The Presentation of Rome and Egypt in the Play Antony and Cleopatra

The Presentation of Rome and Egypt in the Play Antony and Cleopatra

One of the foremost of themes in the play of Antony and Cleopatra

alongside “tragedy” and “love” is the differences between the two

“worlds” of Rome and Egypt. Throughout the play, Shakespeare

frequently presents and demonstrates to the audience the reality and

differences between these two “worlds” in many ways and forms. In this

essay I will discuss how Shakespeare does this and how he presents it

to the audience.

Antony, who is the primary character in the play, portrays the ideas

of the two “worlds” of Egypt and Rome very clearly. Shakespeare

presents Antony as a different man when in Rome and a different one

when in Egypt.

Shakespeare organises the plot of Antony and Cleopatra around the

theme of conflict between Rome and Egypt immediately. In the opening

scene the two soldiers Philo and Demetrius discuss Antony’s

surrendering of his military duties to the exotic pleasures of Egypt

and Cleopatra. Both Philo and Demetrius discuss the divide in world

where one is governed by discipline and reason (Rome), and the other

ruled by pleasure and love. Both Philo and Demetrius discuss and claim

that Antony’s "captain's heart" now serves as,

"The bellows and the fan / to cool a gypsy’s lust”

This reflects their view of the world being divided into two entities.

And that Egypt is ruled by a “gypsy”, or in other worlds a whore.

The reason why they refer to Cleopatra as a whore is because a whore’s

job is to sleep with many men without any feelings for them. This is

what Cleopatra does and has done and both Philo and Demetrius believe

Antony is just wasting ...

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... messenger to him, and she tell the messenger,

“Well, go to, I will. But there’s no goodness in thy face if Antony be

free and healthful- so tart a favour, to trumpet such good tidings. If

not well, thou shouldst come like a fury crowned with snakes, not like

a formal man”

Cleopatra sends the messenger and tells him that if he sees Antony

with a miserable face, be “healthful” i.e. happy, and if he sees him

with a glad face, then “come like a fury crowned with snakes”.

Cleopatra deliberately deceives Antony with the power of love and

passion.

Shakespeare presents ideas of conflict and differences between Rome

and Egypt very clearly. He continuously raises the question to the

audience as to which “world” is more superior and more powerful.

Shakespeare leaves it to the audience to come to their own judgement.