I Will be Cleopatra is an account of a determined yet modest woman who became a leading stage actor, working with such luminaries as Albert Finney, Laurence Olivier and Tennessee William. Born the daughter of a plumber and a taxi driver in Australia during the Great Depression, Zoe Caldwell first appeared on stage at the age of nine in Melbourne. Hampered by dyslexia, she felt that acting was the only way she could communicate. She travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon in 1958, to begin a Shakespearean career that would culminate in her portrayal of Cleopatra. Rather than emphasizing her triumphs, this memoir focuses on the influences and experiences that moulded her as an actress. Her insights into acting are those of an artist impassioned with her craft and dedicated to its perpetuation in its purest form.