'Antony and Cleopatra share a rich and distinctive vocabulary'. Referring to at least 2 passages, examine some of the poetic and dramatic qualities of the language they use.
'Antony and Cleopatra share a rich and distinctive vocabulary'
Referring to at least 2 passages, examine some of the poetic and dramatic qualities of the language they use
In act 1 scene 1, Philo begins by complaining to Demetrius that Cleopatra has transformed Antony from a great general to a whore's fool. The scene is based on the true love affair and the romance between the two characters. However there is an ambiguous nature to the passage, as we are not given a clear indication of Cleopatra's feelings, whether she is angry or whether it is all light hearted. The scene begins with Antony and Cleopatra entering, with great drama as Cleopatra has Eunuchs fanning her and attending her every need. Cleopatra is pushing Antony to describe how much he loves her and this shows her power and demand for the declaration of Antony's love.
'If it be love indeed, tell me how much.'
Antony however is calmer and softer in his language. He uses natural imagery by comparing his love for her to the 'new heaven, new earth.' This shows that Cleopatra is more dramatic and that Anthony is more poetic in his choice of language. A messenger then comes from Octavius, but Antony, clearly annoyed, commands the messenger to be brief.
'Grates me! The sum'
This short sharp sentence expresses Antony's anger but it also portrays the language of Rome, which is confident and direct. By saying 'The sum' we can see that he is not interested in Roman problems as he is too engrossed in Cleopatra and this love affair. Cleopatra, partly mocking, partly serious, chides Antony and tells him to hear the message. But in the end Antony refuses to hear the message. Cleopatra speaks with sarcasm and has a mocking tone but it can be seen that there is a clear serious undertone to that mannerisms of her speech. Though mocking of Antony's Roman duties, she does in fact encourage him to hear the message. However her purposes for doing so are not entirely clear: she may be using reverse psychology on her lover, and her arguments have a hint of irony within them.
'You must not stay here longer,-your dismission
Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's process?-Caesar's I would say?-Both?'
'When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds.-The messengers!'
Cleopatra often associates herself with her country and is proud in doing so. She exclaims that 'I am Egypt's queen' thus showing her dominating character with the use of the word 'queen'. Antony dramatically responds with, 'Here is my space' in order to recapitulate his feelings towards her. The possessive pronoun, 'my' emphasises his connection to both Cleopatra but also Egypt. This presents the idea that his love ...
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'You must not stay here longer,-your dismission
Is come from Caesar; therefore hear it, Antony.-
Where's Fulvia's process?-Caesar's I would say?-Both?'
'When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds.-The messengers!'
Cleopatra often associates herself with her country and is proud in doing so. She exclaims that 'I am Egypt's queen' thus showing her dominating character with the use of the word 'queen'. Antony dramatically responds with, 'Here is my space' in order to recapitulate his feelings towards her. The possessive pronoun, 'my' emphasises his connection to both Cleopatra but also Egypt. This presents the idea that his love for her is more important than his kingdom and that the responsibility that is upon him bares no importance to him whilst Cleopatra is in sight. His language is grand and romantic. He provides visual imagery,
'Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall!'
This image evokes the grandeur of Rome and in all cases shows his passion towards Cleopatra resulting in him neglecting his duties towards Rome. The verbs 'melt' and 'fall' show that he is not interested in Rome and shows his flippant nature. It also enables the reader to see the control and influence Cleopatra posses over her lover as she heard from him, exactly what she wanted and needed to hear. It shows that Egypt is being used as an escape from the duties of his empire, and in Alexandria Antony is able to live life, as he loves to live it. His visual and dramatic dialogue is also show through the words,
'Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man: the nobleness of life'
where we are given an insight into his heart and the words allow us to focus on his true affections and emotions by his use of textural and descriptive language. He describes Rome as 'clay' representing that it's weak and impressionable, in contrast to his love for Cleopatra.
Cleopatra's speech depicts her complexity as a character: her incredible emotional vicissitudes, her theatricality, her manipulative streak, and her genuine passion for Antony. Despite this, she speaks with a mocking tone and disregards all of Antony's efforts to please her and her mood suddenly changes,
'Excellent falsehood!'
Her language is very dramatic and depicts her worrying and insecure mind. She is worried that Antony does not love her in the same way that he does not love Fulvia, even though he has married her. Although her language is very dramatic it can be seen that she is insecure and that she is a very indefinite character. Her playful and light-hearted language is often used against Antony and in this way Cleopatra is given the control of the situation, as she is able to manipulate Antony through expressing her emotions. Cleopatra is represented in many different ways through her speech, for example she is seen as mocking and taunting, fond and affectionate, as well as hostile and angry.
