Character Analysis Of Antony And Cleopatra

     History is full of reputable individuals. The stories of their lives will forever live in our history books. Whether being remembered for their strength, courage, or honor, or even for their treachery, we remember those who came before us. If one character could stand out in Egyptian history, none other would be so worthy as Cleopatra would.

I have recently read an amazing biography called, Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. The book, written by a well-known author of biographies, tells the story of Cleopatra, the most powerful woman in history, who ruled Egypt in 70 BC. She is also the beauty, with whom Caesar and Mark Anthony fell hopelessly in love. Written in a unique way, trying to abolish stereotypes about Cleopatra, it is a fascinating novel, about power and love. It shows how these two mix and matched, while creating history.

Cleopatra VII is an important historical figure that ruled over Ancient Egypt as co-regent for decades with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra was an utterly captivating woman who was able to attract men of high importance, including the famous Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Although she was extremely beautiful, she was also exceptionally brilliant. The Pharaoh could speak various languages and even though she served as co-regent, she was the one who held most of the power during their reign. She used her intelligence and beauty to outsmart all the people around her to get what she wanted but these decisions ultimately led to her death in 30 bc (Herrell).

The director Will O’ Hare did an excellent job, he really kept the play alive, and he trained the actors very well. The acting was very well done; the audience could really feel the characters emotions, as if the audience were put through this situation. The actors also did not struggle with Shakespeare’s text; they all excel in making it sound like everyday talk. The setting was appropriate for the play but the message that they had expected really didn’t touch the audience that much. The lighting was well done because the lightening reflected the tone and theme of the scene. When the witches came on the stage, the lighting turned dimmer to emphasize evil and darkness. When the king and queen met, the lighting was bright to emphasize joy and happiness. . However, the lighting portrayed in other parts of the play was not good as it could have been. It truly didn’t go with the tone or theme of the play; it was just there to show the faces of the characters. Stage props were extremely well done, the smoke in the centre of the stage which involved the witches made the scene horrific, dramatic and sober. This was to make the audience feel dramatic and the scene represents evil. The rock that was on the stage also made the play well performed. The music was awesome, the drums that were used to make the sound and the witches humming really did have an affect in the play and this made the audience have an

A death of a hero; the fate chosen for the protagonist in most dramatic tragedies. Though, in William Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’, there are two characters that are given this outcome; Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus. With the most potential, the self-titled, Julius Caesar possesses the characteristics that label him as this Tragic Hero. Caesar’s tragic flaw is hubris when he acknowledges himself. The insight of others that observe Caesar, prove his high ranking. Caesar also struggles with internal conflict when he makes key decisions in the play. By examining his tragic flaw, high rank, and internal conflict, Julius Caesar is clearly the tragic hero in this tragedy.

When people read The Tragedy of Julius Caesar They might think Brutus or cassius is the tragic character with the worst flaw but in reality it is Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was supposed to be crowned on the ides of march which is March 15th, but was instead killed. Caesar was very ambitious and because of that a conspiracy formed and plotted against him. Julius was very bold and he mostly thought of only himself which was perceived as arrogant. There were many signs that showed Caesar his death but he dejected them and solely wanted to be king. Julius Caesar was supposed to be the king of rome but his ambition got in the way and blinded him of what was happening behind the scenes. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare tells a story of how a man’s ambition ended his life.

"She took a small boat, and one only of her confidants, Apollodorus, the Sicilian, along with her, and in the dusk of the evening landed near the palace. She was at a loss how to get in undiscovered, till she thought of putting herself into the coverlet of a bed and lying at length, whilst Apollodorus tied up the bedding and carried it on his back through the gates to Caesar's apartment. Caesar was first captivated by this proof of Cleopatra's bold wit, and was afterwards so overcome by the charm of her society that he made a reconciliation between her and her brother, on the condition that she should rule as his colleague in the kingdom." (The Life of Julius Caesar, Plutarch; translation by Dryden)

The play Julius Caesar performed in the theatre in the round, though captivating left the play confusing in some aspects. In this performance of Julius Caesar the time period was a bit confusion to pick out. Of course the original is supposed to be depicted in roman times of when there was a republic present as the government, but in many renditions of the play the director has changed the setting. The director of this play, Sara Becker, did not make it easy to pick out the intricate and general details of the performance. The theatre at which this play was performed was very small, which in a way made the audience feel even more a part of the act. The stage itself was simple, yet sophisticated in a way that it could be used for multiple

