Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Caesar and Cleopatra, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Romanticization of History
Vengeance vs. Mercy
Pragmatism vs. Sentimentality
Empire, Civilization, and Progress
Age, Experience, and Power
Summary
Analysis
A strange mist cuts through the darkness, and the quiet sound of the harp of Memnon fills the air. A full moon illuminates the desert, and the Sphinx becomes visible. A young girl lies sleeping atop a pile of red poppies one of the Sphinx’s paws. Trumpet notes blast through the silence to announce the arrival of Julius Caesar. He enters, saluting and praising the Sphinx, whom he considers a kindred spirit. Caesar and the Sphinx have their differences: for instance, the Sphinx remains calm, still, and assured, whereas Caesar wanders around, troubled and confused. Yet, both relate better to each other than to humanity. “Rome is a madman’s dream: this is my Reality,” declares Caesar, who believes it was his destiny to come here.
Memnon is a figure from Greek mythology. He was the king of Aethiopia, a region in Africa thought to be located south of Egypt. He was a fierce, respected warrior on par with Achilles. The harp reference comes from the writings of Pausanias, who describes how the sound of harp music can be heard at sunrise each morning beside the Colossi of Memnon, two stone statues depicting the Pharoah Amenhotep III. That Caesar’s approach is accompanied by this harp music situates him geographically in Egypt and alludes to his military prowess, insinuating that it’s on par with Memnon’s. When Caesar compares himself to the Sphinx, he is suggesting that he has achieved the same level of power and cultural significance as the Sphinx. He also implies that his culture is superior to Egyptian culture when he suggests that he was destined to come to Egypt. While the Sphinx, a relic of antiquity, enchants Caesar, he ultimately feels entitled to replace the old world it represents with his newer, supposedly superior civilization.
Themes
Literary Devices
Caesar’s speech wakes the girl. Upon seeing Caesar, she calls out to him, addressing him as “Old gentleman.” Caesar startles, then takes offense to being called an old man. He can’t see the girl and thinks that the Sphinx is speaking to him. He runs toward the Sphinx and discovers the girl nestled between its paws. The girl introduces herself as Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Unaware of Caesar’s identity, Cleopatra warns him of the approaching Roman army and urges him to hide with her, since the Romans will eat them both if they find them. The girl confuses Caesar, and he assumes that he must be dreaming.
Many fictitious and historical accounts of Caesar’s life depict him as a larger-than-life, heroic figure. Shaw strays from this depiction, rendering Caesar a normal, middle-aged person who is self-conscious about his age. In another instance of Shaw straying from tradition, Cleopatra and Caesar’s initial encounter is humiliating and comical rather than seductive and romantic.
Themes
Cleopatra sits on the Sphinx’s left paw and offers Caesar the right. She asks him if he’s seen her white sacred cat. She brought the cat with her to sacrifice to the Sphinx, but it ran away after she left the city. Caesar hasn’t seen the cat. He asks Cleopatra if she lives nearby. She explains that she’s the Queen and will live in the palace at Alexandria after she kills her brother, who has banished her from the kingdom. Cleopatra can’t wait to be old enough to do whatever she wants, and she fantasizes aloud about poisoning enslaved people and watching them suffer.
Cleopatra’s immature ideas about what power entails—being able to do whatever she wants and boss people around—further emphasizes her youthful naivete. She’s a far cry from the ruthless, competent queen that many historical and fictitious accounts of her life depict her as being. Her ruthlessness—wanting to see enslaved people squirm in pain—is perhaps less of an unchecked evil than a youthful disregard for mortality, or a youthful selfishness.
Themes
Literary Devices
Still convinced that he is dreaming, Caesar accuses Cleopatra of being an “impossible little dream witch,” which prompts her to laugh and call Caesar “a funny old gentleman.” Caesar cringes as Cleopatra reminds him, yet again, of his old age. Undeterred, Cleopatra gushes to Caesar about how much she loves young, strong men. While Caesar certainly isn’t young, Cleopatra admits, she’s been lonely and is happy to have someone to talk to. She wonders aloud if the Romans might know any sorcerers who could use magic to transport them away from the Sphinx.
