Detailed Summary - All for Love

[alert-success] All for Love by John Dryden [/alert-success]

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[alert-primary] Detailed Summary [/alert-primary]

        Mark Antony goes to Alexandria, Egypt, after his humiliating loss at Actium. There, he stays alone for a while in the temple of Isis. He doesn't want to meet his mistress, Cleopatra, who was the queen of Egypt and a big reason why they lost. The Romans, led by Octavius, Maecenas, and Agrippa, have moved into Egypt, where they have laid siege to Alexandria and are waiting calmly for Antony's next move. Serapion, who is a patriot and a priest of Isis, is scared when the Nile suddenly rises and there are big problems in the royal tombs. These things seem to be signs that Egypt is going to have a bad time.

         Ventidius, Antony's trusted and very successful Middle Eastern general, comes to Alexandria at this time to help his commander. Alexas, Cleopatra's loyal and scheming eunuch, and Serapion try to cheer up the people and the troops by throwing a big party for Antony's birthday. Ventidius, being a Roman, looks down on the party. He tells Antony's Roman soldiers not to be happy, but to get ready to protect Antony when he is in danger. Antony finally comes out of his isolation. It's clear that he's a broken man. Ventidius, who is hiding, hears the emperor's sad words as he curses his luck and laments the day he was born. He lets Antony know he is there and tries to comfort him. Both men cry, and Antony can't understand how Ventidius can stay loyal to a leader whose love for Cleopatra brought down a large part of the Roman Empire.

         Ventidius offers Antony his twelve legions, which are stationed in Lower Syria. However, he says that they won't fight for Cleopatra, which makes Antony feel even worse. When Ventidius says Cleopatra's name in a casual way, Antony gets angry and calls the general a traitor. After this insult, Antony's mind is full of doubts, guilt, and uncertainty, so he quickly tells Ventidius that he loves him. He says he will leave Cleopatra and go to Syria to join the legions.

        When Cleopatra hears that Antony is getting ready to leave her, she feels angry and sad. Charmion, who works for her, goes to Antony and asks him to tell her boss goodbye. Antony says he won't do it because he doesn't trust himself around Cleopatra. Alexas was not put off by Antony's refusal. Later, as Antony marched out of Alexandria, he was stopped by Alexas. The eunuch says nice things about the Romans and gives them valuable gifts from Cleopatra. Antony is having trouble putting a bracelet on his arm when Cleopatra comes out of hiding. Antony accuses her very harshly of lying and of being the reason for his fall. 

        They have a fight. In desperation, Cleopatra tells Antony that as her friend, he must go to Syria, but as her lover, he must stay in Alexandria to share her fate. Antony isn't sure if he wants to leave when Cleopatra tells him that she turned down Octavius' offer of all of Egypt and Syria if she joined his army. He decides to stay when she acts like a weak woman who is at the mercy of the cruel invaders. Antony says that Octavius could have the world as long as he had Cleopatra's love after he gives in to Cleopatra's charms again. Ventidius feels shame and pity because Antony has given up.

        Antony seems to have regained some of his former glory when he wins small battles against Octavius's troops. Cleopatra is happy that she is once again in control of Antony. While Octavius waits, he keeps his main forces under control. Ventidius, who still wants to save Antony, suggests that a deal could be made with Maecenas or Agrippa.

        Antony sends away his friend Dolabella because he is afraid that Cleopatra might fall in love with the young Roman. Octavius' camp sends Dolabella to remind Antony that he has responsibilities to his wife and two daughters. Then Antony is brought Octavia and her two young daughters. Even though Antony has left her, Octavia still hopes that she can get back together with her husband. When Antony accuses her of making deals with her brother Octavius, Octavia doesn't get upset and says that Octavius is ready to leave Egypt when he hears that his sister and Antony have made up. Antony is very moved by Octavia's calm dignity, and when his two young daughters hug him, he says he is ready to do what Octavia wants. As Cleopatra walks into this family reunion, she and Octavia, who is momentarily happy, start insulting each other.

        Antony still doesn't want to face Cleopatra one last time, so he convinces Dolabella to say goodbye to her. Dolabella is eager to win Cleopatra's favour, so she gladly accepts the mission. Alexas, who cares about Egypt and knows that Dolabella is weak, tells Cleopatra to make Antony jealous by acting like she is interested in Dolabella. After Ventidius and Octavia overhear Dolabella and Cleopatra talking in secret, Ventidius, who is now working for Alexas without knowing it, tells Antony that Cleopatra seems to be interested in the young Dolabella. Octavia confirms what he said, and Alexas tells Antony, who is very angry, that Cleopatra could be lying. Antony's angry response to this news makes Octavia think that her mission has failed, so she goes back to the Roman camp. Antony, on the other hand, says that Cleopatra and Dolabella have been betraying him. He ignores their sincere denials and kicks them out of his house.

        Cleopatra curses the eunuch's bad advice and tries to kill herself with a dagger, but she fails. Antony climbs a tower in the harbour of Alexandria to watch the Egyptian and Roman fleets get ready to fight. To his horror, he sees the two fleets join together and the whole force move toward the city to attack it. Antony knows that his death is coming soon, and it breaks his heart to think that Cleopatra is to blame for the Egyptian fleet's betrayal. Alexas spreads a lie that Cleopatra went to her tomb and killed herself. When Antony hears this, he no longer wants to live and falls on his own sword. Ventidius, who was a good man, kills himself. Antony is dying, so Cleopatra goes to him and tells him, just before he dies, that she still loves him. Then, to keep Octavius from having a final victory, she puts on her royal clothes and lets a poisonous asp bite her. Iras and Charmion, two of her maids, kill themselves in the same way. Serapion walks in and sees that Cleopatra and Antony have both died.

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