Skip to content

Details

The Wednesday Readers just started a close read on Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, so we will read Plutarch's essay on Antony, "The Life of Marcus Antonius." We will see how obvious it is that Shakespeare read this essay!

These sessions will be like a book club: Read the section at home, then come to discuss.

The essay is in VOLUME 2 of Plutarch, The Lives (or the Parallel Lives) (or the Lives of the Ancient Greeks and Romans).

It is possible to find the edition by Sir Thomas North, which is the edition Shakespeare read. But choose any edition you prefer.

You can read it online if you like: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/674/674-h/674-h.htm#chap60

It's quite long, so we will read it in four sections. See below for specifics of what to read.

### Session 4 — Collapse and Tragedy

Consider: Is this fall inevitable or self-inflicted?

Start: Mounting conflict with Octavius
End: Antony’s death
Includes:

  • Battle of Actium
  • Strategic failures
  • Emotional unraveling
  • The double suicide arc (Antony, then Cleopatra)

Read this as tragedy already written. Shakespeare heightens it, but doesn’t invent the structure.

Facilitated by Robin Williams and Jenny Kirby.

You may also like