Vivien Leigh, Peter Finch Shakespeares Antony Cleopatra Part One

Vivien Leigh and Peter Finch recording of Shakespeare s Antony and Mark Antony, one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire, spends his time in Egypt, living a life of decadence and conducting an affair with the country s beautiful queen, Cleopatra. When a message arrives informing him that his wife, Fulvia, is dead and that Pompey is raising an army to rebel against the triumvirate, Antony decides to return to Rome. In Antony s absence, Octavius Caesar and Lepidus, his fellow triumvirs, worry about Pompey s increasing strength. Caesar condemns Antony for neglecting his duties as a statesman and military officer in order to live a decadent life by Cleopatra s side. The news of his wife s death and imminent battle pricks Antony s sense of duty, and he feels compelled to return to Rome. Upon his arrival, he and Caesar quarrel, while Lepidus ineffectually tries to make peace. Realizing that an alliance is necessary to defeat Pompey, Anto br, br,