Discuss the attitudes to Cleop
Cleopatra is often described as a decadent foreign woman and a noble ruler. She is leader of Egypt, which is part of the Roman Empire. Cleopatra rules her people but has to answer to Rome. In the play Rome and Egypt are clearly define. Rome being defined by the typical male virtues of war and honor, and with Egypt expressing feminity; the River Nile representing fertility as it breeds life. Cleopatra is considered a beautiful woman who is also dangerous and subversive. The opening scene of the play shows that she is a woman to be feared and represents the common people’s views. Philo begins by framing the audience’s understanding of Cleopatra by complaining about Antony, who seems to be risking his reputation for his love of Cleopatra. They continue on to describe her as a lustful “gipsy” and this a running theme throughout the play, often being described in no uncertain terms as a "wrangling queen" (I.i.50), a "slave" (I.iv.19), an "Egyptian dish" (II.vi.123), and a "whore" (III.vi.67) and being some sort of witch that has made Antony “the noble ruin of her magic”. The reference to Mars (the god of war), the opening scene, shows that as a couple, Antony and Cleopatra are like gods and goddess, she being Venus
Act 4 Scene 12 shows Antony having to watch as the Egyptian fleet betrays him and defects to Caesar. Realising his predicament, Antony commands Scarus to order his army to flee. Alone, the general blames Cleopatra: she is a deadly enchantress who has "beguiled to the very heart of loss" (line twenty nine). When the queen enters, Antony drives her away, threatening to kill her for her betrayal. The following scene again shows Cleopatra seeking to have a control over Antony, that only she can possess. Unlike before, she chooses to take Charmian’s advice: “To the monument: there lock yourself, and send him word you are dead.” This drastically backfires, and Antony, in turn has fallen on his sword in attempt to kill himself on hearing word that she is dead. Antony is taken to see his Queen one last time before he dies and even when faced with her lover’s death, Cleopatra cannot not stop performing. The queen resolves that "Our size of sorrow, proportioned to our cause, must be as great as that which makes it," words that echo her opening lines, in which she begged Antony to outdo himself and all others with professions of love (IV.xvi.4–6). And even as Antony begins his dying words of: “I am dying, Egypt, dying. Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.” Cleopatra cannot resist and interrupts him with: “No, let me speak”. As the scene draws to close, the audience is forced to realize that Cleopatra’s relationship with Antony, although often involved play-acting, her love for him was real. Cleopatra realizes that life without Antony is dull and she might as well be a "maid that milks and does the meanest chares”. She considers her relationship with Antony to be like a lamp: “Our lamp is spent, it’s out.” Which is also a reference to Antony’s speech in Act 4 Scene 14, line forty- six: “Since the torch is out, lie down and stray no farther.” Cleopatra’s role in society at the time is often question and Shakespeare’s choice of play during that period is often linked to Elizabeth I, who had died three years previously (1603). Many traits found in Elizabeth are reflected in Cleopatra. The play could be seen as a reaction to the end of an extraordinary glittering age, the time of expansion and success and a reaction also to the new beginnings of James I, which could be considered a dull, unexciting period but stable nonetheless. Plays were, after all, the political portraiture of the seventeen
Some topics in this essay:
IVxvi4â€6 Antony,
Antony Cleopatra,
Antony Charmian,
Caesar Realising,
River Nile,
IIii196â€245 Cleopatra's,
Cleopatra Alexas,
Cleopatra’s Cleopatra,
Antony Queen,
Iiv19 Egyptian,
love antony,
cleopatra refuses accept,
real cleopatra,
antony cleopatra,
fulvia’s death,
play acting,
relationship antony,
4 scene,
refuses accept,
act 4 scene,
cleopatra refuses,
love cleopatra,
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Approximate Word count = 1655
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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