The metamorphosis of Antony and Cleopatra
I know I write a lot of blog posts about gender roles for this class. I don’t mean to sound like a broken record this week, but I feel one of the most interesting and dynamic things about William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra are the gender roles the protagonists begin in, and where they end off. I feel no major character in this book is stagnate. They are constantly changing their frames of thought or making decisions that are out of character.
At the beginning of the story, Cleopatra is held down to the traditional female gender role. She is looked down upon by the others in power. Octavius Caesar states about Antony:
"He hath given his empire up to a whore." (Act 3, IV, 76-77)
There are mentions made about her physical beuaty, and the hold she has on people. Cleopatra often uses her beauty and hold to manipulate Antony. She plays with his head in order to manipulate him to do things she wants.
However, I feel it’s still evident that it’s Antony who is calling the shots. He goes to Rome and is married to Octavia, and even though Cleopatra responds extremely physically to the messenger who brings her the news, there’s no reaction like that to Antony. She’s even okay with the marriage when she hears about Octavia’s physical appearance. It’s obvious that even though she tries to manipulate Antony repeatedly that she still respects him, or even respects the roles they are both expected to play. This is in sharp contrast to Octavia, who fits into the typical female role at this time. She abides to what Antony states, and even though she disagrees with Antony’s decisions that relate to her brother, she still listens to Antony and goes to Rome when he dispatches her.
There’s also a weird scene in the book that foreshadows the major character changes that are about to come. In Act 2, Scene V, Cleopatra states:
“Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed, then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst I wore his sword Philippan” (Act 2, V, 25-27)
Cleopatra, when putting on Antony’s sword, begins her journey into masculinity, and is shown in the next major decisions she makes. This also foreshadows Antony’s journey into the more feminine role.
Antony’s most masculine point and his highest point of power comes after Octavius Caesar and Lepidus break their truce and begin a war against Pompey. Antony grows extremely angry at this decision, and in a fit of power, declares himself and Cleopatra rulers of Egypt. It’s a bold move that leads Antony to fight Octavius Caesar’s army. Enobarbus insists that they do not fight Caesar in the sea, yet Cleopatra persuades Antony that her naval fleet will win. Cleopatra even takes a more masculine approach by actual involving herself in the battle.
This is where Cleopatra takes the role of director. During a battle, her ship flees without warning, and Antony’s ship follows her. This is a sharp hit to his masculine role, as running away from a battle is probably the most cowardly thing a person can do. As Scarus states: “I never saw an action of such shame. Experience, manhood, honor ne’er before did violate so itself.” (Act 3, X, 26-28)
This results in the victory going to Octavius Caesar. This is where the switch of gender roles begins. Cleopatra is now serving in the traditional masculine role, while Antony is serving in the feminine role. This is relayed even more in the next scene when Cleopatra is the one who most comfort Antony. Antony even confides in Cleopatra that she was the one who led when he states:
“You did know how much you were my conqueror, and that my sword, made weak by my affection would obey it on all cause.” (Act 3, XII, 71-74)
At this point, Cleopatra is serving in the typical male role. She is the one in charge, while Antony is serving in the typical female role, abiding by what she says. He no longer is in control, but his affections for Cleopatra are. Antony tries to redeem himself after his loss by threatening to kill Cleopatra for her betrayal, but the damage has been done. Cleopatra is the one calling the shots.
The switch of gender roles is most clearly seen in the two characters’ deaths. Antony, upon hearing of Cleopatra’s (faked) death, attempts to kill himself. He botches his suicide attempt and has to beg the guards and Diomedes to finish it for him. He dies a broken death (and dare I say) unheroic death. He fails to kill himself and then wanders around, hoping to find someone to finish the job.
This is in contrast to Cleopatra’s death. Cleopatra, facing living in Rome as an image of defeat under Octavius Caesar, Cleopatra decides to take her life. She would rather die than be mocked by the Roman crowds. She states:
“Antony shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness I’th’ posture of a whore.” (Act 5, II, 265-268)
Cleopatra dies by the application of deadly snakes, a death that I view as nobler than Antony’s. Plus, some of her servants also kill themselves with her. In her death she is able to remain as herself, unlike Antony at the time of his death.
In these ways, I feel both characters have dissociated themselves with their roles at the beginning of the story, and have taken on the traditional roles of the other gender. Antony starts as a strong, heroic male and ends as a weakened male who follows his significant other. Cleopatra starts as a strong headed woman held within the boundaries of the traditional female role at that time, and breaks down all of those barriers to not only become a warrior, but to die an honorable death defiant of leaders at that time. Both of these characters undergo a metamorphosis that results in completely different characters that were present when the novel started.















