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We can explore the nature of power and authority through many characters in Shakespeare's, Antony and Cleopatra. First we look to the Triumvirate as a whole. Although they do not appear as a whole many times in the play, they create a feeling of authority and power just by the speech used to describe them. The three bear the world on their shoulders and seem to hold all of the power and prestige of kings and emperors.
The concept of power becomes alittle less defined when Pompey enters the picture. The Triumvirate is threatened by Pompey's power on the sea. He has more power than they do as one man. This is because he has more ships and a stronger fleet. Time collapses this truth when the three men go to visit Pompey, in all of their glorious authority, and form a truce. Pompey relents easily because he knows he cannot beat this union of three men, the superpowers of the world. (Act III. ) The most important example of power and authority comes when the Triumvirate is broken up into three individuals working independently.
Mark Antony and Octavious Caesar are the two strong legs of the Triumvirate, while Lepidus is the weak man who follows the lead of the most powerful and authoritative of the two. Ocatvius Caesar is the most authoritative man in this play. I believe this to be because he is the most intelligent of the three, thinking of conquest rather than love. Caesar is never likened to a God, but rather, is a master of speech and marks his words and actions carefully so as to conquer the world, alone. Mark Antony, on the other side, shows us love and physical power. He is likened to a God by everyone who crosses his path.
By Cleopatra especially, demi-Atlas (I. v. 23. ); Mars (I. v. 18. ). Antony is revered in this grace, physical presence and deft ability on the battle field. As a whole, the two form a terrific alliance, but separate one has to rise. Antony has huge authority struggles.
He wants to be part of the Triumvirate, but his love is so strong it pulls him to Egypt. The union with Cleopatra does not give him enough power, he loses to Caesar, and also lessens his authority because of her. He is so guided by his infatuation with this woman that his men begin to defect to Caesars side. This is also because Caesar is more competent and knows how to rule the world, he does not let his love for any woman come between him and his quest for power. The power and authority struggle is one-to-one between Caesar and Antony through most of the book. We always see Caesar on top, because he has the conniving mind to rule.
He has Antony marry his sister, so then he has complete control over him. By making him part of his family, Caesar can take personal action against Antony if he does anything to harm his sister. Caesar also does not make the mistake of lowering himself to the ranks of his servants. Antony is constantly drinking with his as equals, or thanking them for their help. It is a very noble position, but one forgets who is in charge half of the time. Caesar never makes that mistake, we always know who is in power when Caesar speaks.
I think the best example of this is while the Triumvirate is on Pompey's ship, Lepidus has passed out and Antony and Caesar have a few words, Pompey: This is not an Alexandrian feast. Antony: It ripens toward it. Strike the vessels, ho! Caesar: I could well forbear It is monstrous labor when I was my brain And it grows fowler. Antony: Be a child o th time. Caesar: Posts it, Ill make answer; But I had rather fast from all, four days, Than drink so much in one.
This shows how differently Antony and Caesar think. Caesar always needs control of his brain and does not like to forget time. He always likes to be in control, one step above everyone else. He demands this respect, and everyone knows it, including Antony. Antony enjoys the playing more than the serious nature of business.
His union with Cleopatra is more for love than for power. The end clinches the whole play. Antony and Cleopatra are both dead and Caesar pays them respect by burying them together and making everyone attend their funeral. In the end, the authority and power did not matter. Although the two are dead, all that really mattered was their love, and Caesar respected this very much. This is another reason why Caesar is so powerful and authoritative.
He does nothing wrong. He is not slimy in his pursuit of power. He rules very openly and everyone knew what his wishes were. It is apparent in the last passage that having this power and authority commands him to have respect as well.
Antony and Cleopatra die powerless, by suicide, but live forever infamously, Caesar immortalizes them by paying his respect, as only a true ruler And bear her woman from the monument. She shall be buried by her Antony. No grave upon the earth shall dip in it A pair so famous. High events as these Strike those that make them; and their story is No less in pity, than his glory which Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall In solemn show attend this funeral, This speech in King Lear (II. iv. 263 - 282).
King Lear presents this to his two evil daughters, Regan and Goneril. This appears when Lear comes to confront his daughters as to why they are taking his attendants away, along with his power. This is Lears last cry to his daughters who seek to undermine his kingship. He has given them the kingdom, but cannot let go.
They are showing him little respect, pushing him off the throne, rather than being respectful and fair to their father. The real problem is that they are taking away his power, but the focus is why they are taking away his attendants and refusing to let him stay with either of them. Thud, Lear begins his speech with no home, and two daughter that are being very evil to him. From lines (263 - 269), Lear tries to get his daughters to understand that its is not that he needs his men, the whole lot of them, just as they do not need the clothes they wear, but it makes them feel whole. He is appalled that he must explain this to the two girls, and he cannot believe they are being so evil. This language, in the beginning, Lear uses a comparison that he thinks the two will understand.
They do not need their clothes, but their clothes are there for beauty. They do not sustain life, they help to better it, just as his men do for him. It is a very plain, easy thing for them to understand, the point is From lines (270 - 282), the point of the speech changes Lear tries to liken to his daughters in a kind way, but he can hold his tongue no longer. He believes his daughters are trying to humiliate him in his old age and grief. He knows that they are evil at this point and that he has made a grave error in giving them the kingdom.
He will not cry at this realization, but denounces his daughters instead, and proclaims revenge worse than all of the earth. He also calls them unnatural hags! (277). This is a large theme in the book. When he calls them unnatural it likens them to bastard children.
This is easier for him to believe that they are of another father, other than him, because they are being so cruel to him when all they have is from him. This is a large theme in the play because there is a power struggle between Edmund, Glouscesters unnatural child, and Edgar, his natural child. In this play both Lear and Gloucester's unnatural children hold all of the power, while they denounce the natural children, being Cordelia and Edgar. This speech illuminates everything in the play.
The fathers weep because their children deceive them. Lear swears to revenge, but he is not the one who is able to get his revenge. In the end he dies as does his natural daughter, Cordelia; Regan and Goneril kill each other. No good comes out of this play.
A depressed as Lear is in this speech is how tragic the play ends up. The women reduce Lear to a beast and form this point on, he continues to go crazy. This also indicates the role reversal that the girls had been waiting for. They reduce him to a woman, crying, and he is reduced in power as well. He becomes the child to his children. This flip in the play begins here.
Lear now knows his place as he is cast out into the storm to cry while his daughters and their husbands take over his Bibliography:
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