In Act One-scene five Cleopatra is seen to be in a lazy, sluggish mood, wishing to sleep away the period of time that Antony is away, and asks Charmian to give her poison to relieve her of her sorrows, “give me to drink mandragora”. This is a way in which Shakespeare presents the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra is asking to drink poison while Antony is absent which reveals Cleopatra’s love for Antony, because Cleopatra would rather drink poison than be apart from Antony. This reveals Cleopatra’s faithfulness in their relationship, which Shakespeare presents through her words of despair.
In Egypt, food and drink are often associated with pleasure and celebration, seen for example in the cry ‘bring in the banquet quickly; wine enough/Cleopatra’s health to drink (act one scene two). There is a natural, earthly link between food and sexuality, as when Cleopatra says she was a “morsel for a monarch”. Cleopatra also uses the image of feeding on ‘delicious poison’ to express the mixture of pain and pleasure she experiences when thinking about the absent Antony. This image that Shakespeare presents us with is an example of an expression that contains two contradictory ideas, an oxymoron. This oxymoron is used by Shakespeare to expose Cleopatra’s love for Antony, which is another way in which Shakespeare presents their relationship. Also in act one-scene five, Cleopatra recalls Antony’s tender description of her as the ‘serpent of old Nile’. This image of a serpent emphasizes Cleopatra’s royal status and is an example of Shakespeare’s imagery.
In Act Three-scene ten, Cleopatra flees from the battle and Antony follows her, Scarus describes how, the battle being even with Antony having the advantage, Cleopatra flees the battle “like a cow in June” and Antony follows “like a doting mallard”. Shakespeare’s imagery presented in the references to animals, ‘cow’ and ‘mallard’, brings upon the effects that Antony and Cleopatra are both as one in species and as relationships are concerned, they are inseparable and if Cleopatra is not at ease and flees Antony will always be their to follow her like a ‘mallard’. This is another way in which Shakespeare presents the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra because he uses the imagery of animals to present their relationship as strong and solid.
In Act Three-scene eleven Antony acknowledges that he allowed Cleopatra to lead him away from battle, he describes his inseparableness to Cleopatra as “my heart was to thy rudder tied by th’strings”, and suggests that even her slightest gesture would cause Antony to reject even the “bidding of the Gods”. The imagery that Shakespeare presents us with through Antony’s words of faithfulness, suggests that Antony is not just joined to her emotionally and spiritually, but physically, because his heart is tied to her ‘rudder’ and where her decisions and actions take her in life he shall be there with here to follow and be a part of them entirely. This is another way that Shakespeare presents Antony’s and Cleopatra’s relationship because through Anthony’s words and the imagery, we realise the extent of Antony’s love for Cleopatra.
In Act Four-scene eight, the public and the personal selves of Antony and Cleopatra coexist harmoniously. Antony tenderly refers to Cleopatra as a ‘great fairy, nightingale’ and ‘girl’, while she affirms his status with ‘Lord of lords’. For this moment, Antony is both the lover and the soldier, combining Egypt and Rome. The imagery that Shakespeare presents through Antony and Cleopatra’s references to each other bring out their true feelings about each other at this time in the play. Antony refers to Cleopatra as a ‘great fairy, nightingale’ and ‘girl’, references that represent love and adoration. Cleopatra refers to Antony as ‘Lord of lords’, which represents the highest possible status and her love for him. Through Antony and Cleopatra’s references to each other, the metaphors used, is another way in which Shakespeare presents the relationship between the two lovers.
In Act Four-scene fourteen when Antony resolves to take his own life and believes that Cleopatra is dead, his immediate response is that his life is also finished, “the long day’s task is done/and we must sleep”. The pain that he is suffering physically from his wounds and emotionally from the news of Cleopatra’s death is expressed through his violent language “the sevenfold shield of Ajax cannot keep the battery from my heart” and “crack thy frail case!” Antony looks forward to meeting Cleopatra in death and imagines himself in the afterlife accompanied with Cleopatra “where souls do couch on flowers”. Here are more examples of how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, when Antony responds to the news that Cleopatra is dead there is a spot of imagery, “the long day’s task is done/and we must sleep”, the day (sunlight and life) is over and it is time for sleeping (night time, darkness and stillness) which is representing his feelings for Cleopatra, she is his light and without it there is nothing for him. Shakespeare uses this imagery of daytime and sleeping to reveal the significance of Antony and Cleopatra’s relationship. When Antony expresses pain through his violent language it is partly because of the physical pain he is feeling but it is mainly due to the emotional pain he feels because of Cleopatra, even a shield of seven thickness’ could not protect him from the pain he feels; this is another form of imagery that Shakespeare uses to present the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, it expresses Antony’s love for Cleopatra even when he is in his worst possible form. When Antony is looking forward to afterlife with Cleopatra he reveals his feeling through imagery “where souls do couch on flowers” which gives a peaceful image of afterlife, which is a way in which Shakespeare presents their relationship because Antony is picturing these peaceful images of afterlife with Cleopatra whom is his only concern.
In Act four-scene fifteen Antony dies in Cleopatra’s arms. The sight of the dying Antony in front of Cleopatra leads her to exclaim that the sun should drop from its sphere and the earth be plunged into darkness, “o sun, burn the great sphere thou mov’st in”. This is more imagery about sunlight and darkness, in which Shakespeare uses to present the relationship between the lovers because the imagery that the world should no longer exist and has no purpose without Antony represents Cleopatra’s undying love for Antony. Cleopatra’s lament on the death of Antony is moving and expressive. In a magnificent image of dissolution, she claims that “the crown o’th’ earth doth melt”. Antony’s death diminishes the universe, turning the ‘dull world’ into a ‘sty’. These words that she uses expresses the love that she has for Antony. Cleopatra’s acceptance of the finality of Antony’s death is sad and muted. She says, “our lamp is spent” which once again evokes the idea of the darkening of the universe.
Shakespeare’s style and language are the ways in which he presents the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, and he does this using various methods. Hyperbole is a method Shakespeare uses, for example, in Act One-scene 1 when Shakespeare uses hyperbole through Antony’s words of passion for Cleopatra “then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth”. Conceit is a method Shakespeare uses, for example, in Act One-scene three Cleopatra reminds Antony of the intensity of their love by saying “eternity was in our lips and eyes, bliss in our brows’ bent; none our parts so poor but was a race of Heaven”. An oxymoron is also used by Shakespeare to present the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra when Cleopatra uses the image of feeding on ‘delicious poison’ to express the mixture of pain and pleasure she experiences when thinking about the absent Antony. The main way in which Shakespeare presents the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra is through imagery, for example, in Act Three-scene ten Scarus describes Cleopatra as a ‘cow’ and Antony as a ‘mallard’, in Act Three-scene eleven Antony says, “my heart was to thy rudder tied by th’strings”, in Act Four-scene fourteen Antony describes life without Cleopatra “the long day’s task is done/and we must sleep” and in Act four-scene fifteen Cleopatra expresses here pain when Antony dies “o sun, burn the great sphere thou mov’st in” and “our lamp is spent”. It is through Shakespeare’s style and language that he can express Antony’s and Cleopatra’s true love and relationship in the play.
