Tragedies • c. 1606

Antony and Cleopatra: Modern English Translation & Study Guide

Name: Antony and Cleopatra
Author: William Shakespeare

Mark Antony, one of Rome's triumvirs, neglects his imperial duties in Egypt captivated by Queen Cleopatra.

Read Antony and Cleopatra Side by Side

Every scene pairs the public-domain original with a line-matched, original modern-English paraphrase. Choose a scene below to begin reading.

Act 1, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. Alexandria. A room in CLEOPATRA's palace.
Act 1, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. The same. Another room.
Act 1, Scene 3 line-by-line translation — SCENE III. The same. Another room.
Act 1, Scene 4 line-by-line translation — SCENE IV. Rome. OCTAVIUS CAESAR's house.
Act 2, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. Messina. POMPEY's house.
Act 2, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. Rome. The house of LEPIDUS.
Act 2, Scene 3 line-by-line translation — SCENE III. The same. OCTAVIUS CAESAR's house.
Act 2, Scene 4 line-by-line translation — SCENE IV. The same. A street.
Act 3, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. A plain in Syria.
Act 3, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. Rome. An ante-chamber in OCTAVIUS CAESAR's house.
Act 3, Scene 3 line-by-line translation — SCENE III. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace.
Act 3, Scene 4 line-by-line translation — SCENE IV. Athens. A room in MARK ANTONY's house.
Act 4, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. Before Alexandria. OCTAVIUS CAESAR's camp.
Act 4, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. Alexandria. CLEOPATRA's palace.
Act 4, Scene 3 line-by-line translation — SCENE III. The same. Before the palace.
Act 4, Scene 4 line-by-line translation — SCENE IV. The same. A room in the palace.
Act 5, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. Alexandria. OCTAVIUS CAESAR's camp.
Act 5, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. Alexandria. A room in the monument.

Antony and Cleopatra study pathways

Original text source: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, MIT HTML edition. MIT states that its HTML versions of the plays are placed in the public domain.