In the play "Antony and Cleopatra", the character of Cleopatra is one of many dimensions and she can be seen a person of complex diversity.

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Jessica Giles                7th March 2005

In the play “Antony and Cleopatra”, the character of Cleopatra is one of many dimensions and she can be seen a person of complex diversity. Her personality is implied to the reader that Cleopatra takes life as one big celebration most of her time in Egypt. Cleopatra loves the richness of her own queen status and loves the celebration that comes with it. Her personality varies because she can change from being a woman with dignity to a playful woman. Her sudden changes in behaviour are often difficult to predict or comprehend and happen frequently throughout the play.

The audience can never guess what Cleopatra is going to do next. This is why Enobarbus observes that Cleopatra has ‘infinite variety’.  Whether it is an accurate observation is what people question when looking at the famous Enobarbus speech of Cleopatra, is the question. When looking at Enobarbus, because he is Roman, he may have put his feeling across in the speech for political reasons, for example to be in a favourable position in Antony’s views, and yet this speech is rich and almost Egyptian in its sentiment. He disapproves of Cleopatra in principle, yet is overcome by her appearance on the barge. His appreciation of Egypt and its queen, together with his wit and humour make him the perfect vehicle for the exotic description of Cleopatra given to his peers from Caesars entourage. But she deserves this famous tribute from Enobarbus for many reasons.

 “Her infinite variety” Firstly, in Act 2:Scene 2 sees Enobarbus talking openly to Agrippa and Maecenas about Cleopatra’s wild and wonderful ways. He describes in intricate detail “The barge in which she sat in, like a burnished throne” and  ‘Whistling to th’air, which, for vacancy, had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too, And made a gap in nature’. This portrays her queen-like status and beauty and it is easy to see why Antony falls in love with her.  Is the exotic perception of Cleopatra made my Enobarbus a realistic one? In the play we hardly ever see her being romantic or loving towards Antony, but what he falls in love with is the fire she has got within her.

 The way Shakespeare uses paradoxes within this famous tribute is to try and show the variety within her personality, when Enobarbus claims

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 “To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool” This paradox of fire and water, portrays is this the reality of Cleopatra? , Or is it just an imaginative perception of Cleopatra. Is this part of the infinite variety Enobarbus is talking about? To some extent this is not an accurate perception of Cleopatra’s personality because Enobarbus is under the influence of the Egyptian delights and enjoyments but it does not mean that he is not telling the truth about Cleo.  

Enobarbus’ speech is followed by a less lyrical and exotic description of Cleopatra. When he saw her ...

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