William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra

And it is when this collision of antithetical genres reaches its climax, we see the shocking events of Act 4, Scene 1. Tensions amongst characters have been developing from early on in the play. Even the apparent nonchalance of the title is illustrative of the slanderous plot the play entails, many of the tragic elements of Much Ado About Nothing are a consequence of ambiguity and misinterpretation. This is typified at the masquerade ball, when tragedy is narrowly averted when Claudio, albeit somewhat artificially, deduces that “the Prince woos for himself.” (Act II, Sc. I, 80) A multitude of similar misinterpretations build tensions further, the accumulation of which result in female protagonist Hero’s ultimate censure.

Even though for all his cynicism and subtle understanding of the Roman political rivalries and alliances, he is labeled with his last words that condemns himself as a “master-leaver and a fugitive” (IV.x.22), who salvages his loyalty and seeks redemption through his final exaltation. Works Cited Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. Barbara Everett.

Through the use of immoral jargons, Shakespeare emphasises Richard’s tenacity to attain a sense of power. However, Richard’s personal struggle with power causes him to become paranoid and demanding, as demonstrated through the use of modality ‘I wish’ in ‘I wish the bastards dead’. This act thus becomes heavily discordant to the accepted great chain of being and conveys Richard’s consumption by power. Pacino similarly portrays Ri... ... middle of paper ... ...n day context. Pacino ideally portrays Margret as a ‘sort of ghost of the past’, which is established through the use of quick cut edits in the docudrama , turbulent facial expressions and frantic camera movements to enhance the insanity that she is portrayed to have in Richard III.

All individuals, including those in positions of influence, are complex and have numerous sides to their personalities. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare presents Caesar as an individual with a multi-faceted personality, but positions his audience to accept his failings and support his position as a rightful and stable ruler. One perspective of Caesar as a manipulative figure is conveyed through Casca as he recounts the scene where Caesar refuses the crown in front of the mob; Casca sneers, “He would fain have had it… he was very loathe to lay his fingers off it”, immediately characterizing Caesar as a manipulative figure. Additionally, Cassius elucidates Caesar as a “man with such a feeble temper” and a “sick girl”. However the validity of these perspectives on Caesar is undermined by the envious and disparaging tones with which they are delivered.

William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra While Mark Antony is a great general, one of the three triumvant, it is indeed impossible to feel sympathy for him in his extreme "dotage" for Cleopatra. He "fishes, drinks and wastes the lamps of night in revel", hence destroying his own reputation, and even losing his masculinity, and thus, respect. In the opening scene of the play, even before Antony appears, he is constituted by the ideological structure of the Roman world. Antony's identity is discussed to be in a state of oscillation: "This dotage of our general's o'erflows the measure." The "measure" spoken of here refers to a limit that describes the proper standard of Roman identity.

William Shakespeare's Presentation of Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra Shakespeare portrays Octavius Caesar as a very complex character in 'Antony and Cleopatra.' Shakespeare shows the audience how he has very strong feelings about War, leadership, the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, and his sister Octavia. These attitudes can be seen as being too rational, too ambitious, and too efficient. However it is these characteristics which in some ways, form the particular contrast with Antony, which shows us his complex character, which also contributes to the conflicts which arise in the play. Shakespeare is very clever in the portrayal of Caesar; he uses Caesar as a foil for Antony, however he is a character in his own right.

Either way, whether we consider above chronological significance or not, there is certain thread constantly reminiscent of Iago running throughout these plays which cannot be denied. Thus Iago, and all the horrible splendor surrounding him, must certainly fall into the category of Shakespeare's greatest and most complex villains. Hopefully, if nothing more, examination of these characters will help us to avoid calling out, as Cassio did for the very enemies who have created our unfortunate situations. In Act 5, Scene 1, we hear Cassio say "Iago! I am spoil'd, undone by villains!

Without a doubt, one of the main themes that runs throughout William Shakesphere’s tragic play, Othello, manipulates honesty. In the play, from whence spring honesty the most interesting character Iago reveals himself further from the truth. He reveals his manipulative ability through the use of common men language that tells men what they want to hear, which benefits Iago and leads him to his goals. As the scene trans-parents, Roderigo is pouting, and bellows, "Tush! never tell me; I take it much unkindly / That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse / As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.” The "this" broadcasts the departure of Othello and Desdemona.

William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra Throughout the play, Antony grapples with the conflict between his love for Cleopatra and his duties to the Roman Empire. In his opening lines to Demetrius, Philo complains that Antony has abandoned the military endeavours on which his reputation is based for Cleopatra's sake. His criticism of Antony's "dotage," or stupidity, introduces a tension between reason and emotion that runs throughout the play. Antony and Cleopatra's first exchange heightens this tension, as they argue whether their love can be put into words and understood or whether it exceeds such faculties and boundaries of reason. Shakespeare has mainly concentrated with the battle between reason and emotion, rather than the triumph of one over the other.

In thi... ... middle of paper ... ...rious outcomes through his trickery and scheme, Shakespeare’s use of comedy enables this “influential” character to fall through and loose in the end. Much Ado About Nothing is about an obsession with female sexuality and while it is hard to read a character such as Don John, we can assume that his purpose in the play is a mockery of the male role. In this case, Don John is driven to hatred by a jealously of his brothers’ successes and a bitterness towards Claudio’s happiness with his soon-to-be wife Hero. Don John’s motives remain mysterious and unknown much like his presence in the play. At the end of the play, Don John’s villainous actions are recognized, and he runs away.