Caesar and Cleopatra by Bernard Shaw

Caesar and Cleopatra is another notable play by one of the greatest dramatists of English literature, Bernard Shaw. Shaws plays mark a milestone in the history of British drama as they show a movement away from romanticism to realism. They are plays of ideas. Caesar and Cleopatra is about the historical situation of Caesar conquering Egypt and holding the queen Cleopatra under his thumb. The iconoclastic Shaw breaks the idols of Cleopatra and of Caesar in such an unforgettable way that the reader then begins to see the humorous side of Caesar while also seeing the unglamorous side of Cleopatra. The light-veined humorous touches to the history of Egypt with Rome as the conquering nation are made memorable through this play. This AC Ward series from Orient BlackSwan has been now enhanced and enriched with additional student-friendly features such as analyses of themes and characterisation, act-wise summaries and questions and also a select reading list. We hope that these value additions will help maintain the popularity that the series has long enjoyed with teachers and students alike.