For its original audience, faced with political change as James' new reign led to the expansion of the British Empire, Antony and Cleopatra resonated with the "variety infinite” that they knew and the great variability of the modern world. While the images of water that run through the play illustrate the concept of paradox, Shakespeare then subverts his own assertion that wild contradictions are innate by bestowing a common humanity on all of the play's characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Cleopatra's constantly fluctuating personality, along with the antithetical images associated with her, create a character of exceptional complexity. Her mood changes wildly, such as in the first act where she experiences a moment of introspective regret while speaking wistfully of her "salad days". Moments later, thinking of Antony and her longing for him, she hyperbolically declares that she will "depopulate Egypt", quickly moving from introspection to irrational threats and demonstrating her ability to present a myriad of very different emotions. Later in the play, the audience discovers that the paradox in her is not limited to her emotion when she expresses her view that Antoine is "painted in one way as a gorgon/in the other, it's is a Mars.” She sees others in terms similar and contradictory to those she displays herself, reflecting how she cannot be clearly defined; the Romans, who preferred a clear definition, only described her as a “gypsy whore”. Cleopatra is perpetually engaged in a histrionic performance, indicated in the second act by the “fabrics” and “handkerchiefs” that adorned her “barge” and the “pretty dimpled boys” who fanned her. This creates a contradiction in how she is perceived by the audience, as they struggle to highlight her moments of authenticity while simultaneously being led to believe her convincing demonstrations. Many images are associated with Cleopatra varying violently in her nature, further illustrating the paradox. anchored in her. Snakes and food follow her throughout the play, with the "strange snake" reflecting her ability to be sneaky and cunning and the "sullen food" implying her sensual decadence, the images contrasting sharply with each other in their connotations . However, each image can be viewed in several ways. The "strange worm(s)" may also represent her formidable acting abilities, as they both shed their skin and are adaptable to land and water, while the "feeding" imagery could serve to highlight the ultimately perishable relationship between Antony and Cleopatra. despite its seemingly cosmic grandeur. Cleopatra herself possesses an antiquity – a fixed, immortal quality that is both juxtaposed and accentuated by her suicide. She is the "serpent of old Nile", this image accompanying a multitude of associations throughout the play between her and the unstoppable forces of nature - her barge "burned on the water" and she declares that she is “fire and air” a few moments before. his death. The dash that ends his last words, “What shall I remain?” ”, carries a suggestion of the celestial and transcendent virtue that exists in Cleopatra, even as the act of dying proves her ultimate mortality and shatters humanity. A significant image that constantly flows through the game is that of water, the "ebb and flow" of human nature being perfectly encapsulated by this essential element. “Water” isunpredictable, as it has the ability to both provide life and fertility, but it is just as likely to be harmful in the event of drowning or flooding. “The Sea” fluctuates in an infinite variety of patterns and can take on a multitude of different forms, therefore acting as a powerful symbol of humanity's ability to emulate such personality qualities. Water permeates a number of paradoxical events, the main one being the sea battle of Antony and Egypt. Antony appears both passionate and valiant, confidently insisting that they are fighting "at sea, at sea" at Caesar's behest, his bravery indicated by the monosyllabic repetition. Moments later, the conflicted ruler "embraces the kingdoms and provinces" when he draws his fleet away from the battle, following the example of the Egyptians. Cleopatra's motivations in this case could be seen as equally contradictory, as the proud and cunning queen first asserts her love for Antony by pooling her country's resources for him, then abandons him in the middle of battle and hinders his political livelihood. as he struggles to balance his valiant, politically oriented Roman side and his indulgent Egyptian side, reflects the power that antitheses can exert over an individual's personality. In the second act, moments after "shaking hands" with Caesar, a direction which indicates that the two are politically linked by the "beautiful" Octavia, he declares that he will "go to Egypt" where his "pleasure" lies ". his sense of political responsibility “melts” quickly. His language is also polar in nature: when a "Roman thought struck him", iambic pentameter dominates his dialogue, but when he converses with his "Egyptian dish", he switches to prose, as in his first verse : “There is begging in love that can be numbered.” The fact that his first line is unstructured and languid in his language perhaps foreshadows that “the Orient” will