Bernard Shaw

Caesar and Cleopatra Bernard Shaw

Caesar and Cleopatra by Bernard Shaw

Act 1. Caesar is alone at night in the Egyptian desert, apostrophizing a statue of the Sphinx. Caesar is surprised when a young woman, Cleopatra, addresses him from the clutches of the Sphinx. She climbs on it thinking she is dreaming. She is full of superstitions about cats and the water of the Nile. She tells Caesar that she is there because the Romans come to eat her people. Caesar sees that he is not dreaming and identifies with Cleopatra as a Roman. She is terrified, but Caesar tells her that he will eat her unless she can show herself to him as a woman, not a girl. Cleopatra is placed in the hands of this Roman and they are transferred to his throne room. Caesar tries to persuade Cleopatra to act like a queen; Ftatateeta walks in and begins giving orders to Cleopatra until the nurse is kicked out of the room. Caesar orders Cleopatra's servants to dress her in their royal robes. When Roman soldiers enter and greet Caesar, Cleopatra finally realizes who she is and, with a sob of relief, falls into her arms.

Act 2. Ten-year-old King Ptolemy is delivering a speech from the throne in Alexandria, prompted by his tutor and tutor. Caesar walks in and demands taxes, then calls Cleopatra. Rufio reminds Caesar that there is a Roman army of occupation in Egypt, commanded by Achillas and supporting the Egyptians, while Caesar has only four thousand men. Achillas and Pothinus suggest they have the upper hand, but when Roman troops enter, the Egyptians fall back. Lucius Septimius and Pothinus remind Caesar that Pompey was beheaded to ingratiate himself with Caesar, who is horrified to learn of the act. All the Egyptians except Ptolemy leave, and Rufius again protests against Caesar's clemency. Ptolemy is escorted out. Cleopatra and Caesar discuss how much Cleopatra has grown, and Caesar promises to send strong young Mark Antony to Cleopatra. A wounded Roman soldier enters to inform Caesar that the occupying Roman army has arrived; Caesar orders all ships to be burned except those that are to take the Romans to the lighthouse on an island in the harbor. As Caesar begins to arm himself, Potino enters, followed by Theodotus with the news that the great library of Alexandria is on fire. After Potinus and Theodotus leave, Cleopatra helps Caesar put on her armor and makes fun of her baldness. Caesar and Rufio leave to take the troops to Pharos.

Act 3. On a dock in front of Cleopatra's palace, Apollodorus, bringing rugs for Cleopatra to see, argues with the Roman sentinel. Cleopatra wants to be taken to row to the lighthouse, but the sentry refuses to allow it. So Cleopatra says that she will give Caesar a gift with a rug, and they secretly roll it up into one and put it on a boat that sails towards the lighthouse that the Egyptians begin to attack. When Apollodorus walks in with the rug, which unrolls and reveals Cleopatra, Caesar regards the young woman as a nuisance. The Egyptians cut off the Romans and come closer. Several Roman ships approach, with which Apollodorus, Caesar and Rufio dive into the sea to swim towards them. Cleopatra is also thrown into the sea and transported.