In George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra, the aging Julius Caesar meets teenage Cleopatra by chance one night under the Egyptian moon. There is turmoil in Egypt; civil war has torn the nation in two as Cleopatra and her younger brother vie for the throne. Caesar does his best to help the young queen grow into a great ruler, one that favors wisdom, honor, and clemency as a means of governance. But as Egyptian insurgents besiege the palace at Alexandria, Caesar might not be able to keep the country together or even escape Alexandria alive -- let alone the greater challenge of managing the headstrong Cleopatra. Caesar and Cleopatra, a less known work from one of the 20th century’s most popular playwrights, is an exploration of power, politics, vengeance, and mercy.
Caesar and Cleopatra guide sections
