If Antony flees to Cleopatra of his own free will, then how is she responsible for his actions? Cleopatra, however, is to blame for Antonys acceptance of her military whims Antony is to blame for his own bad judgement but, defeat by a woman is was virtually unheard of in the patriarchal society of Rome.
We can argue that Cleopatra effeminizes Antony, to some extent, this is true. Only by flaw of Antony’s character, could any of the events occurred. If Cleopatra is the proven cause, it’s only because Antony let himself be caught up in the pleasures of the Egyptian court.
Cleopatra’s to blame for the tragedies:
Cleopatra is the main root of Mark Antonys downfall from a well respected and powerful leader of Rome, to a man who spent his days frolicking in Egypt. To Agrippa Enobarbus describes how Antony fell under the spell of Cleopatra
“When she first met Mark Antony she purs’d up his heart upon the river of Cycnus”, In other words she dominated him from that point on.
Antony went to Egypt with his only political purpose Rome. Over the course of time however, Cleopatra’s engineering, Antony lost his purpose. Caesar himself feels Antony has fallen from his glory and honour as well as the following:
“Thou didst drink The stale of horses and the gilded puddle Which beasts would cough at; thy palate then did design The roughest berry on the rudest hedge;yea,like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets, The barks of trees thou brows’d”
This portrait shows Antony as a ruggish character who could stand any obstacle or conflict in order to succeed at war.
Ironically, one obstacle which Antony cannot overcome, later in the play is of course Cleopatra. In the end when Antony wars with Caesar, he lets Cleopatra make an important military decision-to fight by sea or land. Cleopatra answered “By sea what else?” Antonys decision therefore was swayed by Cleopatra, even though land combat was his strength. Her cowardly emotions in the end leave her to desert Antony, and leave him stranded at sea.
Cleopatra is also the main cause for Antony’s own death. In her own selfishness she orders Eros to tell Antony she has killed herself. Upon receiving this news Antony kills himself without further motive. It can be said that Antonys life was in his own hands, but if Cleopatra hadn’t played mind games, than Antony would have never committed suicide in that context.
Both Antony and Cleopatra Are to blame:
This is due to the fact that they were both disloyal and untrue to significant feelings equally. Antony was to blame for his and Cleopatra’s deaths, as he tried too hard to split himself between Rome and Egypt.
