Essay on the Love Story of Antony and Cleopatra - 1645 Words

The Love Story of Antony and Cleopatra The tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra can be said to have an overall effect of comical lightness. In this way, it is altogether different from the preceding tragedies, although the tragedy that leads to the death and destruction of Antony and Cleopatra is definitely a matter of choice rather than of circumstances that engulf the hero. Yet, ultimately their tragic ending differs greatly from the ominous feeling of those that preceded it. Antony and Cleopatra concerns itself with typically distressing and grave imagery, most importantly the theme of permanent loss. Although circumstance plays a part, the tragic hero is damned by what he himself does and is an active participant in his own†¦show more content†¦As a result, he not only experienced a reversal of fortune in his pride and political power, but this event led to his further downfall and eventually to his suicide in Act 5. Ironically, Antony indirectly prophesized the outcome of the play when he declared his wish that Rome not disturb his time with Cleopatra, he said Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall (1.1.33-34)! Rome did melt for Antony as his political power arch was destroyed. Sadly, Antony did not possess the careful practicality of Octavius Caesar, which would have enabled him to avoid his tendency towards tragic folly. So, in the case of tragedy, both Antony and Cleopatra led themselves toward their sustained losses of power and pride and as with all tragedy, the death of the protagonists loomed imminently. Although Antony and Cleopatra is formally defined as a tragedy, it stands out from Shakespeare’s earlier tragic works. The structure of paradox within the play produces a different effect to usual tragic intensity. The characters display moods and impulse rather than progressing through a process of edification as in King Lear. The result from this spontaneity of character produces a lack of tragic motivation such as Macbeth’s ambition, or of Othello-like tragic responsibility. However, like the preceding tragedies, this play richly expresses a variety and intricacy in terms of experience. Yet, Antony and Cleopatra is devoid of characters such asShow MoreRelatedAntony and Cleopatra - Love Story or Tragedy Essay1265 Words   |  6 Pages`Shakespeare doesnt organize his tragedy as a drama of love between Antony and Cleopatra, but as a drama of the rise and fall of Antony in the struggle for world leadership. What is your view? Answer Fundamentally, I disagree with this interpretation of the play. Indeed we do see the fall of the great Marc Antony but the play never actually depicts scenes of his rise to prominence. `Antony and Cleopatra is renowned as one of the greatest love stories of all time and I align myself with this conceptionRead MoreThe Central Concerns of the Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare1427 Words   |  6 PagesThe Central Concerns of the Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare This essay will look at two of the central concerns in Antony and Cleopatra, namely reason versus passion and the public versus private domains. These two central concerns of the play are clearly illustrated in the extract we are provided with. I will mainly focus on the character of Antony in this essay as it is within him that these two concerns of the play are most evident. In the beginningRead MoreHow Does Act 1 of Antony and Cleopatra Prepare the Reader for Tragedy?955 Words   |  4 PagesHow does Act 1 of Antony and Cleopatra prepare the audience for tragedy? 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