Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra

Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra

Antony bears the guilt:

Shakespeare writes ' Antony and Cleopatra ' in a way where the reader

places the blame on Cleopatra. Cleopatra brings the downfall of Mark

Antony herself. Shakespear proves this play a tragedy by selecting

characteristics of ill fated lovers in Antony and Cleopatra.

Poor Antony turns victim to Cleopatra's enslavement, and forgets his

duties in Rome. Antony is a disgrace to his Roman self, and "loses

himself to dotage" of Cleopatra. He also forgets of his marriage to

Caesars sister Octavia and flees back to Egypt, to Cleopatra.

If Antony flees to Cleopatra of his own free will, then how is she

responsible for his actions? Cleopatra, however, is to blame for

Antonys acceptance of her military whims Antony is to blame for his

own bad judgement but, defeat by a woman is was virtually unheard of

in the patriarchal society of Rome.

We can argue that Cleopatra effeminizes Antony, to some extent, this

is true. Only by flaw of Antony's character, could any of the events

occurred. If Cleopatra is the proven cause, it's only because Antony

let himself be caught up in the pleasures of the Egyptian court.

Cleopatra's to blame for the tragedies:

Cleopatra is the main root of Mark Antonys downfall from a well

respected and powerful leader of Rome, to a man who spent his days

frolicking in Egypt. To Agrippa Enobarbus describes how Antony fell

under the spell of Cleopatra

"When she first met Mark Antony she purs'd up his heart upon the river

of Cycnus", In other words she dominated him from that point on.

Antony went to Egypt with his only political purpose Rome. Over the

course of time however, Cleopatra's engineering, Antony lost his

purpose. Caesar himself feels Antony has fallen from his glory and

honour as well as the following:

"Thou didst drink The stale of horses and the gilded puddle Which

beasts would cough at; thy palate then did design The roughest berry

on the rudest hedge;yea,like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets,