“Cleopatra Is Using Her Devious Sexual Charms to Gain Access to the Power and Privilege of a Superpower for Her Own Aggrandizement and to Preserve Her Country’s Autonomy.” Discuss.
Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra is a play rife with ambiguity. Cleopatra’s character is, in itself, presented as a “glorious riddle, whose dazzling complexity continually mocks and eludes us”#; her unpredictable moods and multilateral persona constantly keep us guessing, and leave us uncertain as to the real motivations behind her words and actions. Many parallels can be drawn between Cleopatra, and Elizabeth I of England, who was renowned for her fiery temperament and for being ’the virgin Queen‘. Cleopatra is by no stretch of the imagination presented as a virgin, but both are seen, at least at times, as being strong, intelligent women, willing to use their assets to manipulate people to their individual advantages.
Shakespeare ensures that we, as audience, are fully aware that Antony’s character has been completely changed since his meeting Cleopatra; indeed, the play’s first scene is centred around the fact that he, who once had a “captain’s heart”, has “been transformed into a strumpet’s fool” by her. We are left with no doubt that Cleopatra is in control of the pair’s relationship. She has “pursed up his heart” (II.ii), and he has sat back watching her, stunned into submission by the “rare”, intoxicating quality that she appears to behold. She is portrayed at several instances as an enchantress, who has made Antony “the noble ruin of her magic” (III.x), her hold over him is so strong. Antony is torn between his responsibilities as a member of the triumvirate, and his passionate love for Cleopatra. When he is around her, he appears completely besotted by her, unable to acknowledge any other responsibilities or duties that he may have (“Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall!” - I.i ); however, he does seem to understand that their relationship is becoming detrimental to him, worrying in I.ii that he will “lose [him]self in dotage”, and resolving to break “these strong Egyptian fetters” that she is trapping him in.
Despite
Shakespeare ensures that we, as audience, are fully aware that Antony’s character has been completely changed since his meeting Cleopatra; indeed, the play’s first scene is centred around the fact that he, who once had a “captain’s heart”, has “been transformed into a strumpet’s fool” by her. We are left with no doubt that Cleopatra is in control of the pair’s relationship. She has “pursed up his heart” (II.ii), and he has sat back watching her, stunned into submission by the “rare”, intoxicating quality that she appears to behold. She is portrayed at several instances as an enchantress, who has made Antony “the noble ruin of her magic” (III.x), her hold over him is so strong. Antony is torn between his responsibilities as a member of the triumvirate, and his passionate love for Cleopatra. When he is around her, he appears completely besotted by her, unable to acknowledge any other responsibilities or duties that he may have (“Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall!” - I.i ); however, he does seem to understand that their relationship is becoming detrimental to him, worrying in I.ii that he will “lose [him]self in dotage”, and resolving to break “these strong Egyptian fetters” that she is trapping him in.
Despite