Antony and Cleopatra, Act 1. In your assigned scene, find two seemingly disparate lines and explain how they actually work together.
Zeke, 1.1
At the beginning of the play Antony swoons over Cleopatra
and attempts to explain how much she means to him after she says, “If it be
love indeed, tell me how much” (AC 1.1.15).
While seemingly unconnected, Antony’s response to a summon from Caesar
shows not only how he tries to grant her earlier request but also reveals his
true feelings about Cleopatra. Complaining
about the messenger, Antony says, “Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide arch /
Of the ranged empire fall. Here is my
place” (AC 1.1.36-37). He uses the intrusion as an attempt to
further pronounce his affection for the queen, explaining that the empire is of
no consequence compared to her.
His dialogue also bares similarity
to the Cleopatra’s earlier line. In both
instances, the person tries getting what they want verbally. This alludes to future circumstances in the
play where characters say one thing and then do something else. For example, Antony agrees to marry another
even though he has just professed his feelings for Cleopatra. This also brings up speculation as to whether
Antony actually loves her as much as he says he does. If he truly did, he would have heard from
Caesar’s messenger immediately when Cleopatra asked him to. As the old saying goes, actions speak louder
than words. However, instead he chose to
complain about the intrusion and sidestep her request by flattering her. In this way, he is actually looking out for
his own self-interests and not Cleopatra’s.
Abbey 1.2
This scene starts out with
Cleopatra’s two attendants, Charmin and Iras, asking a
fortune-teller to reveal their futures. They are told they have the same
fortune. Charming is furious and tells the fortune-teller off. Then Cleopatra
comes into the room complaining that Antony, her lover, is now going to Rome
again and not coming home. She sends a follower after him, but then changes her
mind. He is coming back first so she runs to hide from him. A messenger then
appears to give Anthony a message about loosing the battle, and says he has
another message, however he doesn't really want to give that message. Anthony
tells him to and he tells him that Anthony’s wife,
Fulvia, is dead. The follower that Cleopatra sent after Anthony arrives and
tries to comfort him. However Anthony things that his wondering mind, and
commitment to Cleopatra is the reason his wife is dead. Anthony then leaves and
returns to Rome.
The
first line, or rather lines I choose was:
“Our
worser thoughts heavens mend. Alexas! (to SOOTHSAYER )
Come, his
fortune,
his fortune! Oh, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I
beseech
thee, and let her die too, and give him a worse, and let worse follow
worse,
till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold!
Good
Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight,
good
Isis, I beseech thee!” (1.2.64-71)
The
second line I choose was:
“Fulvia
thy wife is dead.” (1.2.131)
The
reason I choose these two lines is because while they may seem unrelated they
come together quite nicely. The first set of lines is spoken by Charmin. She is
very mad that her and Iras have the same fortunes. She then wishes that
Fortune-teller will marry someone he can not satisfy, she will cheat on him,
and then she dies. Iras does responds, and agrees, saying that he will get the
fortune he deserves. I related it to the second line because moments after this
all happens Anthony gets the news that his wife is dead. Here is Charmin and
Iras, who are Cleopatra’s attendants wishing death to
a man’s wife. Then moments later Cleopatra’s lover gets the news his wife is dead. To me this
seems like Shakespeare is setting this up for something, either that or it was
complete coincidence… But one will never know.
Also they are wishing a cheating spouse on a man, saying it is the worse thing
a spouse can do, when they know that their mistress is sleeping with a married
man and he is a cheater. It all seems condescending when they know what is
happening with Anthony and Cleopatra.
Laura 1.3
In
1.3, Cleopatra is looking for Antony and asks her attendant Alexas to find him.
In instructing Alexas to retrieve Antony, she says “I did not send you. If you
find him sad,/ Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report/ That I am sudden sick” (1.3.4-6).
