Act 5 of Antony and Cleopatra is the final act of the play, and it shows Cleopatra’s capture, her refusal to be paraded through Rome and her death with her two attendants. It has only two scenes, yet they bring the story to a powerful end. In this page, you will find a scene-by-scene summary of Act 5, an analysis of its main ideas and the key quotes to remember. Before you begin, read the Act 4 summary to see how Antony dies.

Act 5 Summary by Scene

Scene 1: Caesar Hears of Antony’s Death

The act opens in Caesar’s camp. First, Dercetus, one of Antony’s guards, arrives with Antony’s sword and news of his death. Caesar is shaken, and he says that so great a man should not fall without a greater crash in the world. Then he praises Antony as his brother, his partner in power and his companion in war. However, he also says that their stars could not agree, so the two equal men had to be divided.

Next, a messenger from Cleopatra arrives to ask what Caesar plans to do with her. Caesar sends back a kind answer. In truth, he wants to keep her alive so that he can lead her in his triumph through Rome. For this reason, he sends Proculeius to calm her and orders him to watch that she does not kill herself.

Scene 2: Cleopatra Is Captured

The scene moves to Cleopatra’s monument. At first, Cleopatra speaks of her wish to end her life. When Proculeius arrives, he promises that Caesar will be generous. While he talks, however, Roman soldiers climb into the monument from behind and surprise her. Cleopatra draws a dagger to kill herself, but Proculeius takes it from her. Because of this, she realises that Caesar means to guard her closely.

Later, Dolabella visits her. Cleopatra tells him of a dream in which she saw Antony as a giant whose legs stretched across the ocean and whose raised arm crowned the world. Moved by her grief, Dolabella confesses that Caesar plans to lead her in triumph through Rome.

Scene 2 Continued: Caesar and Cleopatra Meet

Soon afterward, Caesar arrives and speaks gently to Cleopatra. She kneels to him, and he tells her to stand. Then she hands him a list of her treasure. When her treasurer, Seleucus, says that she has hidden part of it, Cleopatra becomes angry and strikes him. Caesar, however, smiles and tells her to keep what she has held back. He leaves her with fine words and a promise of kindness.

After he goes, Cleopatra tells her women that this was a trick to make her think she is safe. In addition, she describes what life in Rome would mean. Rough officers would lead her through the streets, and the crowd would stare at her. Meanwhile, actors would act out her story, and a boy would play her part badly on stage. For these reasons, she decides to die.

Scene 2 Continued: The Death of Cleopatra

First, a countryman arrives with a basket of figs, and the poisonous snake called an asp lies hidden beneath them. He chats about the danger of the bite, then leaves. Cleopatra puts on her royal robe and crown and speaks of her longing for eternal life. Next, she says goodbye to her women. Iras kisses her and dies at once.

After that, Cleopatra places the asp against her breast and calls Antony her husband, saying that she is coming to him. She dies calmly. Charmian then straightens her queen’s crown and takes up an asp for herself. When Caesar’s guards burst in, Charmian tells them that the death is fitting for a princess from a line of kings. Soon afterward, she dies as well.

Finally, Caesar arrives and sees the three women dead. He admires Cleopatra’s courage and orders that she be buried beside Antony. Then he promises a grand funeral, and the play ends.

Analysis of Act 5

Cleopatra takes control

Throughout the play, Cleopatra is a changeable and playful woman. In Act 5, however, she becomes clear and firm. Because Caesar plans to display her, she chooses a death that keeps her dignity. As a result, she wins a victory over the most powerful man in the world. Read more about her on the characters page.

Death as victory

Cleopatra does not treat death as a defeat. Instead, she sees it as a way to join Antony and to escape Caesar. Her language supports this view. For example, she calls herself fire and air, and she says that the heavy elements belong to the earth. Therefore, the audience feels that her death is a triumph of spirit. See the themes page for more on death.

Caesar’s final role

Caesar wins the empire, yet he loses his prize. Although he plans to show Cleopatra in Rome, she defeats him with a single act. Even so, he does not react with anger. Instead, he praises her courage and orders a joint burial. Consequently, he seems both victorious and strangely powerless.

The loyalty of Charmian and Iras

Charmian and Iras stay with Cleopatra until the end. In particular, Charmian speaks the last words of defiance, and she arranges her mistress’s crown before she dies. Their loyalty gives the final scene a feeling of ceremony and shows that Cleopatra is a queen to the end.

Rome and Egypt

At the end, Rome rules the world, but Egypt keeps the last word. Cleopatra’s imagination, wit and love outshine Caesar’s power. In this way, Shakespeare suggests that the lovers win a moral victory even though they lose the war.

Language and Style in Act 5

The poetry reaches its height in this act. Cleopatra’s speech about Antony as a giant uses images of the ocean, the sun and the whole world. Later, her death scene is full of references to milk, sleep and kisses, so that the poison seems almost gentle. Furthermore, the countryman’s jokes bring a moment of comedy, which makes the tragedy feel more human.

Key Quotes from Act 5

• “Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have immortal longings in me” (Cleopatra): she prepares to die as a queen.
• “I am fire and air; my other elements I give to baser life” (Cleopatra): she rises above the earth.
• “Husband, I come” (Cleopatra): she joins Antony in death.
• “Now boast thee, death, in thy possession lies a lass unparallelled” (Charmian): she praises her queen.
• “No grave upon the earth shall clip in it a pair so famous” (Caesar): he orders the joint burial.

Read the full explanations on the famous quotes and meanings page.

Exam Questions on Act 5

• Why does Cleopatra refuse to go to Rome with Caesar?
• Describe how Cleopatra prepares for her death.
• What does Caesar’s reaction to her death tell us about him?
• Explain the part played by Charmian and Iras in the last scene.

Continue Reading

• Antony and Cleopatra Act 4 Summary and Analysis
• Antony and Cleopatra Plot Summary
• Antony and Cleopatra Themes
• Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide and Essay Questions