Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Discuss the
structure of the play. How do the quick scene changes affect the
plot?
2. Contrast Cleopatra
with Octavia. How is each representative of her civilization?
3. What is the
Roman perception of Egypt? Should we have the same perception?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Discuss Enobarbus’s relationship
with Antony. Is his defection justified?
2. Analyze Antony’s decline.
Do his mistakes make him cease to be heroic?
3. Analyze Antony and Cleopatra’s
relationship, paying close attention to their trust in one another.
4. Compare and contrast Cleopatra
with Caesar, especially in their final confrontation.
5. Shakespearean tragic heroes
tend to die cleanly and grandly when they take their own lives.
Antony, on the other hand, botches his suicide. Why is this detail
significant? What does it suggest about his character or the play?
6. Contrast the characters of
Octavius Caesar and Mark Antony. What qualities allow Caesar to
win their war?
