 |
| From a RSC 2013 Production: Photo by Zuleika Henry (zuleikahenry.co.uk) |
For Monday: Shakespeare, Antony
Answer TWO of the
following:
Q1: In some respects,
Cleopatra is portrayed in the manner of The Wife of Bath, a strong-willed woman
with very specific ideas about how to rule a man. Where do we see this in Act
One? Do you feel Shakespeare is parodying such a woman, or is she given the
same strength and dignity as Chaucer’s heroine?
Q2: In the beginning of
Act I, Philo notes that “sometimes when he is not Antony,/He comes too short of
that great property/Which still should go with Antony” (9). How is Antony
Q3: Why does Caesar call Antony Antony
Q4: Though Antony and Cleopatra is largely spoken in verse—in keeping with its historical characters and setting—the beginning of Act 1, Scene 2 is almost entirely in prose (until Cleopatra enters). Why is this? How does this scene sound and read differently than Act 1, Scene 1? Try to read it out loud to ‘hear’ the difference.
Q1: Cleopatra is a very strong-willed, independent woman. She rules her own kingdom! In Act 1, Scene 3 she plays with Antony. First she says she'd like to see him and sends someone to find him. She tells the messenger "if you find him sad, say I am dancing; if in mirth, report that I am sudden sick" (lines 3-5). When the messenger questions her methods, Cleopatra says "Thou teaches like a fool: the way to lose him" (10). She knows how to make men fall in love; she also knows well how to control them. She makes this very clear in this passage. Shakespeare plays with her description. When Antony refers to Cleopatra, it is with admiration and awe. When Enobarbus, however, speaks of Cleopatra, he illustrates her as a woman who has many lovers. I think Cleopatra, overall, is more empowered. She is the ruler of Egypt, she can control Antony (one of the three pillars of the world), and she has controlled many other powerful men (like Caesar).
ReplyDeleteQ3: Antony lets his political duties fall inferior to his love life. In Act 1, Scene 1 Philo and Demetrius open the play by speaking about the "...dotage of our Gerneral's/ O'erflows the measure" (lines 1-2). They believe Antony's infatuation with Cleopatra is foolish and is interfering with his duties as a leader. Caesar is not alone. Even Antony's own soldiers are shocked and annoyed with his behavior.
Yes, great response: she has tremendous power and authority, and isn't above abasing herself with childish displays (or "dying," as Enobarbus calls it) to get the upper hand. and yet, she is losing...she can't be his wife, Antony will inevitably return to Rome, and she will have to find another lover, never able to truly own any one man--much as Caesear left her in the past.
DeleteQ1: I believe it is a combination of heroism and a parody. Cleopatra's second opening line states that she will the limit to how much Antony may love her establishing a control and strong will designated for a queenship or dominance of her "husband." This quick and short insight gives a precedence of what to expect from her character, sort of a first impression kind of basis. She also treats Antony like a pup. Giving him guidance on what he should do regarding the messengers sent to him, yet he follows her, ignoring them and playing house. This impression gives the strong role in favor of Cleopatra, representing her in the authority and power of the relationship. Not to mention Antony is forty-two years of age and should be taking his role up as a commander rather than a "squire" in love.
ReplyDeleteQ2: Antony, in Shakespeare's play, appears to be a lustful man simply seeking his own lustful desires rather than focusing on the task at hand, securing Caesar's empire and protecting it. He seems to be a selfish man indulging in whatever satisfies his urges and desires while also engaging in a folly to Cleopatra's enticement. His relationship to Cleopatra, I perceive as to be a whimpering dog just begging another in heat. He is as to a peon only chasing the village harlot for carnal relations. His lovestruck appearance leaves him appearing as weak and lacks in his role as a general of the Romans. He is not taking up his role and treating his position under Caesar seriously. He doesn't hold the respect to the emperor seriously and acts without conscious.