Cleopatra's dream has received minimal critical attention in the canon of Shakespearean scholarship and is completely overlooked even among the appreciations I like best (Harold Bloom's and Camille Paglia's), a curious fate for a passage that forces us to reprocess not only the Egyptian queen but her rambling, indigestible play as well. Difficulty isn't the problem; these critics' foci are comparatively subtler and practically impervious to unspecialized contemplation. How to explain, then, the agonizing struggle, especially at this crucial moment in the play, evinced by many of the best and most illustrious actresses of stage and screen who have braved the role? Perhaps the critic who expects--nay, hopes--that our most gifted actors will also necessarily be good or even merely adequate readers is dreaming. But to misunderstand Cleopatra's dream is to misunderstand Cleopatra; no serious, earnest interpreter of the part can botch this passage. (An impromptu recitation by Helen Mirren uploaded to Youtube proves the point: she purrs the lines warmly, flirtatiously, stuck as she is in the kittenish register that has, by now, become the default interpretation among Cleopatra's most flagrant misreaders. Mirren refuses to modulate; she doesn't understand that Cleopatra must mature in the span of these twenty lines or else the play capsizes.) A perfunctory analysis

From the moment he stepped foot into the [[San Bruno Primate Shelter]], Caesar always had the former circus orangutan, Maurice watching over him. Maurice watched from the sidelines when Caesar struggle to adjust to the shelter and found himself in an unnecessary fight with the alpha chimpanzee Rocket. After seeing Caesar's potential, Maurice decided to befriend the chimpanzee, showing him that he too could use sign language. Caesar happily took the orangutan's companionship and never once questioned him except over his ability to use sign on their first encounter.

The discrepancy between moral and ethical political beliefs have been in opposition with each other since the establishment of early political systems. The justification of actions in political society varies between ruler and subjects. A ruler might believe that certain actions are justified for the purpose of power and authority, while the subjects consider this inequitable. An argument may arise in the context of, if an individual should subject himself to the will of an incompetent and unjust ruler, because they say it is law. This is a prominent theme in the play Julius Caesar, as Shakespeare constitutes an arrogant and tyrannical leader named Julius Caesar. Throughout the duration of the play numerous people attempt to expose Caesar of his domineering and autocratic power. Among these men are two preeminent characters, Marcus Brutus and Caius Cassius. However, in comparison to Brutus, Cassius deserves to be the character memorialized and venerated as he asserts himself as a skillful Machiavellian leader that provides the ingenuity behind the plot to kill Caesar. In correlation, Brutus is perceived as the noblest Roman, yet is morally conflicted and intellectually incompetent throughout the duration of the play. This inevitably creates conflict and delays the recognition given to Cassius. Individually, the moral beliefs of each notable character can attest to the notion of who should be respected, criticized or forgotten.

When it comes down to identifying true friends, not everyone will show loyalty in the same way. In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Brutus and Antony have flaws and varying beliefs which led them down different paths, as well as individual ways of displaying this ardent behavior. Everyone has different faults or quirks that can get in the way and cause us to do some pretty hurtful things. But Shakespeare shows us that although these flaws produce bad outcomes, they might have more positive intentions. Brutus wants to help as many people as he could, whereas Antony believes that under Caesar, Rome could be great. So he decides to defend Caesar rather than join Brutus. They both have good intentions and chose the route they

In this essay i will discuss how act of Antony and Cleopatra prepare the audience for tragedy. Firstly the character of Antony is one of three who rule Rome after the assassination of Julius Caedar. But Antony’s popularity is shortlived, as Shakespeare’s audience discovers when Act I opens in Alexandria, Egypt, where Antony languishes under the spell of Cleopatra’s incomparable beauty and charm. She spends her every wile and witchery on binding his heart to hers—and the world and Rome be damned.Cleaopatra is the queen of Eqypt. The first three scenes of Act One all take place in Queen Cleopatra's palace, in Alexandria. They establish quickly the conflict between

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, set in the first century BCE, explores the conflicts of Caesar, Brutus and Cassius, as well as Antony as they vie for power during the age of Classical Rome. Caesar’s ambition is often times questioned and he labeled as a tyrant on multiple occasions, causing many conspirators to rise up against him. However, Caesar is presented with multiple warnings and omens to caution him of his impending death. Throughout his play, Shakespeare uses the repetition of Caesar overlooking these omens and supernatural events to establish Caesar’ s arrogance and insensibility as a leader.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Show me a hero and I’ll give write you a tragedy.” Since Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar Is a tragedy, this quote relates directly to it, being a tragedy that has heroes in it, or those that appear to be heroes. One element of tragedies is that in the cast, there is almost always a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a hero, usually a protagonist, that has some sort of fatal flaw that is the character’s downfall. However, there are two different tragic heroes in the play Julius Caesar. So, it may be a possibility that there are two different protagonists, or one be the protagonist over the other, but, on top of this, do the protagonists determine the title of the play?