Natalie Gelderblom
Antony and Cleopatra
Themes
East vs West - Clash of values
Octavius embodies the West: logical, stoic, master of himself, discipline, strength, duty, honour,
self-restraint, unswerving loyalty to family and state
Cleopatra embodies the East: passion, desire, luxury,indulgence, beauty, opulence, allure
O@A “fishes, drinks, and wastes the lamps of night in revel”
E-A Fulvia “old smock” vs. Cleopatra “new petticoat“
O@A He admires Antony’s past as a military hero but resents his neglect of his duties in Rome
as the triumvirate “bear so great weight in his lightness”
Lacks loyalty to Rome- “he comes too short of that great property”
A“Let Rome in Tiber melt”
Swords - male pride and military strength
Honour
Antony
L@A “I must not think there are evils enough to darken all his goodness”
“glow’d like plated Mars”
“triple pillar of the world transform’d into a strumpets fool”
E@A “experience, manhood, honour never before did violate so itself” as Antony let love for
Cleopatra cloud his judgement and reason
A “if I lose mine honour, I lose myself”
→ tragic hero goes through catharsis and restores honour (or does he)
E@A “Still a Jove” - generosity to Enobarbus
Doesn’t kill himself successfully (ask Eros , then fail) → cowardly, undignified
O@A “the breaking of so great a thing should make a greater crack”
O@A “mate in empire” → “friend and companion in the front of war”
“A roman by a Roman valiantly vanquished”
Cleopatra
She knew she would be paraded “Egyptian puppet”
Commit suicide in “high Roman fashion” “make death proud to take us”
O@C“bravest at the last” → bravery, dignity
Pompey
P@M “Being done unknown, I should have found it afterwards well done”
Antony and Cleopatra
Themes
East vs West - Clash of values
Octavius embodies the West: logical, stoic, master of himself, discipline, strength, duty, honour,
self-restraint, unswerving loyalty to family and state
Cleopatra embodies the East: passion, desire, luxury,indulgence, beauty, opulence, allure
O@A “fishes, drinks, and wastes the lamps of night in revel”
E-A Fulvia “old smock” vs. Cleopatra “new petticoat“
O@A He admires Antony’s past as a military hero but resents his neglect of his duties in Rome
as the triumvirate “bear so great weight in his lightness”
Lacks loyalty to Rome- “he comes too short of that great property”
A“Let Rome in Tiber melt”
Swords - male pride and military strength
Honour
Antony
L@A “I must not think there are evils enough to darken all his goodness”
“glow’d like plated Mars”
“triple pillar of the world transform’d into a strumpets fool”
E@A “experience, manhood, honour never before did violate so itself” as Antony let love for
Cleopatra cloud his judgement and reason
A “if I lose mine honour, I lose myself”
→ tragic hero goes through catharsis and restores honour (or does he)
E@A “Still a Jove” - generosity to Enobarbus
Doesn’t kill himself successfully (ask Eros , then fail) → cowardly, undignified
O@A “the breaking of so great a thing should make a greater crack”
O@A “mate in empire” → “friend and companion in the front of war”
“A roman by a Roman valiantly vanquished”
Cleopatra
She knew she would be paraded “Egyptian puppet”
Commit suicide in “high Roman fashion” “make death proud to take us”
O@C“bravest at the last” → bravery, dignity
Pompey
P@M “Being done unknown, I should have found it afterwards well done”
