Caesar and Cleopatra

Julius Caesar is one of the play’s central protagonists. He was a Roman general and dictator of the Roman Republic. At the beginning of the play, Caesar is in his 50s and has just chased… read analysis of Julius Caesar

Cleopatra is one of the play’s central protagonists. At the beginning of the play, she is holding court in Syria after her younger brother Ptolemy, with whom she is vying for sole control of… read analysis of Cleopatra

Rufio is one of Caesar’s lead officers. He’s a burly, middle-aged man with a rough, unsentimental personality. Although Rufio is loyal to Caesar, he is also critical of Caesar’s lenient treatment of their rivals… read analysis of Rufio

Ftatateeta is Cleopatra’s chief nurse. At the beginning of the play, Ftatateeta’s overbearing and aggressive personality instills terror in Cleopatra, though she becomes more subservient once Cleopatra meets Caesar and learns how to exert… read analysis of Ftatateeta

Ptolemy is Cleopatra’s 10-year-old brother with whom she shares the royal throne. Ptolemy and Cleopatra are married, as is customary for ancient Egyptian royalty. At the play’s onset, Ptolemy and Cleopatra are feuding… read analysis of Ptolemy

Britannus is an enslaved Briton man and Caesar’s treasurer. He’s a serious man of around 40 years old and is fiercely loyal to Caesar. Caesar nearly grants Britannus his freedom at the end of… read analysis of Britannus

Apollodorus is a handsome Sicilian patrician (aristocrat) and amateur artist. He’s so invested in art that he gets into a heated argument with a Roman sentinel who misidentifies him as a common carpet merchant. In… read analysis of Apollodorus

Lucius Septimius is the Roman soldier who assassinated Pompey (Caesar’s rival) prior to Caesar’s arrival in Egypt. Caesar despises acts of vengeance and is disgusted when he learns of Pompey’s fate. He’s uncomfortable… read analysis of Lucius Septimius

Theodotus is Ptolemy’s tutor. He’s a wise, elderly man who reveres art, literature, history, and the humanities. Caesar’s disregard for the destruction of the Library of Alexandria in Act II appalls Theodotus, who… read analysis of Theodotus

Achillas is the general of Ptolemy’s troops. He’s tall, handsome, and respected, though rather dull. In addition to Ptolemy’s troops, he also heads the occupying Roman army. In Act II, Achillas announces that he… read analysis of Achillas

Mark Antony served as an official during Caesar’s Civil War; he never appears in person in the play. In Act II, Cleopatra tells Caesar of how Antony restored her father’s rule of Egypt. She… read analysis of Mark Antony

Ra is the ancient Egyptian god of the sun. He’s one of the most important deities in ancient Egyptian religion. While the play describes him as having a hawk’s head, ancient Egyptian religion most often… read analysis of Ra

Pompey was Caesar’s political ally and son-in-law who later became his rival. He fled to Egypt following his defeat at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 B.C.E. and was assassinated by Lucius Septimius upon… read analysis of Pompey

The Roman sentinel patrols the pier in front of the palace at Alexandria. In Act III, acting on Caesar’s orders, the sentinel refuses to let Ftatateeta, Apollodorus, and the Egyptian porters proceed… read analysis of Roman Sentinel

The slave girl is an enslaved person who plays the harp for Cleopatra in Act IV. When Cleopatra expresses interest in learning to play, the girl’s teacher, an old musician, informs her that the… read analysis of The Slave Girl

The old musician is the slave girl’s harp teacher. He observes the girl’s performance for Cleopatra in Act IV. Cleopatra wants to learn to play the harp for Caesar, who loves music. She… read analysis of The Old Musician