Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

In Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, the presentation and

development of the relationships among the triumvirs, Caesar, Antony

and Lepidus becomes a pivotal concern. As the play progresses, the

dynamics of the triumvirate changes and becomes more complicated,

providing the audience with the main political conflict that sometimes

overshadows the romance of the title characters in the play.

Shakespeare provides the audience with several different images of the

triumvirate through different characters.

The play’s first mentioning of the triumvirate is, in essence, a

masculine Roman perspective of a soldier. This is brought about

through Philo and Demetrius in the opening act of the play with both

the characters remaining anonymous to the audience. Therefore, they

represent the ‘common liar’ among the Roman soldiers about the

triumvirate. Philo’s first introduction of the triumvirate to the

audience comes in his opening speech, ‘the triple pillar of the

world’. The word ‘pillar’ which literally means a firm upright support

for a superstructure or a chief supporter is indicative of the

strength and force of the political union between Caesar, Antony and

Lepidus. Later in Act II Scene VII, the audience is given a parallel

perspective of the triumvirate. The scene opens with two servants,

making callous comments about Lepidus and his role in the triumvirate.

Theatrically, the servants, like Philo and Demetrius in the opening

act, embodies the general opinion of the public towards the

triumvirate. Phrases such as, ‘great men’s fellowship’ and ‘huge

sphere’ used by the servants to describe ...

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...atra’s reference to Antony as the ‘demi-Atlas of this

earth’ reflects of acknowledgement of Caesar as the ruler of the other

half of the Roman known world and completely disregards Lepidus, who’s

also a member of the second triumvirate.

Caesar and Antony are of differing temperaments and reconciliation

between them can be expected to be short-lived. Caesar is a senator

with great sense of clarity and Roman sense of duty, Antony is a

reputable Roman general but Lepidus is neither. Lepidus’s role as a

peacemaker serves as an internal force to bind the triumvirate

together. The strength of the triumvirate can only be seen when all

three agree with their partners. Through different characters in the

play, Shakespeare presents the dynamics of the triumvirate, creating

different perspectives on its strength and weaknesses.