The text I’m going to analyze is one of the 37 plays that Shakespeare wrote. Them can be classified in Historical, Comedies or Tragedies. This is an historical tragedy, and it tells the story of Antonio and Cleopatra. William Shakespeare wrote it in 1607.
The first scene of the first act, opens, as usual in tragedies, with the dialogue between Philo and Demetrius and then follows that between Antony and Cleopatra.
Demetrius was a follower and a friend of Antony, but in those lines he criticize his Captain.
With this few words Shakespeare was able to capture the interest the audience. Because hearing this few voice the audience ,indirectly, asks why Philo considered in this way his Triumvir.
In the sequently lines Philo tells to Demetrius the positive aspects that characterized Antony. But Characterized him because now he is changed. Now he decide to follow Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, and ‘reneges all temper’. He textually says ‘The tripe pillar of the word transformed into a strumpet’s fool.’
Shakespeare used language to created interesting or exciting situations. As the extract that I have reported.
Going on with the text the reader could find the dialogue between Antony and Cleopatra. Till the first line he understand that they are lovers.
With this two dialogues Shakespeare introduced the main characters.In dead is used by Shakespeare as most other authors in the introductory scene to present them. In this case the characters that he introduced are Philo, Antony and Cleopatra.
The first scene going on with the discussion between Antony and Cleopatra about hear or not the messenger. The first doesn’t wont to hear him because he wonted “let’s no confound the time with conference harsh”.The intelligent reader could understand that Antony lost every interest about Romans affairs, he considered them ad a lot of time, the only think that Antony take care was his situation now, with Cleopatra. In dead he said “Let Rome in the Tiber melt, and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.”
While the second wonted to know how he had to said , because it may be important. Cleopatra on the other hand was preoccupied, in dead she said “Fulvia perchance is angry or who knows…”. But it is obviously that a queen is preoccupied about what the messenger had to said, because she was scarred about what Caesar could imposed her.
So the reader understand that there is an indirect conflict between Antonio and the Romans in particular Caesar(he tell him what to do).
The firs scene concluded with Philo that answered to Demetrius that Antonio is confused, now he hasn't the few qualities that “Which still should go with…”him.
The second scene opens with the dialogue with new characters: Charmain, Iras and Alexas, Cleopatra’s attendants.
Even if this is a historical tragedy, in this scene compares a Soothsayer that previde the future events: “You shall be yet far fairer than you are”, “Wrinkles forbid!”, “You shall be more beloving than beloved” “I had rather heat my liver with drinking”. This previsions are ironic, an element that was unusual in a tragedy.
By the way In this scene there is a a typical element of the Shakespeare’ plays: monologue. We could find it either in the previously scene (Cleopatra ‘Excellent falsehood!… Himself’
Caesar ‘But stirred by …tonight?’).We find Carmiana who is praying Iside to give Alexas luck.
On the contrary in the second scene Antony accept to talk with the messenger, but he was in a first moment indifferent on what he heart. But when knew that Fulvia is dead he started to change his behavior. He starts to see his ex wife under a different light: he said that “his hand could pluck her back that shoved her on and that he must go away from Cleopatra.”
Antony ordinated to Enobarbus to organized the officers because they had to returned to Rome.
the second scene concluded with the simple Enobarbus’ quotes: “I shall do’t”.