The main characters in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra are difficult to fully understand due to their seemingly illogical actions towards each other. At times, they seem to be in direct opposition to each other's causes, while remaining fully and passionately in love with each other. Their story is unique to the canon of Shakespeare's works; Although parallels can be drawn with characters like Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra stands alone in its depiction of the pleasures and pitfalls of love. Antony and Cleopatra's love is the catalyst that propels them in and out of power. Allowing the relationship to overwhelm and rule their lives ultimately leads to their downfall. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The relationship between Antony and Cleopatra is both passionate and tense due to the weight it carries between the two lovers. It’s symbiotic; each relies on the other to advance their cause. Antony boasts of his ability to bring together various kings and despots under his and Cleopatra's banner. Such a feat would require vigilant attention to ensure the loyalty and solidarity of the command. The effects of Antony and Cleopatra's lax leadership are evident near the end of the play, as their forces fracture and capitulate. The driving force behind Antony's alliances and political maneuvering is Cleopatra's love and pleasures, and yet they are the distractions that prevent him from ruling effectively. For her part, Cleopatra's haughty nature demands that her sovereignty over Rome be maintained and her power maintained. is not reduced. She pours out her love, her own special brand, on Antony, both as a means of ensuring such independence and as a mark of her own power to obtain such a highly placed wife. However, her abilities as a leader are lacking and require Antoine's knowledge to function properly. As such, the two find themselves down the longer their relationship lasts. Cleopatra gains Antony's loyalty through her love, but it distracts him from his duties. However, it is only by carrying out his duties that the ever-hungry forces of Rome are kept at bay and further arouse their wrath when Antony abandons their common cause. The two lovers neutralize each other and their objectives. They find in each other the capacity to revive for a time the power and vitality of youth. As such, the anxieties that pull them from their fantasy serve to momentarily break the power of their bond, as demonstrated by Antony's belief of betrayal at the hands of Cleopatra's naval forces. He is a man who exists for temporary pleasure, and such an event interrupts his revelry and forces him to once again become a commander of men. Arguably, Antony would retire from all worldly affairs if he could ensure the continued quality of life afforded by his position as triumvir and his own as queen. This combination of strengths propels their passion as a couple; the more they rise politically, the more they desire to be removed from the power struggles that such a position requires to maintain it. Antony follows Cleopatra much to the dismay of his captains because his judgment is clouded by his preference for an easy, carefree life. It's not that his skills as a commander are weak. Rather, her determination to implement them is rather weakened by her lack of will to deprive herself of Cleopatra's pleasures and concentrate on what needs to be done. For example, Antoine wishes to pursue a.