragedy—a ruler whose political authority and seductive allure are intertwined.

character

Enobarbus

Enobarbus is Antony's most trusted lieutenant and serves as the play's sardonic moral compass.

character

Iras

Iras is one of Cleopatra's two main waiting-women, consistently paired with Charmian throughout the play as a constant figure in the Egyptian court.

character

Lepidus

Lepidus is the third and weakest member of the ruling triumvirate in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.

character

Mark Antony

Mark Antony is one of the triumvirs of Rome and the play's tragic hero, caught between his role as a Roman soldier-statesman and his overwhelming love for Egypt's queen.

character

Octavia

Octavia is Caesar's sister and Antony's wife in Rome, acting more as a symbol of political alliance and Roman values than as a fully developed character in the play.

character

Octavius Caesar

Octavius Caesar is the coldly ambitious triumvir who serves as Mark Antony's main political and military rival throughout the play.

character

Pompey

Pompey (Sextus Pompeius) serves as the primary military opposition in the first half of the play, presenting a brief but significant challenge to the power of the triumvirate.

character

“The nature of bad news infects the teller.”

This line is spoken by Antony in Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, as he prepares himself to hear distressing news from Rome.

Antony · Act I

“O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt?”

This anguished question is voiced by Mark Antony to Cleopatra in Act III, Scene 11 (sometimes counted as Scene 10), right after the disastrous naval defeat at Actium.

Mark Antony · Act III

“My salad days, when I was green in judgment, cold in blood.”

This line is spoken by Cleopatra in Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, as she reflects on her past relationship with Julius Caesar.

Cleopatra

“Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.”

This famous line comes from Enobarbus, Antony's loyal and perceptive lieutenant, as he speaks with Agrippa and Maecenas — representatives of Octavius Caesar — right after Antony agrees to marry Octavia.

Enobarbus · Act II, Scene 2

“The triple pillar of the world transformed into a strumpet's fool.”

This sharp comment is made by Philo, a Roman soldier and follower of Antony, right at the start of the play.

Philo · Act I, Scene 1

“Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall!”

This heartfelt declaration is made by Mark Antony in Act 1, Scene 1, as he reacts to the arrival of messengers from Rome with political responsibilities he wants to evade.

Mark Antony · Act 1

“Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have immortal longings in me.”

These are Cleopatra's opening words in the play's climactic final scene, addressed to her handmaidens Charmian and Iras as she prepares to end her life rather than be displayed as a captive in Rome.

Cleopatra · Act V, Scene 2

“I found you as a morsel cold upon dead Caesar's trencher.”

This venomous line is delivered by Mark Antony to Cleopatra during one of their intense arguments in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra (Act III, Scene 13).

Mark Antony

“I have yet room for six scotches more.”

This line is spoken by Enobarbus, Antony's loyal and sardonic general, during a lively scene on Pompey's galley (Act II, Scene 7).

Enobarbus · Act II

“I am dying, Egypt, dying.”

This poignant line is spoken by Mark Antony to Cleopatra in Act IV, Scene 15 of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.

Mark Antony · Act IV

“Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done, and we must sleep.”

These words are spoken by Mark Antony in Act IV, Scene 14 of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, directed at his devoted servant Eros as he prepares to end his life.

Antony · Act IV

“Eternity was in our lips and eyes, bliss in our brows' bent.”

This powerful declaration comes from Cleopatra in Act I, Scene 3, as she confronts Antony about his choice to return to Rome after the death of his wife, Fulvia.

Cleopatra · Act I

Cleopatra's Barge

In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra's barge is a powerful symbol of the enchanting and almost magical nature of Egypt and its queen.

Crowns and Thrones

In Antony and Cleopatra, crowns and thrones highlight the conflict between political power and personal desire, revealing the limits of worldly dominance.

Rome vs. Egypt

In Antony and Cleopatra, Rome and Egypt serve as contrasting symbols that shape the play's moral and emotional dimensions.

The Asp

In Antony and Cleopatra, the asp—a small venomous snake that Cleopatra uses to take her life—represents the complex relationship between love and death, as well as pleasure and destruction.

The Nile River

In Antony and Cleopatra, the Nile River symbolizes Egypt's alluring and chaotic energy—a realm of excess, fertility, and mystery that challenges Roman control and logic.

The Serpent of Old Nile

In Antony and Cleopatra, the serpent serves as a complex symbol of Cleopatra herself — representing her seductive charm, her exotic nature, and her ability to both destroy and transcend.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole drives the narrative of Antony and Cleopatra: each statement about the lovers goes beyond what is humanly possible.

Imagery

Shakespeare fills the play with elemental imagery—earth, water, fire, and air—that reflects the lovers' fortunes.

Extended Metaphor

The play carries a lasting metaphor of the world as a stage where Antony and Cleopatra showcase their love for future generations.

Dramatic Monologue

Enobarbus serves as the play's primary dramatic monologist.

Irony

Irony weaves through the play on several levels.

Juxtaposition

The play contrasts Rome and Egypt as two conflicting value systems.

Personification

Abstract forces are repeatedly personified to suggest that the lovers' story transcends individual psychology and becomes something cosmic.

Metaphor

Shakespeare's metaphors in this play are notably compact and intense.

Allusion

The play is packed with classical references that both elevate and mock the main characters.

Apostrophe

Characters in Antony and Cleopatra often speak to those who are absent, deceased, or abstract, showing feelings that words alone struggle to express.

Symbolism

The asp that kills Cleopatra stands out as the play's most powerful symbol.

Volta

Though Antony and Cleopatra is a play instead of a sonnet, Shakespeare cleverly incorporates volta-like shifts within individual speeches and the overall structure of the play.