Class notes
ENGL 348: Antony and Cleopatra (Full Notes)
In in-depth compilation of my class notes from ENGL 348 (Antony and Cleopatra unit)
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Unit 5: Antony and CleopatraMarch 17th —
Lecture Date Acts + Scenes Covered Notes
1 March 17th 1.1 Introduction
2 March 20th 1.1
3 March 22nd 1.1, 1.2
4 March 24th 1.4
5
6
7
8
Lecture 1: Introduction to Antony and Cleopatra
March 17th, 2023
Introduction
Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare’s later works. As tragedy, its exploration of ideas is
crucial to the renaissance, but as classical work, shifts the tragedy.
● Audience is meant to be skeptical of the characters from the beginning of the play.
● Behind the pomp and ceremony of Rome and Egypt, there’s darker things going on.
● The strategies of domination, the making of unnecessary wars and violence…
Part of the rhetoric of the play is to situate the audience so they are looking through Roman eyes.
● Everyone else looks bad by comparison – construction of masculinity as obstacles in the
way of Octavius Caesar’s way.
● Octavius and Antony break their treaty with Pompeii and turn on Lepidus – they later
turn on each other because they can’t agree.
○ Two chops insatiably grinding each other down.
Antony seeks refuge in the fantasy that it is Cleopatra who has betrayed him because he can’t
face the reality that he cannot control his men anymore.
● When he sees his own soldiers surrendering to the Romans, he reads it as Cleopatra’s
fault for leaving the battlefield halfway through.
● Cleopatra asks Enobarbus after the battle if she and Antony are at fault—Enobarbus notes
that it was only Antony who was at fault.
○ Antony fled from the fight when the odds were equal as to which side would win.
If Enobarbus analyzes the battle in such a way, then why do critics constantly
want to place the blame on Cleopatra?
Cleopatra doesn’t want Antony to lose—while she has no problem being governed by him at the
right moment, she knows the difference between the right and wrong moments.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller heathersham1. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for CA$21.56. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
76449 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now