Textual Analysis (“Antonio e Cleopatra”, Act I- Scene I-II)

The text I’m going to analyze belongs to Shakespeare’s plays, in particularly to the first and the second scenes of the historical tragedy “Antonio e Cleopatra”. The play opens in Egypt in Cleopatra's palace. Demetrius and Philo (Antony’s friends and followers), are discussing Antony's growing affection for Cleopatra. Philo is scared that all the palace’s splendor has turned his general from a ferocious warrior into a confused lover. Indeed Antony is fascinated from both Rome and Egypt; his bond with Cleopatra is not strong enough to repress the loyalty to Rome. Antony as the renaissance men is in crisis between two different worldview. On one hand he is a roman general and a triumvir on the other he loves Cleopatra and wants to stay in Egypt, responsibility versus passion.

Going on with the narration Antony and Cleopatra enter; the queen wants to know how much Antony loves her but they are interrupted by a messenger who has brought news from Rome.  Antony doesn’t want to discuss military matters because all of his thoughts are on Cleopatra. The Egyptian queen is a strong and high drama character, she is clever, beautiful and fascinating. Cleopatra’s theatricality is in clear contrast with Enobarbu’s (Antony’s most loyal supporter) honesty and rationality; without a doubt he is Antony’s voice of reason.

Next Cleopatra's servants are talking to a fortuneteller that avoids direct answers, however he predicts that one of Cleopatra’s attendants will live longer than her mistress. Then comes Cleopatra, looking for Antony. Antony enters with a messenger (Cleopatra and her attendants had left before). The messenger communicates to Antony the bad conclusion of a battle involving Antony’s wife and brother, versus Caesar.  Another messenger enters and gives Antony a message telling him that his wife, Fulvia, is dead: Antony must prepare to leave for Rome. Here the remorse and the sense of responsibility connote Antony as a man ruled by reason: his roman side of great and fierce general.