Antony and Cleopatra: Difference between revisions

''Her infinite variety.''|Enobarbus, on Cleopatra 2.2.244}}

 

 

The play focuses on the tragic fall of Mark Antony, a Roman general, as he is seduced by Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Antony spends much of the play ignoring his duties as a general to Rome, while living it up in Alexandria with Cleo. Octavius Ceasar, nephew of Julius, is unhappy with this, because Rome is involved in a war with Pompey and could really use Antony's help. Antony leaves Alexandria for Rome, not realizing Octavius envies his power and plots to overthrow him when the war is over. Meanwhile, Cleopatra pines and beats up a messenger. And more stuff happens. The plot is extremely complicated; if you want the full story, go to Sparknotes or [[The Other Wiki]]. Or, you know, read/go see the play.

* [[Foil]]: While all of the characters have some foil to another character, the largest one is between the general attitudes of the Roman people and the Egyptian people, to the extent where Egypt embodies the id while Rome embodies the superego.

* [[Fortune Teller]]: The soothsayer.

* [[The Hedonist]]: Egypt's inhabitants exemplify this to some extent. Mark Antony, having lived in Egypt for a while now also seems to be holding these ideals closely.

{{quote| '''Mark Antony:''' There's not a minute of our lives should stretch/ Without some pleasure now.}}

'''Mark Antony:''' 'Tis so. And the tears of it are wet. }}

* [[Shoo Out the Clowns]]: Weirdly averted-- at the play's climax, after Antony has died and Cleopatra has decided to kill herself rather than be paraded to Rome as Octavius' trophy, she calls for someone to bring her some asps... and that someone is a Clown, who proceeds to make bawdy puns about the "worm" eating women. This happens ''right before Cleopatra kills herself''.

* [[Straight Man and Wise Guy]]: Alexas plays the straight man to Charmian's wise guy.

* [[The Extremist Was Right]]: Whilst Antony and Cleopatra are more sympathetic overall, it becomes increasingly difficult to argue that the world would be better off with them in charge rather than Caesar.

* [[Thinking Out Loud]]: Quite often. This is a Shakespeare play after all.

* [[Worthy Opponent]]: Pompey to the triumvirate. He refuses, for example, to kill the leading members when they're in a vulnerable position.

* [[Xanatos Gambit]]: Caesar pulls one in marrying his sister to Antony - if Antony is faithful, it breaks his influence in Egypt and binds him to Caesar. If he is not, it gives Caesar an excuse to go to war with him, as well as a propaganda coup.

* [[Your Cheating Heart]]: Antony is cheating on his wife back in Rome, Fulvia, with Cleopatra. The marriage wasn't exactly a happy one before Cleopatra came in either.