Shakespearian Lovers Antony and Cleo

The tragedy inherent in Antony and Cleopatra is that of the silencing of the pagan world and the conquest of romish Empire. Shakespeare is well awake of the historical and earth-transforming nature of the schism between Rome and Egypt, non-Jew and Empire worlds, and Antony and Octavius. The world was non as complex or as broad in scope as it is today. It was a time when one man, or as the case whitethorn be, two, could have total authority over the entire world. Thus, Antony and Octavius as friends and leaders represent the authority of basic whollyy the entire refine world. Their union symbolizes a "hoop" to support them "staunch from edge to edge/A' th' world," (II.ii. 115-16).

This is why it is so enticing to Pompey to think of the finish off of Antony and Octavius, an act that would allow him to become "lord of all the world," and in possession of "What e'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips," (II.vii. 61, 74). only of the main characters in the play conceivem to be awake(predicate) that the world is undergoing a transformation crisis, so-to-speak, and Antony's wife is well certain that an all-out battle between her husband and her brother, Octavius, would descrym "As if the world should cleave," (III.iv. 31). Yet, Antony's transaction to love is not chastised by Shakespeare same(p) it is most Romans. Shakespeare understands the rich, exotic, fertile world of the pagan culture in Egypt and the Venus-like enticement of Cleopatra. However, he also understands that in

order for peace to occur, and Christian ideology, Octavius and Rome mustiness ultimately win in the struggle between Roman duty and pagan sensuality. This is why he describes Antony's losses in the battle of Actium as representing his loss of "half the bulk o' th' world," (III.xi. 64).

This is not to say that Shakespeare portrays Antony as being unfaithful to Rome or not being firmly aware of where his real "duty" lays. The tragedy of the character is that face that Antony cannot resist being tearaway(a) and acting on his current feelings and emotions, i.e., his disregard for his wife, his seduction by Cleopatra's feminine wiles, and his decision to turn and follow her in the midst of battle.

The tragedy of Antony is that he does not understand what Octavius does-that this is not close to some rebellious territory, some infidelity, or some grapple between lust and duty-it is for the future of the entire world, indeed, perhaps for all of mankind. Antony loses his battle between duty to his country and the fulfillment of his avouch emotional needs because he becomes seduced by the peaceful, exotic, sensual Egyptian existence. It makes him myopic in the sense that he loses his conviction and payload to be a leader of the entire civilized world. Octavius never loses this single-minded purpose or conviction, and, he is well aware that Antony has forgotten his larger purpose in life-defending the Roman Empire. We see this when he admits he is aware of Pompey's advantage while Antony lies in lustful isolation, "Let his shames quickly/drive him to Rome. ?Tis time we coupling/Did show ourselves I' th' field, and to that end/Assemble [we] immediate council. Pompey/Thrives in our idleness," (I.iv. 73-76). We see that Octavius is more than insightful in these statements, because, Pompey is well aware that his opposite is so smitten with the charms of Egypt that he is disinterested even in war, "?Mark Antony in Egypt sits at dinner, and will make/No wars without-doors," (II.i.
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