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has not yet occurred. By the play's end, Caesar has deposed
Ptolemy and placed Cleopatra in sole possession of the Egyptian crown. The play's Prologue specifically states that the work shows a virginal "Young Cleopatra...and her great Mind / Express'd to the height...." Some of the famous aspects of
323:
when Pompey landed in Egypt after his
Pharsalia defeat (events depicted in Act II). Septimius is the "false one" of the title, and his prominence comes close to turning the work into a "villain play." Yet Septimius is portrayed as lacking any redeeming or sympathetic quality, making him a weak prop
352:
is heavily dominated by political material, rather than dramatic realisations of its characters; for some critics, the split in the play's focus among
Cleopatra, Caesar, and Septimius prevents the play from cohering into an effective dramatic whole.
202:
Given
Fletcher's highly distinctive pattern of stylistic and textual preferences, scholars have found it fairly easy to distinguish the shares of the two authors in the play. Commentators from E. H. C. Oliphant to
324:
on which to mount a drama. The authors' choice in this matter may have been dictated by their desire to comment on contemporaneous political events; in this interpretation, the Pompey of the play represents Sir
374:
The historical characters of the play – primarily Caesar and
Cleopatra, but also Pompey and even Septimius – have attracted the attention of various dramatists. Apart from the famous works of Shakespeare and
296:
The dramatists chose to portray only the beginning of the story of Caesar and
Cleopatra in their play; they concentrate on the events of 48 BC. The play is set in
566:
312:
the story are reproduced in the play: Cleopatra has herself delivered to Caesar in Act III, though enclosed in a "packet" rather than rolled up in a rug.
688:
329:
1563:
1817:
1797:
1807:
1050:
1274:
1792:
559:
1702:
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have agreed that
Massinger wrote Act I and Act V, while Fletcher wrote Acts II, III, and IV – the same division of labour as in
936:
1679:
552:
1812:
1787:
1556:
163:
1632:
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The Later
Jacobean and Caroline Dramatists:A Survey and Bibliography of Recent Studies in English Renaissance Drama,
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1707:
1186:
155:
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The Plays of
Beaumont and Fletcher: An Attempt to Determine Their Respective Shares and the Shares of Others,
1464:
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124:
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Scholars date the play to the 1619–20 period, partly because of parallels with the political situation in
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1026:
887:
757:
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1384:
596:
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William R. Elton and
William B. Long, eds., Newark, DE, University of Delaware Press, 1989; pp. 276–85.
112:
48:
1541:
544:
348:
and have suggested that the portrayal of Septimius was partially modelled on Shakespeare's Enobarbus.
328:, executed in 1618, while the loathsome reprobate Septimius stands for Raleigh's primary accuser, Sir
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has sequestered his sister/wife/queen Cleopatra and has assumed sole rule of the kingdom, and the
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after Burbage's death in the spring of 1619, indicates a date after that time.
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The playwrights chose to concentrate much of their attention on the figure of
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Eugene M. Waith, "The Death of Pompey: English Style, French Style," in:
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perhaps his most obscure play, may date from c. 1613. It was followed by
1712:
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159:
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at the hands of one of his own officers, the "false one" of the title.
533:
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Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Press, 1939; pp. 170–2.
363:
204:
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416:(1678) – the last, one of Dryden's great successes. Similarly,
320:
468:
Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska Press, 1978; pp. 74, 107.
297:
319:, the Roman officer who betrayed, murdered, and decapitated
428:(1643) was a stage hit in London in 1663. As late as 1910,
130:
This classical history tells of the meeting and romance of
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The collaborators' primary source for their play was the
16:
Jacobean stage play by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger
503:
Lewisburg, PA, Bucknell University Press, 1993; p. 104.
1245:† = Not published in the Beaumont and Fletcher folios
154:
England at the time. It was originally staged by the
455:New Haven, Yale University Press, 1927; pp. 234–7.
1779:
233:Achoreus, an honest Counsellor, Priest of Isis.
1557:
1282:
1268:
689:The Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn
560:
464:Terence P. Logan And Denzell S. Smith, eds.,
257:Sceva, a free Speaker, also Captain to Cæsar.
1051:Four Plays, or Moral Representations, in One
479:Studies in Beaumont, Fletcher and Massinger,
273:Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Cæsar's Mistress.
1564:
1550:
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1261:
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239:Achillas, Captain of the Guard to Ptolomy.
236:Photinus, a Politician, minion to Ptolomy.