Great responses...both figures are equal measures heroic and comic, though I think Cleopatra, for all her caprices, comes out better. She is not above acting foolish to win him or to get the upper hand, but she's remarkably consistent throughout, with only one clear goal--him. Antony is waffling, wanting to be a good husband/Roman, while really only wanting to be with her (whom he will never marry). I think on one level Shakespeare is making a mockery of the classical history, suggesting that behind every myth are a pair of very human--and petty--lovers. But also he's interested in showing us a powerful queen who remains an innocent, who believes in love, and is frankly surpried when she realizes she can't ever really have what she wants in a Roman world.
Delete1. Cleopatra, while very much in control, is also not entirely in control of herself. Her whims are more childlike than that of a queen ruling a country. Even if that country views monarchy as the closest thing to the gods on earth. She wants all the attention Anthony can give, and receives it, and proceeds to play. When he goes, his mailbox is essentially flooded with letters reminding him of her.
ReplyDelete2. Anthony is seen as less than himself because his actions around Cleopatra do not reflect the man his soldiers and peers respect. He dotes on Cleopatra in such a way that he is no longer the steadfast pillar of manly virtue. Typically the affection given is reversed, the lady being besotted and the man retaining control. And control is very important with high ranking officers.
Kenia Starry
This is a fascinating dynamic, because she technically ranks higher than him--a Queen!--but he is from the nation that controls Egypt. He's also a man, and she is not just a woman, but a "dark" woman--one that is seen as little better than a "gipsy" to most Romans. She wants to be more to him, and she wants to erase any sense that she is inferior to his wife...but she knows he'll always go back to her to keep up appearances. He'll never truly sacrifice himself for her.
Deleteq1. Cleopatra, so far, has presented herself as a woman in charge who happens to have a love interest. It's obvious that she controls Antony the same way she is in control of her land. She's kind of deceiving even; in act 1 scene 3 she acknowledges Fulvia as Antony's wife and she's being stubborn--refusing to let Antony speak because she's letting him have her mind. Lines 13-41 are made up entirely of Cleopatra essentially griping at Antony and not letting him speak even though what he had to say was important and could have saved her all that effort. This portion makes me feel like her character will be a lot like Wife of Bath because we know that WoB couldn't keep her mouth shut either! They're both very controlling and demanding of men.
ReplyDeleteq3. When Caesar says Antony is an abstract of all faults, he's saying he's the victim of himself--his own enemy. It's Caesar's carelessness and priorities that will hurt him in the end. He has his love life at the top of his totem and everyone is frustrated with him for it.
Great responses...I like the abbreviation WoB! But also, she is someone who realizes the importance of controlling the conversation, and not allowing a man the time to mount an offensive (which is why she keeps him on the defensive). Yet, as we see, she is deeply fearful of losing her power and is not nearly as in control as she hopes--after all, she knows he will never marry her, and knowing that she's the mistress and not the wife will only take her so far,
DeleteQ1: Cleopatra is a very independent, determined woman. She knows how to play with men, especially Antony, and uses that to her full advantage. She tells Antony what to do with the messengers that are sent his way. Whenever she is around Antony, he is in awe. When he is away, she floods his mail with letters to remind him of her. Antony speaks well of Cleopatra, however Enobarbus says she is a woman with many lovers. I would agree that Act 1 is showing her dominance. She is able to control influential men and use that to her advantage. Such as Antony and Caesar.
ReplyDeleteQ3: Antony is being accused of his love life coming before his political duties, and Ceasar makes sure to point this out. Among Ceasar, his soldiers are also in shock to his fixation with Cleopratra. They believe it is foolish. However, the outcome for Ceasar and Antony might be very different based on what they place first in their life.
Casady Burns
Great responses...she revels in her power over him, and yet, we are also allowed to see her struggling at it. It doesn't come naturally, and she has to work at it, constantly questioning herself and even losing her cool and blowing all the work she tried so hard to achieve. This makes her more interesting and human, if somewhat less mythic.
ReplyDelete