“Antony and Cleopatra” by William Shakespeare – They deserved better
A Note on Nomenclature – “Let Him Be Caesar”
To honour his lineage and for historical accuracy, I will be referring to the man known by history as “Octavian” as “Caesar” instead. The former was a name derogatorily used by his enemies, the latter was what he called himself. After his rise to power, he became Augustus. When references to the statesman, general and Dictator, Caius Julius Caesar are made, he will be referred to as “Julius Caesar” or simply “Julius”.
Julius Caesar and Cleopatra are probably the most famous ‘celebrity couple’ in history. Even someone who thinks that Brutus was a Roman Emperor would be aware of their alliance. But most aren’t familiar with the Roman whom Cleopatra VII spent the most time with – Marcus Antonius, who we all know now as “Mark Antony”.
Antony’s and Cleopatra’s relationship was historically rife with romantic as well as political tension. Their defeat signaled the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty; while paving the way for the rise of the Roman Principate under Augustus Caesar. The era after Julius Caesar’s assassination garners astonishingly less attention from popular culture, considering how pivotal it was in world history, perhaps even more than the Ides of March itself. For how closely his life and legacy was intertwined with that of hers, it’s strange how we don’t automatically associate Antony with Cleopatra.
The public perception of Cleopatra itself is conflicted. In many ancient records Cleopatra is portrayed as an evil Eastern queen, who used ‘black magic’ to brainwash a loyal Roman general into subservience. Modern perspective disproves this biased view, which was rooted in misogynistic prejudices against women, especially those from the East. It is also a result of the future Augustus Caesar’s propaganda, which perpetuated his own image as a ‘true Roman’ and son of Julius Caesar, compared to Antony who was reveling in Alexandria, in Egyptian attire with an Eastern Queen.
Now, Cleopatra is held in high esteem as a capable ruler, polyglot and a skilled commander. Still, her relationships with powerful men often outshine her leadership. As for the ‘manipulating a Roman general’ narrative, we can’t blame women for the faults of men. Regardless of how charming, Antony was responsible for his own conduct in Egypt and ensuing ruination.
This ‘conduct’ has sparked heated discussions for generations. Antony’s inebriety in particular played a central role in Caesar’s propaganda. He was portrayed as a ‘drunken fool’, the Dionysus to Caesar’s ever-radiant Apollo. While some fact may linger within this perception, I find it hard to believe that this is the entire story. It is ludicrous to assume that such a strong and resourceful man succumbed solely to the vagaries of romance. After his victory over Egypt, Augustus ordered a “Damnatio Memoriae” , which included the erasure of several records of Antony. This lost information combined with Augustan propaganda ensures that we will never truly uncover Antony’s real motives.
That is all history. Shakespeare‘s play, on the other hand dramatizes the romance of the couple and the consequences it has on the geopolitics of the Mediterranean.
I expected Shakespeare’s Cleopatra to be a product of Ancient-world sexism. However, I was left fairly impressed by his portrayal of her.
“Oh, my oblivion is a very Antony,
And I am all forgotten”
In the play, Cleopatra isn’t a cold-hearted manipulative woman who bewitches the poor Antony. There are various instances where Cleopatra is completely infatuated and possessive over him, like any woman in love. During other moments she keeps her distance, for personal or political reasons. Antony too is sometimes detached, and other times yearning. Both the Queen and her Imperator have their moments of glory and vulnerability. It would be wrong to conclude that Antony is a ‘victim’; both of them play with each other’s hearts.
Antony and Cleopatra also play tricks on their own minds. Shakespeare’s narrative explores the idea that they weren’t truly in love with each other, but rather the idea of each other. Both of them were middle aged, amidst a world of discord and uncertainty. They had their own private grievances too. Antony, despite having served in Rome’s legions for years, was formerly seen as an enemy of state, and only recently forged an alliance with Caesar, the stability of which was in question. Cleopatra was caught in between the the eternal struggle to secure the autonomy of Egypt. Perhaps their fantasy of each other was a form of escapism.
“I dreamt there was an emperor Antony.
Oh, such another sleep, that I might see
But such another man!”
Though there is a possibility Antony was truly infatuated with Cleopatra, it is the idea of decadence and the defiance of Roman tradition she represented which drew him to her. He sought out a reality free from the stoic demeanor and duty of Rome, replaced by one of passion. In the same way. It seems that Cleopatra was more in love with an idealized Antony, rather than the Antony. The Antony of her dreams makes her blind to the flaws of the real Antony, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
Akin to this, almost all of us resort to fantasy when it feels like the cards, and sometimes the Roman Empire are stacked against us. Though we know we will inevitably be confronted with reality, those consequences seem trivial compared to the delight of escapism.
Alexandria feels like a psychedelic dream, symbolizing this fantasy . Unlike Rome during that time, which wasn’t yet a city of marble, Alexandria was the Pearl of the Mediterranean, designed like a Greek city – which attracted scholars, poets and artists alike. It was a place where nationality, politics and gender were fluid entities. Where dreams and actuality merge into one. In contrast is Rome, where rigidity and tradition dominate.
Though this play incorporates elements of fantasy, in many ways it is more realistic than in other romances.