eventually consume him. Like Cleopatra, the imagery associated with Antony is paradoxical in nature. He is compared to a multitude of gods throughout the play, the main one being Mars, which depicts his mythological status and the power he possesses over the world. In ironic contrast are the words relating to "melting" that litter his dialogue, this image reflecting the instability of both his relationship with Cleopatra and the political sphere in which he resides, while also suggesting that his power will eventually s erode and evaporate. is much more consistent in his carefully considered movements than most of his counterparts, asserting that while contrasts always exist in human nature, they are sometimes tiny in their nature. He sees Octavia as the "hoop" that encircles him and Antoine in a state of political stability, and it often appears that his relationships with others are purely based on his strategic maneuvering. He attends Pompey's party to secure their alliance and mitigate any hint of threat he presents, these motives reflected in his disapproving tone when he reminds the other heavily intoxicated triumvirates that there are "more serious matters" which they must take care of. When he describes Antony's “lascivious words” to Lepidus in Act 1, he laments that although it is not his “natural vice to hate/Our great competitor,” Lepidus is “too lenient.” The constant use of periods suggests the falling intonations at the ends of his sentences and the blunt nature of his speech. His language is strict iambic pentameter for the majority of the play, emphasizing his rigidity and narrow focus on political gain, a trait reiterated by the fact that his dialogue is composed of a series ofdeclarations. However, he displays a glimpse of warmth in Act Three when he "farewells" his sister three times in a row, implying that he possesses genuine care and concern for her. He moves away from the characteristic cold, rigid structure of his dialogue towards the end of the play when he mourns Antoine's death, using imagery for a brief moment to describe the "tears" that will be shed by many to following his death. His human side reappears in the final lines of the play when he valiantly declares that Cleopatra “will be buried by her Antony,” recognizing the monumental nature of their love and the tragedy of their fall. Although these examples suggest that Caesar has a contrasting personality, they could also be seen as part of an ambitious and calculated ploy to gain absolute power, as he recognizes that he must maintain a facade of compassion in order to please the great audience. The range of symbolic contrasts in the play illustrates the vast variability and contrasts of humanity. The languid mist of Egypt at the end of the first act, as Cleopatra indulges in "mandrake" to pass the solitary hours, quickly fades into Roman anxiety when the second scene opens with soldiers in " combat gear,” an indication of rigid urgency. The rush of events creates a feeling of chaotic confusion that reflects the contradictions that are constantly being exchanged in a person's mind. A similar depiction of this phenomenon exists in the very fact that the two settings of the play differ greatly in their fundamental ideals. The censorious Romans condemn anything that “exceeds measure,” this phrase alone suggesting their orderly construction of political concepts and their fear of the unpredictable nature of water. In contrast, Egypt focuses on hedonism, sensuality, and garish extravagance, as indicated by the prose that dominates their dialogues, the mentions of "moody food" and "music", and the innuendos sexualities that litter their speech, as shown when Cleopatra mocks the eunuch Mardian in Act One by coyly suggesting that his affections are inadequate "in fact." This example of comedy is not isolated – comedy and tragedy are often one and the same in Antony and Cleopatra, a further representation of the contradictions of the humanities as they respond to the "ebb and flow" of internal and external pressures . Seconds after Demetrius and Philo scathingly call Antony a "common liar", the scene cuts to Charmian and Iras mocking the soothsayers who attempt to reveal "the infinite book of nature's secrets" to them, establishing a fluctuating pattern of drama and comedy as they intertwine to create a play that effectively resonates with human nature and the realities of everyday life. Although the play is characterized by polar opposites, often found within the characters themselves, there are defining traits that link them together and demonstrate that while contradictions are inevitable, humanity is fundamentally the same - even if their similarity comes from the very fact that they are paradoxical. Despite the superficial antitheses of the decadent Cleopatra and the brusque and uncharming antitheses of Caesar, their political strategies are remarkably similar. Both are actors of tremendous range, Cleopatra in the sense that she can go from threatening to "melt and pour" gold down the "mispronounced throat" of an unsuspecting messenger to moments later , crying that she “is pale” with weakness at the news of this same messenger. In the fifth act, Caesar moves from mourning his "friend and companion" to fervently plotting for the.