A Discourse of Life and Death, by Mornay; and Antonius by Garnier

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

21789

Title

A Discourse of Life and Death, by Mornay; and Antonius by Garnier

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This 1592 volume combines two distinct works: a philosophical meditation on the human condition and a tragic drama. The first part, by Philippe de Mornay, explores the paradox of fearing death while hating life, using metaphors of weary travelers and children fearing surgery to argue that life is a series of struggles. The second part, Robert Garnier's *Antonius*, dramatizes the fall of the Roman general through his obsessive love for Cleopatra. The play depicts the chaos of civil war, the...

Summary up to 500 words

This volume presents two distinct yet thematically linked works: a philosophical discourse by Philippe de Mornay and a tragic drama by Robert Garnier. Mornay's *A Discourse of Life and Death* opens with a profound meditation on the human condition, arguing that life is a perpetual burden of toil and sorrow. He likens existence to Penelope's web, constantly woven and undone, and observes a paradoxical human fear of death, the only cure for life's endless misery. Mornay critiques the entire lifecycle: childhood is a prison of mastership; youth is a bondage to passions that lead to vice and remorse; and mature age reveals the imperfections of human nature, such as avarice and ambition, which ultimately result in spiritual poverty. He concludes that life is an unhealing wound, urging readers to recognize the folly of fearing the end of suffering while enduring it. The second work, *Antonius*, is a tragedy set in Alexandria following the Roman general Mark Antony. Abandoning his duties and wife Octavia for Queen Cleopatra, Antony laments his enslavement to her charms, which have cost him his empire and honor. A Chorus underscores the inevitability of misfortune, noting that woes are the constant companions of mortal life. Following Antony's defeat by Octavius Caesar, the play depicts the devastation of civil war and the soldiers' prayers for peace. The narrative culminates in the tragic end of the lovers. Realizing her impending capture and the enslavement of her children, Cleopatra resolves to die rather than face slavery. She bids farewell to her family and women, expressing deep grief for Antony, whom she blames for her downfall. The play concludes with the famous scene of their final moments. Unable to bear living without Antony, Cleopatra chooses death by her own hand, embracing the underworld to be with her beloved. The text highlights the intensity of their love and the despair of their situation, portraying their suicide as a final act of defiance against Roman triumph and a reunion in the 'hellish plain' of the underworld.

LLM editorial rating

4.5/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21789.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg21789.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-08 18:37 UTC

Categories

• Classics
• Drama