Shakespeare’s Presentation of Rome and Egypt in Antony and Cleopatra

Because there was no longer any siblings to get in Cleopatra’s way or give her the burden of trying to overthrow her kingdom, Cleopatra was able to rule independently. She was free to do what she wanted, which turned out to be a positive thing for Egypt. She achieved what others couldn't and boosted Egypt’s economy. She had broken almost 300 years of Ptolemaic rules that had been filled with rebellion, riots and high taxes but the people of Alexandria still liked her. She lowered taxes for the farmers in hope that many wood work harder to produce large amount of grain. She knew she would be in an advantageous position if she has a stable kingdom that produced excess grain and food.

Shakespeare’s experiences in the social and political world influenced his writing and ideas, in particular he created a parallelism between the Elizabethan Era he lived in and the ancient Roman Empire. The Elizabethan Era was a period in which England was prospering as a country and advancing in all aspects of its economy. This did not come without conflicts, in fact the differences in morals and religious values caused tension among the state. At this time Shakespeare wrote two of his Roman plays: Titus Andronicus and Antony and Cleopatra. The plays take place in Ancient Rome, at a time where Eastern moral and political values were deemed superior to all others. Rome is depicted as a strong military force in which the leaders are struggling to find peace. The Roman culture in Antony and Cleopatra and Titus Andronicus was one of Western superiority and military supremacy, leading to frequent internal conflicts and political distress among opponent empires. The Roman inability to welcome opposing ideologies, lead to extreme instability and the inevitable collapse of the empire. Shakespeare highlights that the same beliefs of superiority and invincibility that brought Romans prosperity, will also bring them destruction.

Antony shows his nobility by avenging the death of Caesar, staying loyal to Caesar all the

She teases him, “if it be love indeed, tell me how much.” Antony replies “then most thou needs find out new heaven, new earth” in order to contain his love. This shows the extents of his love for her. Furthermore, Antony refers to them as “a mutual pair” and says, “We stand up peerless.” This is repetition, highlighting that it is all about him and Cleopatra being together. They stand together, however, in contrast they also fall together. By the end of the play, both Antony and Cleopatra have killed themselves; Antony falls upon his sword after hearing news of Cleopatra’s death. When Cleopatra, who in reality is alive, finds out about Antony’s death, she too kills

Antony’s character is rooted in his sense of self, for the most part in his heroism and virtues. He prides himself on his honor, declaring, “If I loose mine honor, I lose myself.” Antony’s struggle is his inability to choose between his virtues and Cleopatra. Though he fears his loss of power, he is trapped by his obsession with Cleopatra.

Shakespeare’s play, Antony and Cleopatra, shows this juxtaposition of the East and West as well, especially through the characters in the play. The opulence and sensuality of the East is personified by Cleopatra, whereas the moral solidity and observance of duty is beheld in Octavius. Mark Antony is torn between the two ideals, his duty as a Roman, and his obvious desire to indulge in the hedonistic way of the East.

Deliberately falsifying information for personal gain causing an ensuing conflict is a motif clearly contrived within William Shakespeare’s tragedy Antony and Cleopatra. Deception is represented within the protagonist, the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, a tempting seductress who has a false relationship with Antony only for personal motives. Within the play Cleopatra fabricates illnesses, deceives Antony’s love through her betrayal at sea and likens Caesar to a god, Antony’s enemy, all to achieve attention and advance politically. Created in 1606 during the Elizabethan era the characters within the play are based on an imaginary and partially real concept of historical characters. Shakespeare showcases Cleopatra as a woman unlike many of the time, holding power over man. In the visual representation a mask, ships on a stormy sea and a serpent are used to represent the act of deception. Antony’s fatal attraction to the queen, and Cleopatra’s hidden desires bind the two together to create a falsified love on public display that is fueled by deception.

Antony goes out of his way to argue for and defend Caesar at his funeral by giving a speech to the people, “...I thrice presented him a kingly crown/ Which he did thrice refuse...You all did love him once, not without cause:/What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?” (3.2.97-106). He tells the people that he was more honorable than Brutus made him out to be, and that under his rule Rome would have prospered. Even though Antony does these things, later on in the play he starts doing more for himself rather than for Caesar’s legacy. He swears vengeance on the people, even after he knows that Caesar loved them. He believes he is helping Caesar and “getting vengeance’, but in reality he is just betraying Caesar’s values without realizing.