The names that Caesar and Cleopatra call each other in this scene further emphasize their extreme age gap for comic effect. Shaw knocks these two familiar historical figures from the pedestal of greatness, showing them as the real people they might have been: not immune to the foolishness of youth, nor the vulnerability of aging.
Themes
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Still unaware of Caesar’s true identity, Cleopatra confides in her new friend how frightened she is of the Romans, who—she’s been told—are ruthless, barbaric cannibals. Their leader, Julius Caesar, is worst of all. Caesar asks Cleopatra if she wants to see a real Roman, but the prospect terrifies Cleopatra. Caesar tries to calm her down, reminding her that it’s only a dream. She removes a pin from her hair and pokes it into his arm repeatedly to show Caesar that he's mistaken. Caesar yells at Cleopatra, causing her to cry. Caesar calms down and gently reminds the girl that queens don’t cry.
Cleopatra further shows her youthful gullibility by believing truly ridiculous stories she’s been told about Romans being evil monsters who eat people. Shaw develops an interesting power dynamic between Cleopatra and Caesar here. Cleopatra temporarily, briefly gains the upper hand over Caesar by making him feel self-conscious about his age, but he easily puts her in her place by yelling at her and hurting her feelings. Their relationship in this scene is more akin to that of a parent and child than of romantic partners.
Themes
Literary Devices
It suddenly strikes Caesar that Cleopatra is right—he’s not dreaming—and he hurriedly gets up to return to his camp. Still terrified of the approaching Roman soldiers, Cleopatra wraps her arms around him and begs him to stay. After a pause, Caesar asks Cleopatra to examine his “rather long nose” in the moonlight. Cleopatra looks at Caesar, realizes that he is a Roman, and screams. She jumps down from the Sphinx’s paw and attempts to flee, but Caesar catches her. If she stays, Caesar tells Cleopatra, he’ll teach her how to avoid being eaten by the Romans. Cleopatra accepts Caesar’s offer, and Caesar (still hiding his true identity) explains that Caesar doesn’t eat women—only girls and cats. If Cleopatra wants to survive, she must meet Caesar at her palace and convince him that she is a woman. Cleopatra reluctantly agrees. She and Caesar make their way to the palace.
A so-called “Roman nose” or “Aquiline nose” is a nose with a prominent bridge. In post-Enlightenment Europe, the racialized stereotype was thought to be a sign of intelligence. This is what Caesar is alluding to when he asks for Cleopatra to observe his “rather long nose,” causing her to immediately recognizes that she’s been in the presence of a Roman this entire time. Caesar is using his new relationship with Cleopatra as a political maneuver to get himself in at the royal palace at Alexandria. It’s a political relationship rather than a romantic one, which, too, differs from previous historical and fictitious accounts.
Themes
Caesar and Cleopatra arrive at the palace and enter the throne room. Following Caesar’s prompting, Cleopatra timidly asks an enslaved Nubian person to light all the lamps. Just then, Ftatateeta enters, sternly orders the enslaved person to stop what he’s doing, and scolds Cleopatra for disobeying her and running away. Cleopatra cowers in fear. Caesar interferes, ordering the enslaved person to obey his queen’s orders and criticizing Cleopatra for not exerting power over Ftatateeta. She won’t fool Caesar if she behaves so timidly, Caesar tells her. Caesar turns to leave, but Cleopatra begs him to stay. He relents and orders Ftatateeta to kneel before Cleopatra. When Ftatateeta hesitates, Caesar asks the enslaved person if he knows how to behead a person. The enslaved person nods enthusiastically and flashes a menacing smile. Caesar’s intimidation works: Ftatateeta kneels before Cleopatra and apologizes for her disobedience.
Before Cleopatra meets Caesar, she’s not an experienced, capable leader—she’s a young girl who’s afraid that her nurse will punish her. This scene juxtaposes Cleopatra’s youth with Caesar’s experience in another way, showing how Caesar knows how to exert power over others—here, by implicitly threatening to behead Ftatateeta—to achieve long-term political goals. He’s not threatening Ftatateeta out of vengeance or thirst for power. He’s doing so to force her to submit to Cleopatra, which will provide Cleopatra with a sense of power. Caesar has reasons for wanting Cleopatra in power, though it remains unclear why at this point in the play.