29:
1703:List of cultural depictions of Cleopatra
396:The Tragedy of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt
190:. The presence of Taylor, who replaced
1780:
245:Labienus, a Roman Soldier, and Nuncio.
1545:
1256:
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123:canon. It was first published in the
1818:Plays by John Fletcher and Massinger
1798:Depictions of Julius Caesar in plays
1101:with Massinger, Chapman & Jonson
432:treated Pompey and Septimius in his
242:Septimius, a revolted Roman Villain.
221:
1808:Plays by John Fletcher (playwright)
514:Shakespeare and Dramatic Tradition,
335:Critics have seen the influence of
248:Apollodorus, Guardian to Cleopatra.
13:
1111:with Massinger, Ford & Webster
501:The Moral Art of Philip Massinger,
14:
1829:
523:
125:first Beaumont and Fletcher folio
1793:Depictions of Cleopatra in plays
1760:
1759:
682:The Knight of the Burning Pestle
434:The Tragedy of Pompey the Great.
379:, other instances can be noted.
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279:Eros, Cleopatra's waiting Woman.
138:, and the betrayal and death of
119:, though formerly placed in the
1708:Cultural depictions of Augustus
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484:
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227:Julius Cæsar, Emperor of Rome.
1:
1223:(Shakespeare & Fletcher?)
998:with Beaumont & Massinger
438:
216:
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78:Julius Caesar meets Cleopatra
1192:Beaumont and Fletcher folios
254:Dolabella} Cæsar's Captains.
7:
1182:English Renaissance theatre
888:Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
276:Arsino, Cleopatra's Sister.
10:
1834:
1441:A New Way to Pay Old Debts
1385:The Great Duke of Florence
1022:with Massinger & Field
1813:Plays by Philip Massinger
1788:English Renaissance plays
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1695:
1643:
1616:
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1321:The Custom of the Country
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1417:The Little French Lawyer
1409:John van Olden Barnavelt
1401:The Honest Man's Fortune
1145:(Middleton & Rowley)
1116:The Fair Maid of the Inn
1027:The Honest Man's Fortune
916:The Little French Lawyer
790:The Faithful Shepherdess
1668:The Spread of the Eagle
1361:The Emperor of the East
1220:The History of Cardenio
1106:Rollo, Duke of Normandy
853:The Humorous Lieutenant
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230:Ptolomy, King of Egypt.
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1489:Rollo Duke of Normandy
1457:The Parliament of Love
1142:Wit at Several Weapons
1069:The Two Noble Kinsmen
1003:Thierry and Theodoret
577:Beaumont and Fletcher
121:Beaumont and Fletcher
1633:Antony and Cleopatra
1625:Antony and Cleopatra
1578:Antony and Cleopatra
1521:The Unnatural Combat
1425:The Lovers' Progress
1096:The Maid in the Mill
1034:The Queen of Corinth
944:The Lovers' Progress
874:The Wild Goose Chase
451:E. H. C. Oliphant,
404:Antony and Cleopatra
341:Antony and Cleopatra
300:; at its start, the
263:Three lame Soldiers.
1573:William Shakespeare
1337:The Double Marriage
1305:Believe as You List
1232:(possibly based on
1041:The Knight of Malta
930:The Double Marriage
860:The Island Princess
772:The Noble Gentleman
617:William Shakespeare
377:George Bernard Shaw
309:Battle of Pharsalia
1513:The Spanish Curate
1433:The Maid of Honour
951:The Spanish Curate
881:A Wife for a Month
751:A King and No King
744:The Maid's Tragedy
420:'s translation of
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1586:Stage adaptations
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1353:The Elder Brother
1345:The Duke of Milan
1297:The Bashful Lover
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1202:Humphrey Robinson
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1150:The Laws of Candy
1086:Wit Without Money
972:The Elder Brother
839:The Loyal Subject
797:The Woman's Prize
765:The Scornful Lady
758:Love's Pilgrimage
539:Project Gutenberg
477:Baldwin Maxwell,
426:La Mort de Pompée
418:Katherine Philips
386:Caesar and Pompey
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67:Original language
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1229:Double Falsehood
