Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra (1981 TV): Act 1, scene 1

fine performances by Jane Lapotaire and Colin Blakely from a 1981 TV production.

presented here: Act 1, scene 1 in it's entirety (Arden edition).


Colin Blakely was born in County Down. See his superb Kent in "King Lear" with Laurence Olivier here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX73xFfC1vg

Directed by Jonathan Miller

excerpt below from "The Life of Marcus Antonius Antony and Cleopatra" by Plutarch. Written 75 A.C.E. Translated by John Dryden:

He had also a very good and noble appearance; his beard was well grown, his forehead large, and his nose aquiline, giving him altogether a bold, masculine look that reminded people of the faces of Hercules in paintings and sculptures. It was, moreover, an ancient tradition, that the Antonys were descended from Hercules, by a son of his called Anton; and this opinion he thought to give credit to by the similarity of his person just mentioned, and also by the fashion of his dress. For, whenever he had to appear before large numbers, he wore his tunic girt low about the hips, a broadsword on his side, and over all a large coarse mantle. What might seem to some very insupportable, his vaunting, his raillery, his drinking in public, sitting down by the men as they were taking their food, and eating, as he stood, off the common soldiers' tables, made him the delight and pleasure of the army.

In love affairs, also, he was very agreeable: he gained many friends by the assistance he gave them in theirs, and took other people's raillery upon his own with good-humour. And his generous ways, his open and lavish hand in gifts and favours to his friends and fellow-soldiers, did a great deal for him in his first advance to power, and after he had become great, long maintained his fortunes, when a thousand follies were hastening their overthrow.

One instance of his liberality I must relate. He had ordered payment to one of his friends of twenty-five myriads of money or decies, as the Romans call it, and his steward wondering at the extravagance of the sum, laid all the silver in a heap, as he should pass by. Antony, seeing the heap, asked what it meant; his steward replied, "The money you have ordered to be given to your friend." So, perceiving the man's malice, said he, "I thought the decies had been much more; 'tis too little; let it be doubled." This, however, was at a later time.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Shakespeare
• Lapotaire
• Antony
• cleopatra
• JaneLapotaire
• ColinBlakely

[Rayarena]

Amazing, thousands of years later, we are still talking about Anthony and Cleopatra. This has to be the most celebrated love story of all times. It has been retold by everyone from Shakespeare to George Bernard Shaw and shot as a movie dozens of times. It's an immortal story that will still be told thousands of years from now. Love this version. Jane Lapotaire is great.

[D9l3tt]

Thank you for posting these scenes. The acting is superb from everyone - Jane Lapotaire is mesmerizing. She truly is of infinite variety.

[SailingMoominmama]

Shakespeare can be performed in anything, from modern night gowns to authentically reproduced elizabethan doublet and hose. In this production they went for a look inspired by the court of Charles I, when noblemen were fond of dressing up a manner they thought reflected classical antiquity. You can see the costumer's inspiration in the 1630-1640 paintings of Van Dyck. That's where the pearls and long swathes of looping fabric come from. I think it's rather nice and different.

[Rayarena]

@countrybluegrass You may be right, but I'm a romantic and I like to think of it as a great love affair. Look at all of the great literature that has been written based on the belief that it was a great love affair and look at how the world throughout the ages continues to be mesmerized by this couple.

[countrybluegrass]

@Rayarena

Well, it was most likely a political affair, not some star-crossed romance. Cleopatra was a shrewd political operator and Marcus Antonius was making a power grab against Octavius who was Julius Caesar's chosen heir, Antonius was probably looking to use Caesar's illegitimate son by Cleopatra in an attempt to claim legitimacy over Caesar's great-nephew Octavius (who, being the victor, passed on the story that Antonius had been corrupted by that Ptolemy tart Cleopatra.)

[countrybluegrass]

This whole production has some of the most terrible costuming I've ever seen. Nobody in the ancient Greco-Roman world dressed like 16th century Englishmen.

[buffedtrainer]

I saw Jane Lapotaire on Broadway in "Piaf"..she won the Tony that year..she was AWESOME! (1980 or 1981)

[heyspunkie]

agreed, she does look like a snake

thisis the worst adaptation ever

it ruins a good play with awful sets and awfuler acting

[AragonTek]

Thanks So much! I'm reading the book while watching it on youtube!

[groovynes]

Woiw First hands down my favorite of His second I found it kinda odd to here a mild irish brouge from cleopatra's lips (not that I mind just saying) But beautiful thank you very much

[doctordoc33]

wahahahah oh no

wahahaha oh no

[doctordoc33]

the old cleopatra snake women is weird looking

as is sweaty hairy old stupid ugly man aka antony aka anthony with no 'h'

mmmmmmmmmmbbbbbbbbbbbbuuuuuuuu­uuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggg­gggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[rodders129]

'Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety'

[shamrockpenny]

Wow, they are fantastic. :) Thanks for posting!

[shamrockpenny]

Read the play. Even if you need to read the "No Fear" version, please, I beg you, do it justice.

[EJC661]

i am auditioning for antony. First of all who is he? and any tips??

[saaaraaa85]

thanks i'm taking "Shakespeare Tragedies & Romances" This semester and it's useful

thanks a lot