The Tragical Historie of Cleopatra
The Tragical Historie of Cleopatra is a five-act tragedy by William Shakespeare, first performed privately in New Bordeaux in 1602 for the court of Empress Eleanor the Eighteenth, and publicly at the Artists’ Pavilion the following spring. Renowned for its luminous language and psychological insight, the play subverts earlier Roman accounts by depicting Cleopatra VII Philopator not as a lovesick queen but as a brilliant, formidable sovereign, ultimately undone not by her own flaws, but by her abiding, misplaced devotion to Marcus Antonius, portrayed as ineffectual, self-pitying, and ultimately inadequate to the grandeur of Egypt or its queen.
Act I: The Crown and the Rose
Cleopatra presides over Alexandria from the opulent Rose Hall, confounded only by the encroaching threat of Rome and subtle divisions within her council. Her court includes her wry confessor Apollodora, the priestess Amanishakheto, and General Seleucus. Her advisors urge alliances and wariness. Enter Antony, a melancholy Roman triumvir, seeking solace and strategic alliance. Cleopatra weighs his worth and welcomes him, more out of curiosity than desire.
Act II: Banquet of Shadows
During a sumptuous feast amid the Festival of Bastet, Cleopatra dazzles with her intelligence and wit, outmaneuvering Antony in debate and negotiation. The arrival of news from Octavian—Rome’s rising star—shakes Antony’s confidence and reveals his indecision. Cleopatra, recognizing his weakness, seeks counsel from the oracle in the Temple of Serapis. Lush verses and pageantry dominate.
Act III: The Inevitabilities
Antony’s failings become evident: he mishandles the Egyptian fleet and alienates Cleopatra’s teenage son, Caesarion. Cleopatra’s court fractures as Apollodora warns of Antony’s unreliability. Emissaries arrive from Rome, and in a private council, Cleopatra weighs betraying Antony, but is ultimately swayed by their tempestuous romance. She surrenders her fleet, drawing the scorn of Amanishakheto, who orchestrates intrigue to protect Egypt.
Act IV: Ash and Peacock
Rome’s invading forces, led by Octavian, crush Antony’s armies. In defeat, Antony spirals into despair, blaming Cleopatra for his failures. The queen, meanwhile, arranges for Amanishakheto to smuggle Caesarion to safety in the Kingdom of Axum. Cleopatra contemplates seeking terms with Rome but is beset by betrayal within the palace; Apollodora is killed saving the queen from an assassin loyal to Antony. Antony, abandoned, delivers his soliloquy, lamenting his unfulfilled promise and broken manhood.
Act V: The Purple Shroud
Cleopatra, imprisoned, receives Octavian, who offers to spare her if she submits as a Roman trophy. Rejecting humiliation, she stages her suicide with a concealed asp, ensuring Egypt’s legacy endures through Caesarion. The play ends with Amanishakheto escaping with the boy, and Cleopatra’s ghost delivering an epilogue on the tragedy of entwining one’s fate to the unworthy and the cost of loving beneath one’s station. Shakespeare’s language here soars, and the final lines, spoken beneath the purple shroud, are oft-quoted in royal circles:
‘Never shall empire perish by a woman’s hand,/ Save for the grasp of a lesser man.’
Legacy and Performance
The play is frequently performed at the Artists’ Pavilion, especially as a rite of passage for young queens and stateswomen. Its portrayal of female power and weakness, and critique of misplaced romantic devotion, have made it a perennial touchstone in the Empire of Australia’s educational canon.