Through Antony's dialect it can be seen that Egypt is influencing him in many ways. His language is changing and his responsibilities have all altered. The use of the verb 'wrangling' by Antony shows his exasperation towards his lover, however he is soon to revert back to his romantic language by saying 'to chide, to laugh, to weep'. Again we see his lighthearted manner and his love towards Cleopatra, despite her attempts to anger him. He praises her qualities with tentative nouns.
'Come, my queen,'
Depicting his true love and admiration for her again using the possessive pronoun 'my', as well as referring to her as the 'queen'.
In act 4, scene 14 Antony gives a marvellous speech to Eros about clouds, likening himself to the cloud that has a shape for brief moments before it dissolves. He tells Eros that he should not weep, because they have their own suicides to attend to. Antony has lost much of himself for the sake of his love of Cleopatra. Actium was partly Cleopatra's fault, but the final responsibility lies with him. When he believes that Cleopatra has betrayed him, he loses all sense of his identity. His honour, manhood, and sense of self as Roman are destroyed when he casts aside duty. In the East, his persona has been linked to Cleopatra and his love for her. He played the soldier-lover and magnanimous ruler who laid whole kingdoms at her feet. When he believes she has betrayed him, his sense of himself disappears. He speaks of clouds that seem to make pictures, but just as quickly dissolve into vapours:
"My good knave Eros, now thy captain is
Even such a body: here I am Antony,
Yet cannot hold this visible shape . . ."
Empire and honour were lost first. Then Antony believes his lover has been lost, and feels as if his whole identity is evaporating. We have seen Antony as a general, a lover, a noble friend and leader. This speech touches on what makes Antony great. He has something of the poet in him, sensitive to beauty and life's pleasures. The clouds become a metaphor for a universal condition, the momentary nature of power and life, both of which end all too quickly. Antony is as quick to forgive as ever when he hears news of Cleopatra's death. He resolves to die, to be with her, even though he has reason to believe she betrayed him. His love for her is his ultimate priority. When the first set of guards arrives with Decretas, Antony cries out,
"Let him that loves me strike me dead"
In Antony's last moments, he concerns himself with giving Cleopatra advice, having forgiven her immediately for the deception about her own death. Antony's last words, however, are not about love. They concern his honour, and how he has met his end nobly by his own hand,
"a Roman by a Roman
Valiantly vanquished"
Suicide is the only way that he has lived up to the Roman conception of honour, and it is this thought that comforts him in the end. Antony has lived torn between two conceptions of what life should be, the difference between Rome and Egypt. The corruption of his life in Egypt seduced him, and his love for Cleopatra ultimately destroyed him. But he is not a failure in every sense. His love for Cleopatra will become legend, and he is untarnished to Cleopatra herself, who calls him "noblest of men", proclaiming that the gods have taken him because,
"this world did equal theirs
Till they had stol'n our jewel"
In Act 4, scene 8 we can see the dramatic imagery and language that is used by both characters, especially Antony in the first part. Antony is proclaiming his excitement and glory of defeating Caesar. Enchanting and magical imagery is used when describing Cleopatra as a 'great fairy'. It can be seen throughout the play that this is a common theme. Mystical imagery is used throughout to describe Cleopatra and also Egypt. She is also compared to light, when Antony says, 'O thou day' suggesting that Antony sees her as his only hope and his light through the war. This is similar to the nature of the language used by Cleopatra.
'Lord of Lords'
'O infinite virtue'
This shows connotations of religion and godlike imagery. They also show her timeless love and admiration for him, as shown in Act 1 Scene 1 by Antony. He is showing that his love for her is eternal and that it will last forever.
'There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
Without some pleasure now'
The bird like imagery used by Antony to describe Cleopatra is very powerful and depicts her beauty and elegance as he describes her as a 'my nightingale'. Antony also makes many connections between life and on earth and life in heaven. He suggests that Cleopatra is beyond the gods and praises her to the fullest with descriptive and grand language and choice of vocabulary.
In conclusion it can be seen that both characters have dramatised language, which is imaginative and striking. The vocabulary of Cleopatra is passionate, comprising of the Egyptian culture. Antony's language is poetic and romantic, showing his true love for Cleopatra.
