Antony and Cleopatra Seminar Paper

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"The violent struggle between the two suns has spread chaos and confusion and ends in bloodshed. Nevertheless, Caesar rejects this world peopled with mutilated bodies and wishes to build his new empire on solid stony funerary monuments." (Sabatier 185) Not only have several people died because of Caesar's run for supremacy, but they have also sacrificed. Opposed ideologies or views are often met in these kinds of plays with loss and death. After the rivalry with Pompey ceased, a new conflict emerged from the loss of, what Romans perceived within the play, freedom. To further add to the Roman theme and Caesar, Caesar becomes an antagonist in Antony and Cleopatra. Along with Octavian and other characters, they provide the source of pain for the protagonists and supporting characters within the play.

What are Jacobean plays? Where does this term stem from? The term Jacobean comes from the Jacobean era. In this era, many of Shakespeare's plays were written. Plays like Macbeth spawned popularity and positive response from audiences. During the Jacobean era, especially toward its end, the Bubonic plague took place and an economic depression. Since Shakespeare was often funded by the royalty of the time, he did to some extent, have to cater to some of their interests and desires, that which included stories of grief and loss.

Grief and loss motivate not just the actions of Enobarbus but that of Cleopatra and Antony. Antony gravely wounds himself because he thinks Cleopatra committed suicide. Enobarbus guilt ridden by Antony's kindness dies from grief literally with the emotion itself being the only catalyst to his death. Cleopatra, although motivated by other things as well as grief, kills herself to be with Antony.

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Grief in this sense is shown through three lenses.

In the play Antony falls madly in love with Cleopatra. The love becomes all-consuming and he starts to neglect his duties all to spend time and show love to Cleopatra. Octavian, one of Antony's supporters than becomes an enemy after Antony displeases him concerning a politically motivated action. (Antony feels Octavian did not give a fair share of the conquered Sextus' land) Is through the loss of Octavian as an ally that spells the end of Antony, Cleopatra, and Enobarbus as they are all tied together through love and loyalty.

Looking at the differing levels of loss and grief, Cleopatra first experiences loss and to some extent, grief when she discovers Antony marries Octavia, Octavian's younger sister. Upon learning of the marriage she cruelly takes it out on the messenger. Even when Antony and Cleopatra are reunited after he crowns her and himself ruler of the Roman Republic, they have a fall out after a series of failed battles including a navy disaster on water. Here Cleopatra loses Antony a second time and is threatened by possible death by his hand.

This second act of loss motivates her to feign suicide. After discovering Cleopatra did not kill herself and then wounds himself gravely, Cleopatra experiences the third and final loss of Antony. The grief from all these losses coupled with the loss of her wealth and kingdom as ruler, causes her to kill herself by drinking the poison of an asp. The poison marks the last action performed by Cleopatra to aid in her feelings of grief and despair.

Antony experiences loss much like Cleopatra. He loses.....

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