'Antony and Cleopatra Essay\r'

'throughout ‘Antony and Cleopatra’s’ long theatrical history, m some(prenominal) generations conduct perceived the represented conflict between easterly and western values in the light of their induce concerns, often concluding that oneness sphere is innately more ‘moral’ than its converse. This is heightened by Shakespeare’s ambiguity in his portrayal of the characters of Caesar and Cleopatra, who embody ‘West’ and ‘ eastward’ respectively.\r\n many a(prenominal) of Shakespeare’s contemporaries saw striking parallels between Caesar and the new King James, who had expressed a wish to become a new, English Augustus. Audiences, therefore, could see that through the author’s portrayal of Caesar as a cold force, lacking empathy and humanity alone proffering peace and unity, Shakespeare was alluding to James as representative of a new western sandwich value system that he could not fully endorse. Audien ces may have tacit the idea that with the heralding of a new era, a signalize particle †which the ‘east’ in the play represents †had been pent-up from the British consciousness. Some would have associated this with the death of sprite Elizabeth, a popular, enigmatic ruler who, in refresh seemed to embody the last of a ‘Golden Age,’ where riddle and splendour existed alongside reason and politics.\r\nOften, priggish straitlaced audiences found the play rather challenging to their popular opinion of the innate supremacy of British civilisation and Western values. By the 19th century, Britain had metamorphosed into a dominant knowledge domain power similar to that controlled by Caesar, and more features, much(prenominal) as a rampant imperialism, a contact for power, and a tendency to frequently moralise, were in harsh with that of the Rome presented by Shakespeare.\r\nTheir Western perspective, and the absence of any moral conclusion by Shakespeare, led many Victorians to adopt the Roman viewpoint †last-ditchly realize with Caesar and condemn the protagonists’ love as innately immoral. Many Victorians were repelled by an East that was practically the antithesis of their society †the bold portrayal of sexuality, the fraternisation of royals with commoners, and the overall decadence of the Alexandrian court were condemned, and although audiences were passive fascinated by Cleopatra, she was roll out as the villain of the piece, who;\r\n‘The triple pillar of the cosmea transformed Into a strumpet’s fool.’ The twentieth century saw a diverse couch of responses towards the antithesis, many corresponding with the perspectives from which theatrical productions approached the problem. There is still sometimes the tendency to moralise the concepts of Rome and Egypt, arguing one must be ‘good’ and the other automatically ‘bad,’ and many productions focus on each the political (Roman) or the emotional (Egyptian) aspects of the play.\r\nSince the tragedy of phratry 11th, the media have largely exaggerated the notion of an inbred conflict between the ‘Christian West’ and the ‘ Islamic East,’ and this adds a new dimension to the play for menstruation viewers. The antithesis between Rome and Egypt tears them apart, but likewise inextricably entangles them. As without light, there would be no darkness, where ‘East’ does not exist, the concept of ‘West’ is nullified. twain are essential components of complete humanity, and Caesar’s probable victory over Egypt is notable only for its sh allowness †the ‘East’ can never be expunged, and testament always be a key element of human consciousness.\r\nHowever, through their deaths, Antony and Cleopatra transcend these converse forces, and in reconciling ‘East’ and ‘West’ to reach the ult imate potential of their humanity are propelled into the realms of mythology. The conclusion is one merging tragedy and supreme divinity, where the lovers are plainly destroyed by the world yet actually conquer it, exalted into immortality and splendour as the princely lovers that the tumultuous, paradoxical mortal world could never allow them to be.\r\nBibliography\r\nAntony and Cleopatra †William Shakespeare Antony and Cleopatra: A Shakespearean adjustment -John F Danby Macmillan get well Guides: Antony and Cleopatra †Martin Wine\r\n'