Daniel

PLAN:-

“For a tragedy, it is not that painful” – By considering the dramatic effects of Antony and Cleopatra, evaluate this view.

Painful for who? Who is it a tragedy of? –in what way is it painful?:-

Comes at time of tragedy – King Lear, Macbeth, Coriolanus – end of tragedy (transition period between romance and tragedy)

Romeo and Juliet – love tragedy – both have conflict between two sides (Montague and Capulet; Egypt and Rome) – but R+J is about young love, youth, idealism, while A+C have pasts  and seem to question youth – similar to experience in Blake poetry – use of boy for Caesar and boy = Cleo

Painful? – too long (most acts- everyone always leaving) – cannot be staged

R H Case - (1906): on the play’s structure, argues that there is “a sense of clutter”

If it is a tragedy:- whose?

1. Tragedy of Antony

     starts on how he was once great and how he has now changed due to Cleopatra

     instances where he talks to soothsayer (soothsayer says he won’t triumph)

     how he is betrayed by Enobarbus

     how Antony seems to know himself that his life is deteriorating (loss in battle, realisation he must die)

     how his male power is seemingly transferred to Cleo

     life of dishonour, life of suicide

     Shakespeare 1^st folio - ‘the tragedy of Antony, and Cleopatra’ 

     Lisa Bamba: ‘comic women tragic men’

     Liz Lewis - “In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare again explores the idea of the victim within a patriarchal society. However, in this play the gender roles are inverted and it is Antony who is the true victim.”

     Stevie Simkin points out that “women's sexuality, once let off the leash, [was] seen as potentially catastrophic for the social infrastructure.” – victim of Cleo’s love

Is it painful then? – little – see the demise of a character who was supposedly brilliant – power of love? – tragedy caused by love? – public love?

2. Tragedy of Cleo

     seems like tragic figure is Cleo

     change in Shakespeare, marks change in genre too

     Ao3 - Lisa Bamba, women become victim of men’s downfall – goes against usual order of Shakespearean tragedy (women decline and focus on man’s isolation)

     Double death – does the second death undermine the first or deepen tragedy?

     Unable to be with ant, always trying to win him back

     her foreshadowing of her own death – leading to be a tragedy of her death – as she always states how her life is tragic whilst ant only does it at the end, does that mean its hers?

     Ant curses Cleo – gypsy

     should’ve been taken prisoner to Rome but kills herself

     envisages play where she will be played by a boy

Is it painful then? – may not be that much – death causes pain but Cleo seems to know that she will die and enjoys play acting about her death anyway

3. Tragedy of Rome (all that it stands for)

     Constant struggle from Caesar to try and bring up roman status

     Tries to prevent shame

     How roman women don’t get ostentatious entrance but Egyptians do

     Dishonourable Romans – Antony

     David Bevington - ‘Shakespeare repeatedly allows Antony to be deflated by a humorous or ironic touch’

     The fact that everything that shouldn’t be seen is seen – no soliloquies

     Antony longing to be with Cleo not Roman wife

     Fact that Rome is mad to look like enemy of fun loving people – bookended by Egyptians

     Ends on fact that ant and Cleo will go down in history – nothing about Rome

     women subvert gender roles – Jacobean literature

     Harold Bloom - “Shakespeare’s women almost always marry down” - Juliet and Cleopatra more intellectually, emotionally and spiritually impressive than their males – against roman man and way of thinking and living – man supposed to be manly and intellectual not woman

Is it painful? – yes? – painful to see someone try to make something work that may never happen? – painful to see that end has to reminisce on people he ‘hated’?

4. No-one’s tragedy

     If so what does that say about the genre?

Genre? – what is it?
1. History play?

     Ao4

     would know mythology - story of Hercules, switching clothes - Mars, warrior's strength was defeated by Venus god of love.

     typically portrays Gods/heroes with contradictions (e.g Hercules as both a warrior and effeminate slave) how they are similar to ant and Cleo

     Focuses on historical past and uses facts to base it on

     Use of Plutarch t frame story 
     John Wilders - “The end of Antony and Cleopatra seems also like a beginning.”

