Anthony and Cleo Critics by Themes
Love, Pleasure, Passion, Hate, and Decadence
love is "described in terms of power: languages of possession, subjugation and
conspicuous wealth" – Jonathon Dollimore
Antony and Cleopatra "dying together" constitutes the supreme consummation of
love. – Noman Holland
The conflict of Rome and Egypt mirrors the conflicts within the two main characters
"who become at war with themselves" – Norman Holland
'Better to win with Antony than loose with Caesar' – Bevington
'In Antony an Cleopatra the game of love has been a game of politics and been a game
of power' – Bowers
exemplars of noble and true love - Hamilton
Honour, Loyalty, Friendship, Tragedy, and Betrayal
'Could have done much more to create dramatic tension.'
'For a tragedy it is not painful'
'Fault tragedy' - A C Bradley
'Some critics have had issues with seeing Antony as a tragic hero as he lacks stature
compared to other tragedies' – Robert Frost
people 'loyal only to masters whose will is unconditionally free' – Yachnin
'The tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra is, above all, the tragedy of Antony.' – Danby
'Honour pretends to integrity' - Dollimore
Power, Manipulation and Strategy
"lead us from multiplicity and chaos to unity, simplicity and coherence" – G Wilson
Knight
"forces and relations of power" rather than individual bravery – Johnathon Dollimore
"A Machiavellian sense of political reality is the entirety of Octavius' mentality" –
Frank Kermode
Cultures, Setting, Imagery and Nature
"world imagery- the most general pattern of imagery in the play" – Maurice Charney
"a many-sided picture of imperial Rome refracted through the mind of a keen political
observer in his own day" – Victor Kiernan
The conflict of Rome and Egypt mirrors the conflicts within the two main characters
"who become at war with themselves" – Norman Holland
Rome is portrayed as "cold", "white", "male", "logical", and "sexless".
Egypt is portrayed as "hot", "erotic", "exotic", and "irrational". – Lennard
Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare's most "temporally and geographically
distended play" which reminds the audience just what was at stake. This was a play
based on grand political tensions. The characters were literally quarrelling over who
should control the 'known world'. – Lennard
Love, Pleasure, Passion, Hate, and Decadence
love is "described in terms of power: languages of possession, subjugation and
conspicuous wealth" – Jonathon Dollimore
Antony and Cleopatra "dying together" constitutes the supreme consummation of
love. – Noman Holland
The conflict of Rome and Egypt mirrors the conflicts within the two main characters
"who become at war with themselves" – Norman Holland
'Better to win with Antony than loose with Caesar' – Bevington
'In Antony an Cleopatra the game of love has been a game of politics and been a game
of power' – Bowers
exemplars of noble and true love - Hamilton
Honour, Loyalty, Friendship, Tragedy, and Betrayal
'Could have done much more to create dramatic tension.'
'For a tragedy it is not painful'
'Fault tragedy' - A C Bradley
'Some critics have had issues with seeing Antony as a tragic hero as he lacks stature
compared to other tragedies' – Robert Frost
people 'loyal only to masters whose will is unconditionally free' – Yachnin
'The tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra is, above all, the tragedy of Antony.' – Danby
'Honour pretends to integrity' - Dollimore
Power, Manipulation and Strategy
"lead us from multiplicity and chaos to unity, simplicity and coherence" – G Wilson
Knight
"forces and relations of power" rather than individual bravery – Johnathon Dollimore
"A Machiavellian sense of political reality is the entirety of Octavius' mentality" –
Frank Kermode
Cultures, Setting, Imagery and Nature
"world imagery- the most general pattern of imagery in the play" – Maurice Charney
"a many-sided picture of imperial Rome refracted through the mind of a keen political
observer in his own day" – Victor Kiernan
The conflict of Rome and Egypt mirrors the conflicts within the two main characters
"who become at war with themselves" – Norman Holland
Rome is portrayed as "cold", "white", "male", "logical", and "sexless".
Egypt is portrayed as "hot", "erotic", "exotic", and "irrational". – Lennard
Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare's most "temporally and geographically
distended play" which reminds the audience just what was at stake. This was a play
based on grand political tensions. The characters were literally quarrelling over who
should control the 'known world'. – Lennard
