How does Cleopatra present her 'infinite variety'?
In the play 'Antony and Cleopatra' Shakespeare has made Cleopatra be seen as having infinite variety. She can present herself in many different ways with her being a queen with royalty, a mother, a lover to Antony and also a true friend. She can be a warm hearted mother and wife but she can also become a hardened warrior when it comes to battle.
Throughout the play Cleopatra has a changeable nature; this is shown when she is talking to the messenger. She takes out her anger on the messenger because she is frightened that Antony might leave her. This shows the cruel, violent side of her and uses insults and threats towards the messenger.
'Horrible villain, or I'll spurn
thine eyes like balls before me'
The fact that she would rather the messenger lied to her so she could still be happy than know the truth, shows a lot about her character, with it showing her immense love for Antony.
Should I lie, madam?
O, I would thou didst,
So half my Egypt were submerged and made
A cistern for scaled snakes!
By then she shows regret for taking her rage and anger out on the messenger, this showing that she has changes in moods suddenly, without warning.
'A meaner than myself; since I myself
Have given myself the cause'
This quotation shows how she changes character easily whilst speaking to Charmian. It also shows her angry, vindictive side not just when it comes to talking to messengers, but even to those most important to her, such as Antony. Also the fact that she uses not only verbal abuse, but physical force, too show how powerful she can be, a side of her which we see again later in the play when in battle.
(Cleo as a general)
Through her love for Antony she tries to control him and to do this, she behaves in whatever way necessary. The fact that she pretends to have an illness to gain his attention shows a lot about her character.
'I am sick and sullen'
She is willing to go to any lengths to get Antony back. Also with her in the end also faking her own death just to get Antony's attention this also shows what extremes she is prepared to go to and also it shows her immense love for ...
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(Cleo as a general)
Through her love for Antony she tries to control him and to do this, she behaves in whatever way necessary. The fact that she pretends to have an illness to gain his attention shows a lot about her character.
'I am sick and sullen'
She is willing to go to any lengths to get Antony back. Also with her in the end also faking her own death just to get Antony's attention this also shows what extremes she is prepared to go to and also it shows her immense love for Antony. This shows the bond between the couple and tells us more about there strange love affair.
Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself;
Say that the last I spoke was 'Antony'
And word it, prithee, piteously. Hence, Maridan,
And bring me how he takes my death to the monument.
Through the play Cleopatra is in mixed emotions with her love, for Antony. The love she once felt for Caesar is what she now feels for Antony so she can be seen reminiscing about the whole affair. Also this shows her fickleness with the fact that she keeps changing her mind.
Cleopatra has a colder front, that being a general and a powerful queen. When she is in the role of a queen; she becomes patient, serious and very commanding. When she becomes a queen, she is addressed as 'Sovereign of Egypt', 'Absolute queen', 'dazzling queen', 'Rare Egyptian', 'a most triumphant lady' and 'royal wench'. She uses Roman sayings, mostly short and to the point. She knows she is a queen, and a very powerful one. This is shown when somebody is allowed to kiss her hand a great honour is put upon them. "My bluest veins to kiss- a hand that kings have lipped, and trembled kissing'. She says, 'If e'er thou look'st on majesty' about herself'. Cleopatra is frequently referred to as a goddess, namely, Venus- 'O eastern star!' -and she herself says 'but was a race of heaven', talking about herself.
Yet even as a queen, she has many sides to her, this being a calm, charming lady, 'full of smiling promises and gifts', or as a cold, angry, threatening and violent queen.
Throughout the play it is very noticeable that Cleopatra has changes in moods suddenly. This is shown in Act 2 Scene 5 towards the messenger with her going from actually striking the messenger down to regretfully apologising to him.
Shakespeare portrays Cleopatra's love as being so powerful and perfect. This is shown when Enobarbus suggests that while men become bored with other women, Cleopatra increases men's appetite. Shakespeare creates an image of Cleopatra's impossible beauty in a speech from Enobarbus in the 3rd Act. Enobarbus' second speech is full of words that suggest decadence, seduction and femininity. These words such as 'mermaid', 'silken', 'flower-soft' and 'perfume' create the image of Cleopatra's impossible beauty perfectly. She is femininity and seduction itself. When Enobarbus starts to describe Cleopatra he says 'for her own person, it beggared all description'. This shows how he thinks words weren't enough to describe her and just how unimaginably beautiful she was.
On each side her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With divers-coloured fans, whose wind did seem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool.
And what they undid did.
In these lines Enobarbus describes 'pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids'. This creates an image of impossible beauty by Shakespeare using the word 'Cupid', which puts an image in the audience's mind that they looked like the god of love represented as a young boy with wings, bow and an arrow to spread joy, beauty and love. This suggests Shakespeare is trying to create and image of perfection and by using Enobarbus' character to over exaggerate the story of Cleopatra's arrival. Also the use of an oxymoron in the last two lines describing the cupids cooling Cleopatra's 'beautiful' glowing cheeks.
Throughout the conversation between Enobarbus and Agrippa the language used to describe Cleopatra's beauty is very elaborate. A selection of examples of this are, 'richness, luxury, seduction, gold, silver, purple, throne, delicate, etc. Through these descriptive words the conversation is formed almost into the style of poetry and gives a dream-like quality to the story.
