Essay
Antony and Cleopatra Mini Essay
Essay done by a 2019 matriculant from Saheti School on the play Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare.
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By: rabothendelethendo1 • 4 year ago
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Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra revolves around the extraordinary relationshipbetween, a Roman General and an Egyptian Queen and the politics restraining them
from their love. This essay explores how Antony and Cleopatra’s deaths allow them
to find purpose in merging their two worlds, Rome and Egypt.
Rome stands for duty and military discipline however Egypt stands for passion and
sensuality. Marc Antony struggles between these two worlds and how to merge
them. He is caught between reason and passion and only through death can he
create a merging of heavens.
An emasculated version of roman valour in Antony, is seen in scene 1 act 1 through
Philo’s descriptions of Antony as a roman general following his “dotage” and stating
that “his goodly eyes… turn the office and devotion of their view upon a tawny front.”
However, after Fulvia’s death Antony understands that he must return to Rome and
be more expedient towards Caesar and accountable for Fulvia as she was his wife.
Antony agrees to marrying Octavia thus making amends with Caesar as she is
Caesars sister. However, Enobarbus reminds us that this “marriage” won’t last as
Antony is allured by Cleopatras “infinite variety.” When Antony returns to his
“Egyptian dish” he rejects roman values by crowning himself and Cleopatra “rulers of
Egypt.” This results to Caesars anger and the battle of Actium that is important
towards their liberation through death.
The battle of Actium shows that Antony’s and Cleopatra’s love is contested by
Caesar it also shows a rupture that happens from Antony’s wrong choices. In his
rage after his “fleet has yielded to the foe” he states that his “heart makes only war
on [him.]” Upon hearing the news of Cleopatras death Antony is moved to kill
himself, and he believes that Cleopatra is more honourable than him, however, his
death is unsuccessful, and, in these moments, he looks within himself and opens
himself up for forgiveness and love. He wants to be remembered as “the greatest
prince o’th’world…[and] not basely die… cowardly” in his death he manages to
merge both worlds as he dies a Roman but with full emotions.
Cleopatra is a strong character; she wears Antony’s sword and is never submissive
towards the male gaze she is a queen and she is never afraid to use her sexuality to
gain power. Her seduction is delivered with military persistence. She dies centre
stage and in a different act than Antony showing that she is never submissive, she
doesn’t die a victim as she is crowned in her jewels, robes and crown showing the
“Immortal longings [that lie] in [her]”. Her death is done in roman precision
however in full Egyptian attire showing that she has managed to merge the
two worlds.
Antony’s and Cleopatras deaths allow them to merge their two worlds, Rome
and Egypt. Both characters manage to die with roman valour yet still be engrossed in
the Egyptian feelings thus managing to make death a liberating factor by merging
their two differing worlds together.
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