This is my
second Shakespearean tragedy after Julius Caesar, and while we are still
entertained with wars—though not as flourish as Julius Caesar’s—we are also
spoiled with stories of love and lust, loyalty and betrayal, nobleness and
dirty politics; all bitters-and-sweets in human’s live.
I believe
Antony was a great general, he fight with his soldiers; not just watched and
gave orders from the camp (compare this with Octavius who pointed Agrippa to
lead the army), and for that his soldiers loved and respected him—well at least
before he was crazy. He was a gentleman of his time, always treated his
soldiers fairly, and his friends loyally. However—as every man must have his weakness—Antony
could not resist love charm; and in this case, the charm has a name: Cleopatra,
the queen of Egypt.
From the
beginning of the play we can see that Cleopatra was an obsessive woman, she
kept asking Antony how much he loved her. If one does not know her reputation,
one might think she was just like any other silly young girl who was in love.
But I believe this was not the case of Cleopatra. I think she was an ambitious,
self-possessed and even cunning woman—you could not become a queen at that time
if you did not possess those qualifications—and for her, to keep her throne was
more important than to win a man’s heart. I think, after Caesar’s death,
Cleopatra needed an allegiance to protect her interests, and she had chosen
Antony.
On the
contrary, Mark Antony had really fallen in love and trapped into Cleopatra’s
charm, that he neglected his duty as the ruler of one third of the world,
leaving the young ambitious Octavius worked alone (with Lepidus) in Rome for
his own interests. This was Antony’s biggest fault, to let his heart controlled
his brain. However, with a woman so charming and determined like Cleopatra,
it’s difficult for Antony to avoid his faith.
 |
Cleopatra on the Terraces of Philae
by Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1896 |
I loved this
play a lot, it has all you can ask for an exciting reading; history, romances,
politics, wars and witty dialogues now and then. I always love Roman history,
so I don’t have any trouble of loving this one too, plus I think I’m a new fan
of Mark Antony, although Cicero is still (for me) the best. One thing I don’t
like from this play, is how Cleopatra was portrayed here by Shakespeare. I
think, except for once or twice when she was really angry and in the last
chapters, one will think Cleopatra was a spoiled teenager who was madly in
love.
I am still wondering
whether Cleopatra had betrayed Antony as Antony had accused her. If not, why
had the Egyptian deserted their master twice, first in Actium battle, second
near Alexandria? And Cleopatra never gave Antony any reason why she had
instructed her army to abandon him in Actium, nor did she defend herself when
Antony accused her after the last battle; she just left him and hid in the
monument.
Assuming
that Cleopatra was innocent and she hid herself merely afraid of Antony’s rage,
why did she send her eunuch to tell Antony that she had died, but then sent
another messenger to say that she was still actually alive? Did she send the
first one because she knew how Antony would react if he heard about her
death—thus keeping her promise to Caesar; then sent the second one because she
was in fact still in love to him? Oh what a complicated woman!
The label of
“hero of this play” I think must be granted to Eros, who—when was instructed by
Antony to kill him—chose to end his own life because he could not kill his own
master, but he did not want to disobey him either. Antony did not have the
courage to kill himself and must ask his men’s help, but Eros stabbed himself
without any doubt. Antony killed himself as a result of his own conducts, but
Eros killed himself merely of his infinite loyalty to his master.
“My dear master,
My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke,
farewell.
(stabs
himself) Thus I do escape the sorrow
Of Antony’s death.”
I have
enjoyed this play until Mark Antony died. After that, it’s like an anticlimax
for me. I did not really want to know how Cleopatra will end her life (for I
had already know the facts), and what Octavius would do. Act V was the most
boring part of this play, and for that—and for absurdity in Cleopatra’s manner—I
granted four stars for Antony and Cleopatra. Although this play was slightly
interesting than Julius Caesar, but all in all, I liked Julius Caesar more.
You can read my post for each act:
Act I -
Act II -
Act III -
Act IV -
Act V