Cleopatra gives Alexas opposing states of being to report to Antony, but this
is in line with her volatile and manipulative nature. Her instructions seem
contradictory, but ultimately whatever Alexas tells Antony, it is intended to direct
his attention back to Cleopatra, and perhaps also to create trouble. She cannot
be satisfied by an even-keeled relationship with Antony. Rather, she seems to
thrive off of creating disharmony between the two of them and provoking
Antony’s anger. Her other attendant Charmian recognizes this, and advises
Cleopatra that the way she treats Antony is probably not the best strategy for
getting him to love her in return. She suggests that Cleopatra instead submit
to Antony on every front, always letting him have his way. Cleopatra disagrees:
“Thou teachest like a fool the way to lose him” (1.3.10). Cleopatra believes that an overly-theatrical game of cat-and-mouse is
the best way to keep Antony’s affection. She demonstrates her tactic when
Antony enters the scene and she suddenly becomes standoffish, telling him to
stand farther away, insisting he’s betrayed her, and calling him a liar. She
taunts him when he says that he must go, telling him that his love is fickle
and that he has forgotten her. Though Antony seems to become angry with her,
the scene resolves with Cleopatra acknowledging the game she’s been playing and
asking Antony’s forgiveness, and she wishes him victory. Despite Charmian’s
warning, Cleopatra’s method seems to work, at least for now—Antony takes his
leave, but says that even as he goes, his heart remains with Cleopatra.
Kayla 1.4
“Our great
competitor: from Alexandria/This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes
The lamps of night in revel; is not more
man-like/Than Cleopatra;”- Octavius
“Let
his shames quickly/Drive him to Rome: 'tis time we twain”. –Octavius
Both
of these lines, spoken by Octavius Caesar to Lepidus, are referencing to
Antony. Caesar is upset and annoyed that Antony is currently spending his time living
by Cleopatra’s side living in a luxurious and wasteful lifestyle. He condemns
Antony, but at the same time with the second line he hopes that news of war
will spur Antony into action and he will return home where Octavius hopes that
he can train Antony to be a better soldier and leader. This is preceding of course the events that
will ultimately lead to a war between Octavius and Cleopatra, where Antony will
ultimately side with Cleopatra against his fellow kinsman. Shakespeare’s take
on these events truly is interesting, as it makes Octavius and Antony’s
relationship seem all the more personal and tragic. However the depiction of
Cleopatra in all of this seems a bit stereotypical and depicts her as a jealous
seductive woman. She is charismatic and intimidating but at the same time seems
childish and overtly manipulative. That’s not to say that Cleopatra herself was
not manipulative considering her history, but Shakespeare portrayal makes her
seem more like a vixen versus a cunning ruler. Nevertheless this act is
foreshadowing the final conflict of this play.
Isabelle 1.5
In Shakespeare’s play, Antony and Cleopatra,
in act one scene five, Cleopatra contradicts herself, more specifically about
Antony. The statesman has just left her as civil war is about to break out in
Rome. He has also just found out that his wife Flavia is dead. Cleopatra
expresses her distress at his departure to her eunuch Mardian and Charmian.
Then the messenger Alexas arrives and gives Cleopatra a pearl with a message
from Antony. Cleopatra is so troubled that she has sent nearly twenty
messengers herself to Antony, on a daily basis, and says she will do so even if
it means she sends everyone from Egypt, leaving no population. It all seems so
over the top and deep or at least desperate love.
However, from one of the quotations I
chose, I believe it is more desperate than anything. Cleopatra refers to her
previous affairs with Caesar and Pompey, those of similar statute to Antony.
Within the same scene, she tells Alexas not to compare Antony to Caesar. This
is contradictory in that Cleopatra mentioned him herself, asking if she loved
Caesar like this, begging for a comparison. Cleopatra is the only one allowed
to say anything about Caesar as she does not like what her attendants have to
say on the matter. With or without Cleopatra trying to look at Caesar and
Antony side by side, there are definite similarities. It seems as if Cleopatra may
not be over Caesar.
In the first quote, “Broad-fronted Caesar, / When thou wast here
above the ground, I was / A morsel for a monarch. And great Pompey / Would
stand and make his eyes grow in my brow. / There would he anchor his aspect,
and die / With looking on his life. (1.1.31-36),” Cleopatra refers to previous
affairs almost fondly. She recalls aspects of how they looked and how she was
fit to be with a king. This belief is not lost in her romance with Antony, who
has a lot of political stout and later becomes one of the three to rule part of
the kingdom.
Though
Cleopatra again names Caesar, she threatens to hurt anyone that dares compare
him to Antony. “By
Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth / If thou with Caesar paragon again / My
man of men. (1.1.73-75).” Despite the pugnaciousness of this claim, she is
greatly exaggerating and this is just a continuation of her complaints.
Cleopatra mentions Caesar in comparison with Antony more than once in this
scene but threatens to hurt anyone else that does so. Even though they are no
longer lovers, Cleopatra is very possessive of Caesar similar to how she is
reluctant to let Antony leave. Cleopatra may not be willing to let others see
what Caesar and Antony have in common, but it is happening whether she likes it
or not.