Philo, one of Antony’s loyal friend and partner in war, has seen Antony going from one respectable soldier to then abandoning his everything about the empire upon meeting Cleopatra. He is not confident into which category Antony fits into. (5.1) Many roles are played by Antony; therefore we see different sides of the argument. Antony can claim greatness for serving the needs of his country and his empire as fighter and as a leader. He can be seen as equal as Caesar, as he commits suicide, seen as a honourable thing to do. Antony’s once loyal and heroic background all changes when he comes across Cleopatra. A once great military reader is now in decline due to her charm and bewitching nature. The first sign we see this occurring is when

Antony is a seasoned leader—a leader with charisma, experience and resolve—he enjoys the admiration of his soldiers and the Roman citizens, as we find out from the conversation between Lepidus and Caesar the other two leaders of Rome. They show the reader how Antony was before he met Cleopatra 'Thou didst drink the stale of horses and the gilded puddle' this suggests that Antony used to drink horses urine and filthy water to keep him going in his battle which shows his dedication to the country. However, as Caesar suggests that Antony has changed ' This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes the lamp of night in revel' which suggests that Antony is corrupt and he wastes his nights wheras he should be supporting his country and being more responsible. This might prepare the audience for tragedy as Antony's behaviour may cause conflict between Caesar and Antony as Caesar praises Antony for how he used to be and makes him angry seeing Antony being irresponsible now and as readers it makes us think that the attitude of Caesar towards Antony may cause conflict in the upcoming or rather there could be conflict between Antony and Caesar involving Cleopatra.

Antony’s character only makes a few brief appearances in this play. He was a high-ranked soldier in the Roman Army. The credibility and intelligence he has to gain power is very interesting. Looking back at how the citizens react, they actually attentively listen, to him shows how much they trust his word and opinion. “Fear him not, Caesar; he's not dangerous/He is a noble Roman and well given.”(I.2.288)

In the playwright Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, Marc Antony appears to be a strong advocate for Julius Caesar’s triumphs for more power. However, like Caesar, Antony is extremely manipulative and powerful. After Caesar’s death, Antony persuaded the conspirators into trusting that he understood their intentions on executing Caesar and later asked if he could speak at Caesar’s funeral. While Brutus and the conspirators remained fooled by Antony’s innocence, Antony took the initiative to inform the citizens of Rome on the conspirator’s horrendous actions towards Julius Caesar, their beloved leader. Caesar’s funeral was a time of reflection on the citizens of Rome as Marc Antony questioned their allegiance to Brutus. Marc Antony’s power has always been a part

Just like the Europeans of Shakespeare’s time, the Romans in the play viewed Cleopatra and the race of people she represented as mysterious and were curious about them, yet were wary at the same time. There was a combination of both xenophobia and xenophilia among the people of Europe, and these mixed emotions are detailed in the contrast between the Roman’s view of Cleopatra and the way she actually behaves during the play. There is a difference between the Egyptian culture in the minds of the Romans within the play and the culture that is actually depicted in the play, but there is a clear influence of the European views of the Egyptian lifestyle in Shakespeare’s work. Despite this influence however, Cleopatra proves the stereotypes wrong by being more “Roman” than Mark Antony.

Love, as an enduring theme in Shakespeare’s work, is often represented in a particular way. Oppositions between passion and reason, romance and reflection, emotion and renitence all facilitate a necessary expressiveness. It tends to result in a carpe diem approach with a focus on intensity and openness, the representation of love and the way lovers interact in the plays is rarely blunt or stale. However, in Antony and Cleopatra a different kind of dynamic emerges. This new dynamic conveys a sense of maturity and could even be described as a lower-key love. The feelings expressed by Antony are without doubt those belonging to a man in love, however they never overwhelm, and this kind of love remains a part of a plurality of voices in the play. In order to achieve a deeper understanding of the subtleties that belong to this representation of romantic love and desire, it is important to analyse and look at the behaviour of the characters in the play; their action, language, and forms of response.

Antony and Cleopatra is a work written by William Shakespeare. This work tells the story of the relationship between Mark Antony and Cleopatra the beginning of the Parthian War to Cleopatra's suicide. The play was first performed circa 1607 probably at the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre by the King's Men. This tragedy set in Rome and Egypt. Cleopatra is a woman who is seduced and has the charm of an attractive, who was born in 69 SM. Personality she used to get what she wants. Antony and Cleopatra, one of literature’s great masterpieces. Full of romance, passion, and betrayal, don’t miss this intimate tale of two legendary lovers whose desires shaped the destiny of the world.