PLATES. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. THE remarks prefixed to JULIUS CAESAR will also closely apply to the choice of subjects in this play. The continual change of place, without any incident particularly illustrative of the story, rendered it absolutely necessary to take up the main plot, and illustrate it by the most characteristic scenes, overlooking many of the minor points, and amongst them the scene in POMPEY's galley. In short, ANTONY and CLEOPATRA have been made decidedly the subjects; and no more of the other characters introduced than was found useful for the development of the principals. ANTONY, CLEOPATRA, CESAR, LEPIDus, MECENAS, and AGRIPPA are all portraits. |