1197:Humphrey Moseley
1079:The Night Walker
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117:Philip Massinger
53:Philip Massinger
35:frontispiece to
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357:Related works
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350:The False One
347:
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337:Shakespeare's
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137:
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132:Julius Caesar
128:
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113:John Fletcher
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104:The False One
96:Ancient Egypt
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91:
88:
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77:
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49:John Fletcher
47:
43:
38:
37:The False One
32:
27:
24:The False One
22:
19:
1764:
1743:
1735:
1727:
1723:Thomas North
1688:(2016; film)
1666:
1631:
1623:
1606:All for Love
1604:
1598:
1593:
1592:
1576:
1529:A Very Woman
1527:
1519:
1511:
1503:
1495:
1487:
1481:The Renegado
1479:
1471:
1463:
1455:
1447:
1439:
1431:
1428:(1624, 1634)
1423:
1415:
1407:
1399:
1393:The Guardian
1391:
1383:
1375:
1368:
1367:
1359:
1351:
1343:
1335:
1327:
1319:
1311:
1303:
1295:
1233:
1227:
1218:
1156:
1148:
1140:
1132:
1114:
1104:
1094:
1084:
1077:
1074:with Shirley
1067:
1060:
1049:
1039:
1032:
1025:
1015:
1008:
1001:
980:A Very Woman
978:
970:
963:
956:
949:
942:
935:
928:
922:
921:
914:
907:
898:Fletcher and
886:
879:
872:
865:
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851:
844:
837:
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823:
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802:
795:
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770:
763:
756:
749:
742:
735:
728:
721:
714:
707:
701:and Fletcher
687:
680:
667:conjectural)
665:attributions
652:John Webster
612:Nathan Field
602:
595:
588:
532:
513:
508:
500:
495:
486:
478:
473:
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460:
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447:
433:
425:
413:All for Love
411:
406:(1677), and
403:
398:(1626), Sir
395:
384:
373:
362:
360:
349:
345:
339:
334:
314:
305:Ptolemy XIII
295:
282:
208:
201:
188:George Birch
152:Jacobean era
149:
129:
103:
102:
101:
87:history play
36:
18:
1803:1610s plays
1465:The Picture
1449:The Old Law
1313:The Bondman
1173:Performance
1137:(Middleton)
1091:with Rowley
1017:Love's Cure
867:The Pilgrim
832:The Chances
804:Valentinian
737:The Captain
723:The Coxcomb
499:Ira Clark,
408:John Dryden
1782:Categories
1713:Salad days
1671:(1963; TV)
1532:(1619–22?)
1492:(1612–24?)
1187:King's Men
1062:Henry VIII
1046:with Field
992:and others
642:Ben Jonson
439:References
392:Thomas May
217:Characters
198:Authorship
160:John Lowin
156:King's Men
107:is a late
45:Written by
1737:Cleopatra
1729:Cleopatra
1644:On screen
1452:(1614–18)
1420:(1619–23)
1372:(1619–20)
1340:(1619–22)
1324:(1619–23)
1283:Plays by
1161:(Shirley)
909:Barnavelt
900:Massinger
730:Philaster
637:John Ford
364:Pharsalia
266:Servants.
205:Cyrus Hoy
180:John Rice
136:Cleopatra
127:of 1647.
62:c.1619-20
1766:Category
1686:Zulfiqar
1234:Cardenio
990:Fletcher
782:Fletcher
699:Beaumont
674:Beaumont
251:Antony,}
109:Jacobean
1696:Related
1524:(1624?)
1211:Related
811:Bonduca
579:" Canon
302:Pharaoh
93:Setting
75:Subject
70:English
1748:(2007)
1740:(1917)
1732:(1912)
1636:(2022)
1628:(1966)
1609:(1677)
1516:(1622)
1508:(1622)
1500:(1626)
1484:(1630)
1476:(1622)
1468:(1630)
1460:(1624)
1444:(1625)
1436:(1632)
1412:(1619)
1404:(1613)
1396:(1633)
1388:(1636)
1380:(1632)
1364:(1632)
1356:(1625)
1348:(1623)
1332:(1632)
1316:(1624)
1308:(1631)
1300:(1636)
1153:(Ford)
1126:Others
283:
260:Guard.
186:, and
1617:Opera
1601:1620)
663:(some
661:Plays
575:The "
369:Lucan
298:Egypt
83:Genre
1682:(TV)
1680:1974
1675:1972
1663:(TV)
1661:1959
1656:1913
1651:1908
292:Plot
146:Date
134:and
115:and
51:and
1718:Asp
1575:'s
537:at
424:'s
410:'s
402:'s
394:'s
383:'s
367:of
344:in
1784::
1599:c.
371:.
332:.
182:,
178:,
174:,
170:,
166:,
162:,
1597:(
1565:e
1558:t
1551:v
1276:e
1269:t
1262:v
1236:)
1226:†
1217:†
1059:†
977:†
906:†
568:e
561:t
554:v
388:,
212:.
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