Themes
Ftatateeta’s submission excites Cleopatra, who eagerly orders Ftatateeta to leave the throne room. Before Ftatateeta can leave the room, Cleopatra finds a snake-skin on the throne and runs after Ftatateeta to beat her with it. When Caesar rushes forward to stop the beating, Cleopatra runs toward the Nubian slave and beats him, instead. The enslaved person flees. Caesar shakes his head at the monster he’s unleashed in Cleopatra, and Cleopatra embraces Caesar. She tells him that she loves him for making her a queen and promises to make him—and all the men she loves—into kings. Cleopatra segues into a fantasy of turning hordes of young men with strong arms into kings and whipping them to death once she tires of them. Her adolescent fantasies make Caesar feels self-conscious about his wrinkled face.
While Caesar has just forced Ftatateeta to submit to Cleopatra to fulfill a long-term political goal, Cleopatra relishes her newfound power, seeing it as a means of obtaining instant gratification. This further positions Caesar as the seasoned, practical leader against Cleopatra, the naïve, power-hungry teenager. Cleopatra’s impulse to consider the romantic possibilities of her newfound power—attracting young men and then disposing of them once they no longer please her—offers further evidence of her youthful incompetence. She’s not interested in power for diplomatic reasons but for selfish, superficial reasons. While one of this scene’s functions is to further pit Caesar’s experience against Cleopatra’s youthful inexperience, Caesar ultimately undercuts his competence and experience when he appears visibly wounded by Cleopatra’s gushing over younger men, feeling self-conscious about his comparatively old, wrinkled face.
Themes
Cleopatra comes to her senses and remembers the Roman army’s imminent arrival. Still unaware of Caesar’s identity, Cleopatra suggests that she and her new companion hide until the Romans leave. However, Caesar convinces Cleopatra that they will find her and eat her if she hides. If Cleopatra wants to trick Caesar and remain alive, Caesar argues, she must not show him that she’s afraid. Suddenly, the buccina (a brass instrument used by the ancient Roman army to summon soldiers) sounds, announcing Caesar’s arrival. Caesar orders Cleopatra to assemble her servants and prepare to receive Caesar in the throne room. Cleopatra summons Ftatateeta and orders her to fetch her queen’s robes and crown. Ftatateeta leaves and returns with Cleopatra’s regalia and other female servants to help dress her.
Cleopatra’s presence in the throne room symbolizes her position as ruler of Egypt. Once more, Shaw subverts earlier depictions of Cleopatra’s relationship with Caesar by suggesting that Caesar is using and manipulating Cleopatra’s youthful naivete—here, her childish fear of the Romans—for political gain. Earlier depictions have Cleopatra as the manipulator, using her beauty and sensuality to manipulate men like Mark Antony for political gain.
Themes
An enslaved person runs into the throne room to announce the arrival of the Romans. Cleopatra wants to follow them, but Caesar holds tightly to her wrist. She stares emotionlessly ahead as the sound of the approaching Roman soldiers echoes through the corridor outside the throne room. Caesar seats himself on the throne. When the Roman soldiers enter the room, they all shout “Hail Caesar.” Cleopatra turns to Caesar and stares at him in disbelief. She runs to him, weeps, and collapses in his arms.
Cleopatra’s impulse to follow the enslaved people and servants out of the throne room shows how incapable and reluctant she is to actually rule. She’s attracted to the superficial aspects of power, such as telling people what to do, but she’s too young and afraid to fulfill the actual responsibilities of a ruler. When Caesar seats himself on Cleopatra’s throne, he symbolically transfers Cleopatra’s power to himself. He has successfully ingratiated himself with her to earn himself a position on the royal throne. Correspondingly, she drops to her knees before him like an obeying subject, realizing that she has been played. Further, she’s genuinely grateful that he chose to spare her despite the rumors she believes about bloodthirsty, brutal Romans.
Themes
