I have read a few (abridged) Shakespearean plays from Orchard Classics this year. Little did I expect that the book that made me want to read the original was “Antony and Cleopatra”. I didn’t even know this play exists.

I think the main reason why I liked it so much was that it was narrated by an “I” whose voice I assume belonged to a soldier in Antony, the main protagonist’s army. The plot constantly unravels from his lens, so it was easy for me to follow the flow of events. I also liked how the story unfolded from an onlooker’s perspective since that’s the kind of role I delight in undertaking for my own life. Intimately involved and keenly observant, yet emotionally detached.

I also enjoyed the love story between Antony and Cleopatra much more than its Romeo and Juliet counterpart. Basically, Romeo and Juliet fell in love at first sight and threw caution to the mind, impulsively pursuing their passion. I guess their prefrontal cortexes had not been fully developed yet! Hence, Antony and Cleopatra’s love felt more meaty and solid. Their love was besieged by various hurdles but they never wavered from each other. Both of them made grave sacrifices in order to stay true to their partner. They had their fair share of disputes but made out with each other. Sounds like a relationship worth endorsing.

As is typical in Shakespearean plays, both Antony and Cleopatra were disposed of at the end. Everyone just dies. I wonder if Shakespeare alternated between putting up a tragedy and performing a comedy so that those Londoners could catch a break from feeling emotional about the deaths. Or did he put up successive tragedies so as to milk his audiences’ reactions for what it’s worth?

Aside: one page provided sufficient contextual clues for me to remind my charges of the meaning of fragrance. Another page contained a line that I will want to use in my writing.