Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

What does this passage tell us about Plutarch's view of the effect of Cleopatra on Antony, and how does this viewpoint relate to the wider Roman perspective on Cleopatra and Egypt?

This passage depicts one of the rare leisure moments involving Antony and Cleopatra in an otherwise a masterpiece work of tragedy by Shakespeare. This passage depicts that both Antony and Cleopatra are having a good time while in Alexanderia, the city which at that time, was the cultural hub of Egypt (Shakespeare, 1995).

Shakespeare took the story of Antony and Cleopatra from a translation of Plutarch but refashioned it into a complex rendering of a corruption that ennobles as it destroys. The play may lack the single, poignant representative character of the great tragedies, but it extends its significance by taking the whole world for its canvas.

As a tragic figure, Antony leaves much to be desired. His actions are little more than a series of vacillations between commitment to a set of responsibilities that are his by virtue of his person and office and submission to the overpowering passion that repeatedly draws him back to Cleopatra's fatal influence. His nobility is of an odd sort (Shakespeare, 1995).

Plutarch, like Octavian, blamed Cleopatra for Antony's negligence towards his duties. However, Plutarch would not hold Cleopatra solely responsible for his neglect of Rome. To illustrate Cleopatra's power, Plutarch uses diction such as "captured Antony" and "spirited away by Cleopatra". On the other hand, he illustrates Antony's free will in his decision to spend time away from his responsibilities. Plutarch mentions that Fulvia, Antony's wife, used actual force of arms to fight Octavian in Rome to maintain her husband's quarrels. This serves to demonstrate his abandonment, his lack of military force in comparison to his wife, and his unfaithfulness. In addition, Plutarch's choices of words to depict Antony's actions illustrate him as spoiled and immature. Phrases such as "he enjoyed the games and pastimes of a child at play" and "squandered unbelievable sums" reinforce Plutarch's notion that Cleopatra is not solely responsible for Antony turning his back on Rome. By pointing out the faults in a Roman, Plutarch reveals a glitch in the infrastructure of the Roman government. His patriotism is thus partial and manifested when the idea of Rome as a paragon institution is shattered by Antony.

In addition to his dual allegiance, Plutarch's writings also reveal the origin ...