Shakespeare\'s Antony and Cleopatra Love and Poetic

Shakespeare's Antony And Cleopatra

Love and Poetic Imagery in Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra."

In William Shakespeare's play, Antony and Cleopatra, some people blame Antony for jeopardizing his Roman manliness for the love of Cleopatra, and some people think that the play shows that the Roman world of power and martial honor is well lost for love. This paper will discuss the depictions of Antony's and Cleopatra's respective conflicts, and how those depictions portray the value of romantic love. The discussion will begin with Antony's conflict, which is a struggle between reason and emotion, mind and heart. This conflict is a central theme to the play, and is even manifest in a geographic and political sense as the struggle between the western world of Rome and the eastern world of Egypt. The discussion will move to Cleopatra, and show that she is at the center of the same struggle, and is motivated just as Antony to choose between political power and love. The paper will conclude with an examination of Shakespeare's message about the value of romantic love.

As one of the triumvirs, Antony is a man vested with great power and an equal weight of obligations. Since coming to Alexandria and taking up with the Queen of Egypt, he has been neglecting his duties. There is gossip to that effect, as the opening scene portrays. Philo describes his perception of Antony as he approaches; "Take but good note, and you shall see in him / The triple pillar of the world transform'd / Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see." (I.i.11-13) Made apparent is the notion that Cleopatra is responsible for Antony's dereliction of duty. We also see Antony and Cleopatra for the first time as they discuss the nature and dimensions of their love for each other. When Cleopatra brings into question the boundaries of their love, Antony responds by saying that "new heaven, new earth" must be discovered, implicitly stating that his love for her is greater than the entire world. (I.i.17) When presented with messengers from Rome, Antony waves them off, preferring the company of Cleopatra with no distractions. He heaps praise upon her, in particular her enchanting beauty. "Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh / To weep; whose every passion fully strives / To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!" (i.i.49-51). However, we soon see that Antony is not oblivious to his danger. He realizes the price of alienating Rome and the cost of his obsession with Cleopatra. He resolves himself to his obligations, saying "These strong Egyptian fetters I must break, / Or lose myself in dotage." (I.ii.120) The struggle within is tearing Antony apart. He cannot resolve his desire to uphold his Roman heritage and his love for Cleopatra. He feels that it is unmaking him, causing him to lose a sense of his own identity. In Act IV, scene xiv, Antony talks about shapes in the clouds and how they shift and disappear as they are watched. He compares himself to those shifting clouds, saying "Now thy captain is even such a body: here I am, Antony; Yet cannot hold this visible shape." He confessed that all he has done has been for Cleopatra, and he feels as empty as the very air when he contemplates how she betrayed him.

Cleopatra is portrayed to us as a woman of sublime beauty. She is seductive to such a degree that she is considered an enchantress and is referred to as a witch. Her majesty is described in vivid terms in a narration by Enobarbus; one of Antony's most trusted lieutenants (II.ii.196-210). He describes the golden decks of her barge, purple sails and silver oars. He compares her visage to Venus, and mentions her as surrounded by young servant boys and ladies. His description brings to us the enchanting quality of Cleopatra's presence, and her subsequent hold upon Antony.

While Cleopatra is portrayed as selfish, even childish, at times, she is also a consummate politician like her lover. The Roman perspective of her is presented in the opening scene and continues throughout; she is labeled "whore," "witch," and "gypsy." Of course the Roman opinion is biased; Cleopatra threatens the structure of the empire, and even urges Antony to seize absolute power for himself (and her, as well). Cleopatra is an actress in nature; she shows tendencies towards drama in her actions. She thrives on her capriciousness and her sensuality, both traits that contribute to her allure. It is this very mystique that makes her so enchanting to men; she is like an enigma. Cleopatra realizes her power is in her mystique, and commits suicide in the final scene rather than be paraded about as a Roman conquest.

Cleopatra is torn between reason and emotion as much as Antony; just as he has the potential to be Emperor over the known world; she could be the Empress. She reveals her political thinking in a few key moments of the play. In Act III, scene iii, Alexas says to Cleopatra that even King Herod of the Jews could not look upon her when she is displeased. She responds by saying "That Herod's head I'll have: but how, when Antony is gone / Through whom I might command it?" (III.iii.7-8). This statement shows that as much as she may love Antony, she has as much invested in him from a political standpoint. When sending letters to Antony, Cleopatra asks of her serving girl, Charmian, if she ever loved Caesar so. When Charmian exuberantly praises Caesar as "brave" and "valiant," Cleopatra threatens to give her "bloody teeth" (I.v.70). Cleopatra acknowledges her time with Caesar and comments on it: "My salad days, / When I was green in judgement: cold in blood, / To say as I said then!" (I.v.75-77). Also, after the humiliating defeat at sea, Cleopatra accepts the terms of Caesar regarding Antony, to all appearances ready to turn him over and side with Caesar for her own survival. She says of Caesar "He is a god, and knows / What is most right: mine honor was not yielded, / but conquer'd merely." Antony enters in a rage and has the offending messenger whipped and sent back to Caesar.