2. Comedy/romance?

     Links to Romeo and Juliet

     Transition period

     Usually ends in wedding – cleo’s last words from Jacobean wedding ceremony

3. Satire/farce
     ‘tragedy at 1000 revolution a minute’

     Cleo imagines boy version of her – actually this has already happened

     Awkwardness of ‘heaving’ ant up stage

     Ant raised up but lowered in power

     Comedic elements bring down seriousness

     How Rome isn’t all that it seems – taken down by one person ignoring orders

Ending:-

     talk about how the play runs on the lines of public versus private

     how Rome and Egypt are quite similar actually

     David Bevington - Cleo is “intensely conscious of and preoccupied with her reputation”

     sum up how it focuses on shame in different aspects

     is it an attack on the society? – how leaders have too much control - James 1

     how Britain becoming like Rome and Greece – is this what Britain is going towards?

     women used in similar way – then how should women be? (Cleo dies bur Octavia is cheated on)

     Caesar left in charge of empire – will become embodiment of enlightened imperialism -- a model for the ambitions of Shakespeare's patron, King James








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Plot Summary:- Antony and Cleopatra in the style of Star Wars

The Yoda Philo speaks of the once great Darth Antony and of how the Darth’s new love has disrupted the power of the Empire.

“triple pillar of the world transformed into a strumpet’s fool”

On the distant star, Egytia, Darth Antony and Leader of the Rebels, Princess Cleopatra, talk of their new alliance. A mystical future telling creature speaks of the future… And of death! The Darth soons realises he

“must from this enchanting queen break off”

A slight war breaks out and Antony’s wife Fulvia dies attempting to gain some kind of power and control.

With relations between the Empire’s triumvirate shaky, Stormtrooper Agrippa suggests Darth Antony marry Princess Octavia. Lord Caesar likes the idea, stating

“the power of Caesar and his power unto Octavia”

The story unravels and Jedi Enobarbus explains how the Leader of the Rebels, Cleopatra, has greater beauty and appeal than sith women, as on the distant star Egyptia

“the city cast her people out upon her”

Stormtrooper Agrippa imagines why Darth Antony must love Princess Cleopatra, as

“he ploughed her, and she cropped”

Darth Antony, now alone in one of the rooms of the Death Star, is reminiscent on how he must take flight in his P38 Starfighter as

“his cocks do win the battle … i’th’ East my pleasure lies”

He must be and side with the Rebels, and more specifically, their leader ;)

As the Darth flees to Egyptia, Princess Octavia returns home. Lord Caesar hears of how unostentatious her entrance to the Death Star was

“the wife of Antony should have an army for an ush er … he has given his empire up to a whore”

Unlike the original series, Lord Caesar does not claim Darth Antony to be his son (…obviously since the Darth is older than the Lord)

The war between the Empire and the Rebels breaks out yet the Rebels, lacking Jedis and lightsabers, flee. The newly turned Sith Knight Enobarbus, who now affiliates with the Empire, claims

“mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not endure a further view”

As if the first war wasn’t fun enough, the people of Egyptia wage war again on the Empire. Yet when it appears they may have actually taken the lead, their Naboo N1 Starfighter fleet flees again.

Darth Antony flies into a rage, taking off his mask, stating

“I am Antony, yet cannot hold this visible shape … there is left ourselves to end ourselves”

Darth Antony realises he must die and asks Stormtrooper Eros to do the deed. All does not go to plan and the Stormtrooper decides to off himself. Antony, wielding his lightsaber, stabs himself.

In hearing of this suicide attempt, Cleopatra tries to salvage his life but to no avail. She finds herself being taken prisoner in the Death Star.

She believes, however, she is not fit to live the prisoner life, saying

“rather a ditch in egypt be gentle unto me … lay me stark naked and let the water flies blow me”

Mass death occurs on the Death Star, in which rebels alike spontaneously die.

In a secret meeting, C3PO supplies the Rebel Leader with supplies to kill herself, whilst still having time to add one or two dirty jokes. In true noble, George Lucas and Shakespearian style, Cleopatra kills herself.

With Darth Lepidus living on one of the moons of Endor, or even possibly dead, Lord Caesar may  as well claim the title ‘Emperor of the galaxy’. He does not understand how Cleopatra was able to take her life, but realises that her death was a noble one.

Lord Caesar… Wait….

Emperor Caesar appreciates that his ‘son’ and his love were meant to be.

“no pair upon the earth shall dip in it a pair so famous”

Their legacy will live on for another 5 movies…

Possibly 11 if he can sell the rights to Disney!

Suck on that #Brangelina!!

Now, Emperor Caesar, always the Roman business man, can go back to work, thinking of more ways to implement his power over his galaxy…

The End