Essay on Antony and Cleopatra

1. Essay on Antony and Cleopatra
As a onetime outpost of Rome, England was greatly influenced by Roman genealogy–ancestors that
were god–like (Mars), superhuman (Hercules), fearless warriors (Pompey) who flourished in a
patriarchal society (ancient 4). I would like to discuss how Shakespeare uses these characteristics in
his Roman tragedy Antony and Cleopatra, as a means to express sixteenth century England's cultural
upheavals, one of which was the transformation of masculinity defined in terms of power to
masculinity rooted in humanism. Traditionally, the monarch of a country is the "head of the
nobility"(Giddens 2) and skilled in weaponry so as to fight side by side with his soldiers. Queen
Elizabeth shattered this tradition with her femininity and physical...show more content...
Pompey is strong at sea, And it appears he is beloved of those That only have feared Caesar. To the
ports The discontents repair, and men's reports Give him much wronged. (1.4.34–40) This passage
speaks of important activity all of which deals with the power that comes from Caesar's past
exploits and the current campaign in which Pompey equals Caesar's achievement of honor.
Compare this to the conversation Caesar and Lepidus have about Antony's change in character.
Our great competitor. From Alexandria This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes The lamps
of night in revel; is not more manlike Than Cleopatra, nor the queen of Ptolemy More womanly
than he; hardly gave audience, or Vouchsafed to think he had partners. You shall find there A man
who is the abstract of all faults That all men follow. (1.4.3) From Bacon's perspective, as well as
Caesar's, Antony's behavior is slothful and is viewed as stripping him of his manly honour. His
manners have slid from those of a powerful military leader to those of a drunk. His masculinity is
described as equal to Cleopatra's femininity. He deserves this criticism because he chooses to
retreat from war in favour of sensual pleasure. Although he is a Roman warrior, he realizes that it
is the activity of life, not war, that he yearns to explore. Encased in the mold of Roman virtus, i.e.
courage and leadership, is "a place of
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