Firstly, this play doesn’t have a clear antagonist. The closest Antony has to an adversary is Octavius Caesar, grand-nephew of Julius Caesar and fellow Second Triumvir. However, Caesar doesn’t feel like a cold-blooded, scheming ‘villain’. He is charming, intelligent, in touch with his emotions and even sympathetic at times. Though Caesar’s clever tactics played a role in Antony’s and Cleopatra’s defeat, it is also a consequence of their own shortcomings. There isn’t a morally right side to pick from, both Antony and Octavian were warlords, ultimately having their own interests in mind. Real history is morally grey. Despite them holding no clear moral advantage over Caesar, whilst reading the play I still found myself yearning for Antony and Cleopatra to emerge triumphant.
Another element of realism is in Antony’s suicide. He doesn’t meet his end in a noble way, in fact, it was in a fit of rage and passion. His death isn’t even a dramatic end, like in Shakespeare’s other works, take “Julius Caesar” for example. Ironically it is this anticlimactic nature of Antony that makes his story more poignant – he cannot even die in glory, let alone live.
It’s fascinating how I somehow longed for Antony’s success, because despite being a titular character, Shakespeare’s Antony is difficult to like. He is sometimes distant, then too passionate. The only constant is his caprice. Just like with Shakespeare’s portrayal of Julius Caesar, the only reason why I perhaps felt any fondness towards Antonius was because of my knowledge of him as a historical figure (though the real man is somehow even more questionable). Though Antony did enjoy luxury and was certainly a maverick, he historically had proven himself to be capable. He might not have been a legendary general like Pompey, or as great a statesman as Augustus, but it doesn’t mean that he was a puppet controlled by Cleopatra either. I feel this play doesn’t depict that intelligent Antony quite well. Though maybe its Shakespeare’s way to show that Antony is not the man he used to be.
“Not Caesar’s valour hath o’thrown Antony
But Antony’s hand had triumphed on itself”
In “Julius Caesar”, Antony’s presence is truly magnetic. Octavian was a mere child compared to him. Though emotionally charged, he knew how to manipulate the masses, tactfully forge alliances and strategically secure power for himself. In stark contrast to this, at the end of this play, Antony himself admits that he is a mere shadow of his former self. It is heartbreaking to see a man who had so much potential, meeting his end by his own sword. While of course there were other players, as aforementioned, ultimately Antony’s end was his own doing. He isn’t an innocent victim of circumstance, whose tragedy was inflicted upon himself by Caesar or Cleopatra. He is accountable for his own mistakes. This makes his story all the more poignant. It is a bittersweet reminder that we are in control of our own fates. Shakespeare intended this play to be more of a comedy than a tragedy. Tell that to my heart. I found this play much heavier on my heart than “Julius Caesar”. Despite my criticism of the overdramatic man-child that is Marcus Antonius, it is because of his tragedy.
Though plaintive, Antony’s ruination feels abrupt, and a too dramatic, even for Shakespeare. As I mentioned earlier, since we’ve lost a lot of information about him, there could’ve been multiple reasons why he chose to stay in Alexandria and turn against Caesar, not just love.
“She is cunning past man’s thought”
As for Cleopatra, it is refreshing to see her being portrayed as a woman capable of vulnerability, genuinely in love with Antony, and not plotting on how she can manipulate him. It is also emphasized various times that she was not beautiful because of her physical appearance, but because of her brilliant mind. Which is why Cleopatra was admired historically as well. Sometimes I feel like her romantic desire is her only personality trait throughout the play. When she’s not with Antony, she’s lamenting about how much she misses him, though I’m sure in reality she attended to other responsibilities. I also feel that she would have been able to imagine a life without Antony, considering Egypt her priority. We do see this towards the end where she does live even after his death, only committing suicide because she does not want to be paraded around by Caesar, but nonetheless it seems to have romantic undertones. Shakespeare doesn’t show the entirety of her tact. But I didn’t feel all that attached to her. This is a reflection of my own mind, considering that my interest for Antony might have overshadowed my admiration for her.
To justify my long harangue about the actual history of this play, which was possibly longer than my discussion of the actual play, I would like to appreciate its historical accuracy. Shakespeare takes literary liberties, but asides from that, the general events seems to match up to the real timeline quite well. His sources were Plutarch and Suetonius after all, both were known for their dramatic embellishments. Both historians also wrote during the Imperial era, thus may have been biased against Antony. Thus it is possible that Shakespeare’s not always flattering depiction of Antony is influenced by his source material.
Shakespeare has done a phenomenal job at making us resonate with their heartbreak. while delving into various other themes. However, I feel that in this quest for dramatic flair, he left out so many idiosyncrasies of theirs which make them such compelling characters. Romance wasn’t the only thing which brought Antony and Cleopatra together, nor was it the sole reason they fell.
Though I lament at the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra by Caesar, their true tragedy was the way both of their larger-than-life personalities are reduced to a romantic archetype. Shakespeare’s play is an excellent as a romance or tragedy, but it doesn’t do complete justice to the real Antony and Cleopatra. But how can any work of fiction aspire to; when history itself failed to do so?
She shall be buried by her Antony.
– ‘octavius’ Caesar
No grave upon the earth shall clip in it
A pair so famous. High events as these
Strike those that make them; and their story is
No less in pity than his glory which
Brought them to be lamented.
