“Have glowed like plated Mars, now bend, now turn the office and devotion of their view upon a tawny front.” Here we see comparisons of both Antony and Cleopatra, although still mocking Antony, Philo compares Antony to Mars – the God of war which is once what people compared Antony too, however under the influence of love he has been transformed into “a strumpets fool.” This is a consistently repeated image and exposes Rome’s view on Antony’s actions and newfound love, they feel Antony has abandoned his country and his responsibilities. Although at the moment there are only rumours about Antony’s position, when closing the scene Demetrius (another of Antony’s fellow soldiers) states that he know sees the rumours were true, we assume this message will be returned to Rome and received in an unfavourable manner. Philo likens Cleopatra to a gypsy in this scene, yet further on in the play another Roman describes her gloriously she is compared to Venus – the God of love, the two Godly comparisons illuminate the couples magnitude and how they are seen in the publics eye. Comparing them both to Gods is an immense honour and the true significance of their visual empowerment is demonstrated in these startling descriptions and shows just how an opinion can change due to image.
These opening and closing statements from Philo and Demetrius set the scene for the rest of the play and start a continuous theme which features throughout and gives an indication of what will happen in the rest of the play and shows very early on the foundations of the problems in Antony and Cleopatra’s relationship. Most of the troubles between them stem from their political responsibilities but another factor is their differing personalities, Antony is a true Roman and represents sense and rationale where as Cleopatra, a true Egyptian, represents impulsiveness and passion Egypt and Rome are represented by the qualities embedded in their leaders.
Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, reveals her dramatised features throughout the play and they are prominent in this first scene. Although set in Egypt, Rome is very much at the centre of conversation, already we see the conflict between Antony’s duty to his country and his duty to his heart. His love, or rather infatuation with Cleopatra is apparent in the opening scene and the language and imagery exposed in this scene sets the disposition of the rest of the play. Antony is torn between his obligation to Rome and Caesar and his feelings for Cleopatra, their relationship has constant obstacles in its way mainstreaming from both parties public roles and the opposition of their home countries. Their conversation is interrupted by a Roman messenger separating the couple’s declaration of love, this is connoting the everlasting intrusion cast over the pair usually brought caused by their political roles to the world. Antony, swayed by Cleopatra, disregarded the message which for a moment detached him from his love and brought him back in to current events by doing this he widened the gap separating him from his Roman people. He does this to prove to her that she is his main concern and he will ignore everything else while he is with her, this is an example of his hyperbolic approach to Cleopatra and his dramatised passion. His attitude continues in this way and ultimately it is this that erodes away at Antony’s reputation in Rome, because in the end he chose love over power.
Antony is torn between his obligation to Rome and Caesar and his feelings for Cleopatra, their relationship has constant obstacles in its way mainstreaming from both parties public roles and the opposition of their home countries. Philo suggests that Cleopatra is manipulating Antony with her beauty and he has become a slave of love for her when he should be focusing on what ought to be his top priority – Rome and its army, “Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch if the ranged empire fall! Here is my space!”
The key themes of the entire play are featured in act one scene one; the status of both Antony and Cleopatra, their relationship and how it is very much publicised and interfered in, the conflicting characteristics of Egypt and Rome and the way that both countries and cultures differ and the most significant which is Antony’s choice between his love and his invasive fellow Romans. By minimizing the central message of the play a microcosm is created within this scene presenting the future format of the narrative and plot. The beginning speech by Philo has a critical yet vibrant manner about it and the subject he is preaching about, he is direct and forceful in his tone contradictory to that of Antony and Cleopatra’s in that scene. The language used during the couple’s liaison is flowing and passionate signifying their love for one another and the state of fantasy and adoration, which overcomes them when re-united. “Fie wrangling, Whom everything becomes – to chide, to laugh, to weep; whose every passion fully strives to make itself, in thee, fair and admired.”
Cleopatra is always ardent when speaking it is part of her seductive manner, but the difference we see in Antony from when he is talking to Romans is poles apart to when he talks to Cleopatra from this we can see just what an effect she has upon the once great leader. In parts of the play we see Antony at his greatest, strong, powerful, battle worthy and respected but as soon as he glimpses Cleopatra it is as if he is being melted by her scorching control over him and he becomes at her beckon call. This is the first of many passionate, fiery banters exchanges between the Queen and her lover, which permeates their time together.
We learn a great deal about Cleopatra’s persona in this scene, considering her first descriptions from Philo were not complimentary she has given us supporting evidence that his claims were accurate, to a degree, by showing signs of envy and immaturity towards Antony. “Fulvia perchance is angry, or who knows If the scarce bearded Caesar have not sent his powerful mandate to you: Do this or this” within this statement Cleopatra has mocked Antony, insulted Caesar and discounted Antony’s previous wife Fulvia, this is just one example of her incessant jealousy and need to be centre of attention. Her need to be attended too is what actually kills Antony, as her attention-seeking charade of pretending to be dead so Antony would forgive her is what drove him to suicide. Her jealousy and attention seeking is clear in act one scene one and a central element of her personality and the actual narrative of the play.
Time after time we see Antony missing his chances to redeem his opinionated country but each time he refuses and returns to Cleopatra, every time he does this his status is demeaned a little more and he is gradually losing all respect from his fellow and sub-ordinate Romans which has been obtained through his years of loyalty.
Constant symbols representing Antony are apparent in the play and indeed in this scene; “Pillar” and “sword” are just two of the phallic symbols used to illustrate Antony and his manly, leadership qualities. These are demeaned however with the way he behaves when with Cleopatra is in his presence and this repeatedly gets reported back to Rome again diminishing Antony.
Because of the constant prying, meddlesome invasion on their relationship perhaps their fate was imminent from the very beginning, Antony wanting to regain his crumbled admiration and nobility takes to the sea to battle, he thinks Cleopatra had betrayed him by returning to Caesar and in scene 13 Antony proclaims her disloyalty and takes to the sea. Cleopatra feeling rejected and unwanted sends word to Antony that she has committed suicide claiming she could not live with out him, vying for his attentions again and displaying her childish qualities as we saw in act one scene one.
The effect this announcement had on Antony was devastatingly regretful, in a final powerful speech Antony orders his faithful friend Eros to strike him dead with his own sword, previously associated with power Antony and his sword have been bought to an end. The fact that Eros cannot kill Antony and would rather be dead himself than witness the bereavement of his comrade shows just how much respect Antony still holds after all that had happened. The fact that Antony struggled to put an end to his life again demeans his manly qualities but he eventually dies a brave hero’s death, whether it was solely because of his love for Cleopatra or if that was just the final straw after the vicious turn of events, either way he was dead and tragically, as he is on his death bed word comes from Egypt of Cleopatra’s costly mistake. It is only when Cleopatra realises what she has done does she take any time to reflect that she may have done something wrong, as before she always seemed to look to the future and not worry about past events, she does except responsibility for her fault “That the false huswife fortune break her wheel, provoked by my offence.”
The features we see illustrated in the opening scene; Cleopatra’s magnificence and disregard for rules and responsibilities, along side Antony and his love for fellowship battling against his love for Cleopatra are the very things that caused this catastrophic, heartbreaking ending. Philo predicted in his closing remark of act one scene one, that Antony, a changed man would fall short of his once prosperous future, as he eventually did.
