Friday, December 20, 2019

The tragic in Antony and Cleopatra Essay - 3706 Words

The tragic in Antony and Cleopatra His captains heart, Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper And is become the bellows and the fan To cool a gipsys lust. Antony and Cleopatra seems to have a special place in Shakespeares works because it is at a crossroad between two types of play. It clearly belongs to what are generally called the Roman plays, along with Coriolanus and Julius Caesar. But it is also considered a tragedy. The importance of history in the play cannot be denied, especially where it is compared to Shakespeares great tragedies such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. But one might wonder what is specifically tragic in Antony and Cleopatra, and what can be†¦show more content†¦The heroes of Antony and Cleopatra have high rank and ability because they are above the level of common people. This is a general characteristic in tragedies. Tragic heroes are extraordinary specimens of mankind. They can be remarkable for their intelligence (as is Oedipus, the main character of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles), their cruelty (like Medea, in the eponymous tragedy by Seneca), or their nobleness in mind, (like Caesar in Cinna by Corneil le). Very often the tragic hero is from royal blood. Antony, in Shakespeares play as well as in Roman history, is a military leader of incredible power, intelligence and courage. Caesar himself shows his esteem for him when he reproaches him for his present moral decay: ..................................................When thou once Was beaten from Modena, where thou slewst Hirtius and Pansa, consuls, at thy heel Did famine follow, whom thou foughtst against (Though daintily brought up) with patience more Than savages could suffer. (...) ..................................................And all this (It wounds thine honour that I speak it now) Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek So much as lankd not. 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