Textuality » 4A Interacting
Act I, Scene 1 - Analysis
The play starts with a Philo exchange giving a negative opinion on the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra. He first connotates the love story as a dotage, that is something superficial, that doesn’t last. Then he describes Antony in three different aspects: as a man, as a general and after meeting Cleopatra.
The man his connoted by his goodly eyes and his captain’s heart, so, Philo has a positive opinion about him. The general is compared with Mars and is connoted quoting his deeds. , So, Philo has a positive opinion about him: his idea changes at line three, where the repetition of the adverb “now” puts in evidence Antony transformation: he’s become like a servant for Cleopatra. The expressions that let the reader understand the narrator’s opinion on the situation are: “o’erflows the measure” and “reneges all temper”: a good situation should be equilibrate.
In the exchange is also given Cleopatra’s connotation: she is described as a tempter: the words that better convey this idea are “gipsy” and “lust”.
After that Antony and Cleopatra enter: the woman starts asking how much does Antony love her: she doesn’t really want confirmations: she wants to show herself in a different personality, she wants to appear weaker, she makes Antony believe he rules the relationship. At the opposite, Antony is totally seduced and believes in all Cleopatra says. As a matter of fact, Antony is more interested in Cleopatra than in what the messenger from Rome wants to say him, but Cleopatra doesn’t like his behaviour: her words underline that Antony is not autonomous and that isn’t able to do what he has to do; he seems to be a slave of Rome. She gives him orders and pulls his leg. Antony doesn’t understand Cleopatra’s real intention, he only wants to make her happy and to grant her whims.