Antony and Cleopatra

William Shakespeare

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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?

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