Act 4, Scene 13 Summary

Cleopatra and Charmian leave for the monument, where they will hide themselves and send false news of Cleopatra's suicide to Antony.

Act 4, Scene 13 Analysis

Cleopatra's vanity and pride reach their height with this petty stunt. At this stage, she is still motivated by her taste for melodrama, an exaggerated form of theatrical expression that seems in keeping with her passionate nature. Her performance of suicide is another example of dramatic irony, when we consider that she will later be compelled to kill herself.