Antony and Cleopatra (Oxford School Shakespeare) [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Roma Gill (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 2002 | Series: Oxford School Shakespeare

For this new edition, the text of the play, the notes, and the introductory matter have all been revised so as to make them clearer and more accessible. In addition, the entire text of the book has been redesigned and reset to make it easier to read. The illustrations have been completely redrawn, photographs of recent stage production have been included and there is a new, attractive cover design.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Roma Gill has taught Shakespeare at all levels. She has acted in and directed Shakespeare's plays, and has lectured on Shakespeare all over the world.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; New edition edition (December 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198320574
• ISBN-13: 978-0198320579
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #731,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Oxford School Shakespeare Series
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Performing Arts > Drama & Theater

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Discerningly-edited Edition, August 12, 2003

By 

James R. Mccall (Libertyville, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Antony and Cleopatra (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) (Paperback)

This is a review of a specific edition of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" - namely the New Cambridge edition of 1990, edited by David Bevington.

The book is a good size, and the print is easy to read. There are about 70 pages of front matter in this edition, and, on each page of the play, copious notes. Following the play's text, there is a discussion of general editorial choices and approaches, supplementing the specifics covered in notes.

The front matter dutifully took up the sources of the play, its dating, structure, stage history, and a number of other topics. I found it occasionally a bit heavy going, as, in many sections, any straightforward statement seemed to be buried under a pile of citations from various critics. This was by no means always the case, and in such things as stage history I found the discussion brisk but entertaining.

The text was thoroughly annotated - too thoroughly for my taste. It did not get tedious, as in the Arden editions, but still, too many notes were devoted to specific editorial decisions, and too many supersized with references to other plays. I guess there is some interest in this, and one does not have to read the notes one does not want to, but it does tend to slow one down. This is good though, if one wants to delve. Moreover, virtually every word or passage that might cause difficulty is discussed and interpreted, which is certainly what one wants.

In summary, I would say this edition is well worth having: it gives one most of the information one could conceivably need, does some interpretation, and explains the text helpfully. It does not include a transcription of Shakespeare's main sources (although this is done piecemeal in the notes), nor a plot and scene summary. These would have been nice, but are not necessary.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Replaces Hamlet as my favorite Shakespeare play., September 2, 1999

By 

"ejewel" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antony and Cleopatra (Paperback)

Cleopatra may be a somewhat ambiguous female character, but I totally loved her, and Bill's portrayal of her. I don't know if he expected the reader to judge her, but I suspect not. The harshest criticism of her comes from Octavius Caesar, who himself doesn't do a single noble thing throughout the whole play. She is fully aware of the fact that she is a sensual, passionate woman- which has no negative effect on her ability to rule Egypt. Her biggest faults are her violent temper (which I suspect is just part of her passionate nature) and her tendency to lie when it suits her (either for sport or for serious politics). Antony (I feel) is actually kind of a loser compared to her. His insincerity runs deep- he marries Caesar's sister in a political move, although he had repeatedly pledged his undying love for Cleopatra. She forgives him, because she truly loves him, even though he doesn't do anything to deserve forgiveness. Antony never fully allows himself to love Cleopatra. He constantly is overreacting to the slightest indication that she might be betraying him or whatever. It is one of these overreactions (combined with an ill-timed lie on Cleo's part) that ends up destroying them both. Even in the end, Cleopatra's death is more dignified and better conceived than Antony's messy and fumbling suicide.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Theatrically informative, November 9, 2006

By 

Salvatore P. Salerno "big Will Fan" (Merrick, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Antony and Cleopatra (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) (Paperback)

The Cambridge editions are well edited academic editions but what sets them apart is their relationship to theatrical performance. As a diretor or actor working on the play, these editions offer great background information into theatrical practice and past productions . Productions are discussed from the ancient past through the modern day. They are remarkably current and their essays on staging are unmatched by other editions.