Key Quotations

Act 1

"Let Rome in the Tiber melt, and the wide arch / Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space."

• Antony expresses his desire to abandon his duties in Rome and devote himself entirely to Cleopatra.
• This quote uses hyperbole ("Let Rome in the Tiber melt") and symbolism (Rome representing duty). It highlights Antony's conflict between duty and passion, setting the stage for his eventual downfall. This reflects Antony's abandonment of his Roman identity and responsibilities.
• Key themes: Conflict between duty and desire, identity, and loyalty.

"The triple pillar of the world transformed / Into a strumpet's fool."

• Philo criticizes Antony for being captivated by Cleopatra and neglecting his responsibilities.
• The quote uses the metaphor ("triple pillar of the world") and derogatory language ("strumpet's fool"). It underscores Antony's fall from greatness and the perception of his weakness.
• Key themes: Honour, reputation, power.

"There's beggary in the love that can be reckoned."

• Antony suggests that love that can be measured is worthless.
• This quote uses the metaphor to convey that true love is immeasurable and priceless. It underscores the depth of Antony and Cleopatra's passion.
• Key themes: Love, value, passion.

"My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood."

• Cleopatra reminisces about her youth and inexperience.
• The phrase "salad days" has become synonymous with youthful inexperience. This line uses metaphor and evokes nostalgia.
• Key themes: Youth, experience, change.

"O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!"

• Cleopatra envies the horse that carries Antony.
• The quote uses metaphor and personification, showing Cleopatra's deep infatuation with Antony. It emphasizes her longing and admiration.
• Key themes: Love, desire, admiration.

Act 2

"The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, / Burned on the water."

• Enobarbus describes Cleopatra's magnificent arrival by barge.
• The imagery and simile ("like a burnished throne") emphasize Cleopatra's regal and enchanting presence. This illustrates her powerful and captivating influence.
• Key themes: Power, allure, majesty.

"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety."

• Enobarbus praises Cleopatra's timeless beauty and endless charm.
• The quote uses antithesis ("age cannot wither her") and hyperbole ("infinite variety"). It portrays Cleopatra as eternally captivating and unique.
• Key themes: Beauty, timelessness, allure.

"I must be gone, and live, or stay and die."

• Antony is torn between his duties and his love for Cleopatra.
• This quote uses juxtaposition ("live" vs. "die") to highlight Antony's internal conflict and foreshadow his tragic fate.
• Key themes: Conflict, duty, love.

"He will to his Egyptian dish again."

• Agrippa predicts that Antony will return to Cleopatra.
• The quote uses metaphor ("Egyptian dish") to emphasize Antony's irresistible attraction to Cleopatra and his inability to stay away from her.
• Key themes: Attraction, inevitability, passion.

"You shall outlive the lady whom you serve."

• The Soothsayer predicts that Charmian will outlive Cleopatra.
• This prophecy uses foreshadowing and irony, setting the stage for the tragic ending and highlighting the inevitability of fate.
• Key themes: Fate, prophecy, irony.

Act 3

"Men's judgments are / A parcel of their fortunes."

• Enobarbus reflects on how people's decisions are influenced by their circumstances.
• The quote uses metaphor to convey that judgments are shaped by external factors, emphasizing the theme of fate and destiny.
• Key themes: Fate, judgment, destiny.

"I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moments."

• Enobarbus remarks on Cleopatra's dramatic tendencies.
• The quote uses hyperbole to illustrate Cleopatra's theatrical nature and her habit of overreacting.
• Key themes: Drama, emotion, character.

"The odds is gone, / And there is nothing left remarkable / Beneath the visiting moon."

• Cleopatra laments Antony's defeat and the loss of his greatness.
• This quote uses the metaphor ("the visiting moon") and reflects Cleopatra's despair and sense of loss. It highlights the theme of impermanence and change.
• Key themes: Loss, impermanence, change.

"O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more."

• Cleopatra mourns the impending separation from Antony.
• The quote uses apostrophes (addressing the sun) and foreshadowing to express Cleopatra's sorrow and the sense of an ending.
• Key themes: Sorrow, separation, foreshadowing.

"Fortune knows / We scorn her most when most she offers blows."

• Antony defies fate and fortune despite his losses.
• This quote uses personification (Fortune) and irony to highlight Antony's resilience and defiance in the face of adversity.
• Key themes: Defiance, fate, resilience.

Act 4

"I am dying, Egypt, dying."

• Antony acknowledges his imminent death to Cleopatra.
• The repetition of "dying" emphasizes the finality and tragedy of the moment. It reflects the deep bond between Antony and Cleopatra.
• Key themes: Death, tragedy, love.

"The breaking of so great a thing should make / A greater crack."

• Caesar reflects on Antony's death and its impact.
• The quote uses the metaphor ("a greater crack") to convey the magnitude of Antony's fall. It emphasizes the theme of greatness and decline.
• Key themes: Greatness, decline, impact.

"Let's do it after the high Roman fashion / And make death proud to take us."

• Cleopatra resolves to die nobly alongside Antony.
• This quote uses classical allusion (high Roman fashion) and personification (death proud) to express Cleopatra's determination to face death with dignity.
• Key themes: Nobility, dignity, death.

"Here is my space! / Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike / Feeds beast as man."

• Antony reflects on the futility of power and earthly concerns.
• The quote uses the metaphor (kingdoms are clay) to convey the theme of the transience of power and the equality of all in death.
• Key themes: Transience, equality, futility.

"O, withered is the garland of the war, / The soldier's pole is fallen."

• Cleopatra laments Antony's defeat and the end of their power.
• This quote uses the metaphor (withered garland) and symbolism (soldier's pole) to depict the fall of their military might and influence.
• Key themes: Defeat, loss, end of power.

Act 5

"I have immortal longings in me."

• Cleopatra expresses her desire for eternal union with Antony in death.
• The quote uses the metaphor ("immortal longings") to convey Cleopatra's longing for transcendence and escape from mortal suffering.
• Key themes: Immortality, longing, transcendence.

"The crown o' the earth doth melt. My lord!"

• Cleopatra reacts to Antony's death and the collapse of their empire.
• The quote uses the metaphor ("crown o' the earth") to symbolize the loss of their kingdom and greatness.
• Key themes: Collapse, loss, empire.

"Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies / A lass unparalleled."

• Caesar praises Cleopatra's nobility in death.
• This quote uses personification (boast thee, death) and hyperbole ("a lass unparalleled") to acknowledge Cleopatra's exceptional character.
• Key themes: Nobility, death, praise.

"O, withered is the garland of the war, / The soldier's pole is fallen."

• Cleopatra laments Antony's defeat and the end of their power.
• This quote uses the metaphor (withered garland) and symbolism (soldier's pole) to depict the fall of their military might and influence.
• Key themes: Defeat, loss, end of power.

"The odds is gone, / And there is nothing left remarkable / Beneath the visiting moon."

• Cleopatra laments Antony's defeat and the loss of his greatness.
• This quote uses the metaphor ("the visiting moon") and reflects Cleopatra's despair and sense of loss. It highlights the theme of impermanence and change.
• Key themes: Loss, impermanence, change.