Antony & Cleopatra

The greatest love affair in history. The greatest tragedy in politics. And the play that asks: Is it better to die for love or live for power?

Shakespeare's epic romance is a story of two titans who destroyed an empire because they could not destroy their love.

Mark Antony, one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire, has abandoned his duties to live in Alexandria with Cleopatra, the dazzling, unpredictable Queen of Egypt. He is a warrior who has forgotten how to fight, a leader who has forgotten how to lead. She is a woman who cannot believe any man will stay—so she tests him, taunts him, and drives him away. When Antony's Roman wife dies, and war with his rival Octavius Caesar becomes inevitable, Antony returns to battle. But he cannot leave Cleopatra behind. Their love pulls him in two directions, and when he believes she has betrayed him—and then believes she is dead—he makes a choice that will cost him everything.

This is Shakespeare at his most sweeping and sensual: a play about power, passion, and the impossibility of having both. Antony & Cleopatra spans the known world, from Egypt to Rome to the battlefield of Actium, and ends with two of the most famous deaths in all of drama.

• One of Shakespeare's later tragedies, written around 1606–1607

• Features Cleopatra, one of the most complex and powerful female roles in all of drama

• Explores themes of duty versus desire, East versus West, and the cost of greatness

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears—or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that some loves are worth dying for, even if they cost you the world.

About the Author

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he moved to London and became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men). Antony and Cleopatra was written around 1606–1607, following his great tragedies Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. The play draws on Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans as its primary source. Unlike many of Shakespeare's tragedies, Antony and Cleopatra spans a vast geographical and temporal scope, with over forty scenes shifting between Alexandria, Rome, and various battlefields. The play was popular in Shakespeare's lifetime and has remained a staple of the theatrical repertoire, with the role of Cleopatra considered one of the most demanding and rewarding for actresses. Shakespeare's other major works include Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and The Tempest. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.