Caesar and Cleopatra

Shaw, Bernard, 1856-1950Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 212K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Caesar and Cleopatra by Bernard ShawAuthor: Shaw, Bernard, 1856-1950,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 1, 2002

Editor's review

Shaw's history play is not a retelling of historical fact but an exploration of power, innocence and growth through the political struggle between ancient Rome and Egypt. Caesar is portrayed as a rational, tolerant statesman who bows to no authority, while the young Cleopatra is gradually pushed from wilful girlhood toward the role of ruler; their collision forms the play's most charged passages. Shaw excels at dismantling grand narratives with witty dialogue, letting historical figures speak the language of modern reason, so readers enjoy the pleasures of drama while reflecting on the complex ties between political leadership and personal maturity. This is a public-domain English e-text, suitable as an introduction to Shaw's drama and for courses in English drama or Western historical drama. Read for the irony and clash of ideas in the dialogue, not merely for plot.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers curious about Shaw's dramatic style and thought
Readers interested in ancient Roman and Egyptian history who welcome dramatic interpretation
Students and teachers needing English play scripts for English majors or drama societies
Advanced learners who want to train English reading and language sense through dramatic dialogue

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking rigorous historical research or factual narrative
Beginners with weak English reading skills who need Chinese annotations
Readers who prefer tight plots and action over long stretches of dialogue

Reading tips

Read the character list and act structure first, then read act by act, reviewing key dialogue after each act.
Keep pen and paper handy to note passages where Caesar and Cleopatra's ideas clash, to compare how the characters change.
If the English is hard, read a Chinese translation first for the plot, then return to the original dialogue.
Read alongside Shakespeare's Roman plays to observe how writers of different eras handle history.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this play suitable for English beginners to read directly?

Not really for complete beginners. The play is mostly dialogue, with flexible syntax and many ironies and cultural allusions, requiring a certain vocabulary and reading ability. Intermediate English or above is advised, or read a Chinese translation first to get the plot, then read the English original alongside.

Do the historical figures match historical fact?

This is literature, not history. Shaw artistically reshapes Caesar's and Cleopatra's characters and relationship to express his views on politics and human nature, and details do not fully match the historical record. Enjoy it as a historical drama and consult reliable history books for factual questions.

Do I need to know Roman history beforehand?

Not systematically, but some knowledge of the late Roman Republic in Caesar's time and of Rome's relationship with Egypt will help you understand the characters' motives and political context. A brief historical overview before starting the play will make for a smoother reading experience.

Comments

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About the author

Shaw, Bernard, 1856-1950 Author

Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish playwright and critic. Public information about the details of his life is limited, yet his works have had a profound influence. The collection here contains 53 of his works, covering drama, criticism, and discursive essays. His representative works include Pygmalion, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Man and Superman, Candida, Caesar and Cleopatra, Major Barbara, and Arms and the Man. His plays often use witty, sharp dialogue to explore such issues as social class, gender relations, moral hypocrisy, and idealism, combining comic tension with argumentative force to form a distinctive style of drama of ideas. Shaw was skilled at presenting conflicts of ideas through exchanges between characters, turning the stage into a place of public discussion and exerting an important influence on the development of modern English-language drama.