All throughout the play, Cleopatra has diverse and sudden shifts of emotion, thoughts and attitudes. All of these are intertwined, yet conflicting emotions can appear overwhelming to the audience and to the other characters in the play. These make her and exciting woman. Her variety is fascinating to watch, and she earns respect from everyone- friends and enemies alike. She does occasionally allow her true emotions to surface, but for the majority of the time, she is acting and manipulating situations for her own advantage. In the end, she seems to admit how worthless her life was with her accepting her love of Antony so she can be happy. Cleopatra is an extremely complex character, and through this it shows her infinite variety.
In the play 'Antony and Cleopatra' Shakespeare has made Cleopatra be seen as having infinite variety. She can present herself in many different ways with her being a queen with royalty, a mother, a lover to Antony and also a true friend. She can be a warm hearted mother and wife but she can also become a hardened warrior when it comes to battle.
Changes moods suddenly
Throughout the play Cleopatra has a changeable nature; this is shown when she is talking to the messenger.
Antony:
"Fie, wrangling queen!
Whom everything becomes - to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired."
This quotation shows that even Antony has noticed her random 'mood swings'.
Enobarbus:
"We cannot call
her winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater
storms and tempests than almanacs can report."
Blah blah blah.
She takes out her anger on the messenger because she is frightened that Antony might leave her. This shows the cruel, violent side of her and uses insults and threats towards the messenger.
'Horrible villain, or I'll spurn
thine eyes like balls before me'
By then she shows regret for taking her rage and anger out on the messenger, this showing that she has changes in moods suddenly, without warning.
'A meaner than myself; since I myself
Have given myself the cause'
This quotation shows how she changes character easily whilst speaking to Charmian. It also shows her angry, vindictive side not just when it comes to talking to messengers, but even to those most important to her, such as Antony. Also the fact that she uses not only verbal abuse, but physical force, too show how powerful she can be, a side of her which we see again later in the play when in battle.
(Cleo as a general)
Angry and Vindictive
"The gold I give thee will I melt and pour
Down they ill-uttering throat."
"I have a mind to strike thee ere thou speak'st."
Horrible villain, or I'll spurn thine eyes
Like balls before me! I'll unhair thy head!"
She once felt for Caesar what she now feels for Antony
Through the play Cleopatra is in mixed emotions with her love, for Antony. The love she once felt for Caesar is what she now feels for Antony so she can be seen reminiscing about the whole affair. Also this shows her fickleness with the fact that she keeps changing her mind.
In this scene, Cleopatra tries to control Antony in any way possible and to do this she
The fact that she would rather the messenger lied to her so she could still be happy than know the truth, shows a lot about her character, with it showing her immense love for Antony.
Should I lie, madam?
O, I would thou didst,
So half my Egypt were submerged and made
A cistern for scaled snakes!
"Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Caesar so?"
Does whatever to control Antony
"Mardian, go tell him I have slain myself;
Say that the las I spoke was 'Antony',
And word it, prithee, piteously. Hence, Mardian,
And bring me how he takes my death to the monument."
"If you find him sad,
Say I am dancing; If in mirth, report
That I am sudden sick."
Pretends illness
Through her love for Antony she tries to control him and to do this, she behaves in whatever way necessary. The fact that she pretends to have an illness to gain his attention shows a lot about her character.
'I am sick and sullen'
She is willing to go to any lengths to get Antony back. Also with her in the end also faking her own death just to get Antony's attention this also shows what extremes she is prepared to go to and also it shows her immense love for Antony. This shows the bond between the couple and tells us more about there strange love affair.
"I am quickly ill and well,"
"If you find him sad,
Say I am dancing; If in mirth, report
That I am sudden sick."
Enobarbus suggests that while men become bored with other women, Cleopatra increases men's appetite
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety. Other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies;"
"That she did make defect perfection,"
"He will to his Egyptian dish again."
Jumps from one activity to another
Pg 40-41
Billiards - Fishing - Music.
Changes her mind half way through a speech
"Rogue thou hast lived too long...
Though I am mad, I will not bite him."
"Let him for ever go - let him not,"
Plays different parts
Cleopatra has a colder front, that being a general and a powerful queen. When she is in the role of a queen; she becomes patient, serious and very commanding. When she becomes a queen, she is addressed as 'Sovereign of Egypt', 'Absolute queen', 'dazzling queen', 'Rare Egyptian', 'a most triumphant lady' and 'royal wench'. She uses Roman sayings, mostly short and to the point. She knows she is a queen, and a very powerful one. This is shown when somebody is allowed to kiss her hand a great honour is put upon them. "My bluest veins to kiss- a hand that kings have lipped, and trembled kissing'. She says, 'If e'er thou look'st on majesty' about herself'. Cleopatra is frequently referred to as a goddess, namely, Venus- 'O eastern star!' -and she herself says 'but was a race of heaven', talking about herself.
Yet even as a queen, she has many sides to her, this being a calm, charming lady, 'full of smiling promises and gifts', or as a cold, angry, threatening and violent queen.
"No more but e'en a woman, and commanded..."
Mocks and teases Antony
Angry when Antony leaves, but sends daily messengers
