Hugely ambitious in its historical focus and vast geographical scope, Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare’s most astonishing tragedies. The drama centres on the relationships between his main protagonists, Octavius Ceasar, Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and the highly charged affair between Mark Antony and the Egyptian queen that forms the backdrop to the pervading theme of struggle between East and West throughout the play. The internal battle of personal emotion and duty that Antony experiences, and the dynamics of power and sexuality portrayed by Cleopatra, give the play its dramatic tension. Rich and complex in its language and poetic in tone, Shakespeare shows how the politics of Rome ultimately cause disaster for a man who is torn between reason and passion.
Show More
Show Less


本書大力著墨於安東尼與埃及女王的歷史事蹟，場景範圍廣闊，是莎士比亞最偉大的悲劇之一。這部戲劇屋大維、馬克‧安東尼、克利奧佩特拉三位主角之間的關係。馬克‧安東尼與埃及豔后間的婚外戀情為全劇東、西方世界政治角力的背景。內心情感糾結的安東尼以及善用美貌與權力的克利奧佩特拉，營造出極大的劇情張力。本書的言語運用豐富多變；劇情鋪成詩意。莎士比亞在劇中讓人了解羅馬政治如何帶給一位在理性與激情間掙扎的男人災難。