A discussion of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra

In Shakespeare's Roman tragedy "Antony and Cleopatra", we are told the story of two passionate and power-hungry lovers. Both are characters that possess a god-like status. Antony is often associated with "Mars" (1.1.4; 2.2.6; 2.5.117), the god of war, and, Cleopatra with "Venus" (2.2.210), the goddess of love, or better said, the goddess of affection and passion. Throughout the entire play, Antony finds himself torn between a desire to be with Cleopatra and an equally strong desire to seek and maintain power in Rome. The Roman leader becomes a virtual prisoner of lechery and has to choose between an empire and love. However, the goddess of love overpowers the god of war. Antony himself says: "My sword made weak by my affection" (3.11.66). This statement establishes an important issue of the play: the struggle between passion (love) and power (war). It is obvious that Antony's sword, a symbol of both his lust and being a great warrior, leads the play to its climax.

Antony is a clear example of a ruler who has thrown away a kingdom for lust. He thrusts himself upon his sword, a symbol of his manhood. From the moment they

Unfortunately, Antony withdraws from the sea battle when Cleopatra has fled. This is an indication of his dependency on the Egyptian Queen, and, it is this dependency that leads him to lose the final battle. It is therefore not strange that Antony blames Cleopatra once again for his great loss: "She has robbed me of my sword" (4.14.23). It is obvious that Cleopatra not only possesses his body, but also his soul. The god of war is now forced to confront his tragic situation. The only way to safe his face is "to fall on his face" (4.14.104), his ultimate deed to prove that he is a courageous warrior. The sword that was once his symbol of delight turns out to be his destruction.

I laughed him out of patience, and that night

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Approximate Word count = 949
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)