Antony's Fear When Faced with Pleasure versus Duty
Antony's Fear When Faced with Pleasure versus DutyAll of Shakespeare's works are written with a purpose, usually to entertain or inform the audience of some underlying universal truth. Often it is a theme or idea that might not be easily visible to the characters within the play. Though they operate in view of the audience who easily sees what the author is trying to accomplish, they are unaware of the essential truth. This idea parallels the readers' experience because no person can know their intended role in the universe or the lessons they are meant to learn. This reason is what makes Shakespeare's works so important. One struggle that readers deal with is the feeling of duty versus pleasure, as does Antony in Antony and Cleopatra. The imagery and other examples showcasing this conflict are essential to the plot because they show characters flaws, and how they are real. The struggle evident in characters of the story is almost always involving their pleasure-seeking side versus their loyal and dutiful side. The characters both fear the world of pleasure and all that it contains yet fell that they must challenge themselves into choosing that pleasurable world.Antony easily shows this struggle more than any other charact
By this marriage All little jealousies, which now seem great, And all great fears, which not import their dangers, Would then be nothing. Antony's pleasure-seeking side does eventually win over his entire self, but only after a long and difficult struggle against a deeply ingrained fear. Outside characters easily observe this such as when Enobarbus says, He will to his Egyptian dish again. He overcomes the fear of the one thing he desires and risks, war and death for the love of that object he desires, Cleopatra. Because they were married and Antony is an important official he could be held responsible for her actions no matter how rash. The tight, Roman bond of marriage is in direct contradiction to the idea of free love in Egypt, which has influenced Antony. I must from this enchanting queen break off. He is afraid of this prospect, however, and does not immediately take on his friend's line of thinking as seen by his lack of argument. However, he accepts the marriage and once again backs down from what he desires. Cleopatra and Egypt are one, so in choosing her over Fulvia he has taken steps to make his final choice for Egypt whether he really knows the challenge or consequences. Almost every other character in the show sees him afraid to possess the world of pleasure in Egypt, and challenging himself to take that step. Sex, is highly linked with Egypt, Cleopatra, and that pleasure-seeking side of Antony. As Antony is the vessel of new and pleasurable ideas, he faces Caesar who is pregnant with the stillborn feelings of anger for Antony and the fact that Fulvia stood against him.
Common topics in this essay:
Octavia Antony,
Enobarbus Antony,
Antony She's,
Whereas Antony,
Octavia Cleopatra,
Duty Shakespeare's,
Pompey Caesar's,
Antony Cleopatra,
Cleopatra Egypt,
Antony Octavia,
egypt cleopatra,
struggle antony,
duty versus pleasure,
duty versus,
versus pleasure,
world pleasure,
worlds pleasure,
death wife,
pleasure duty,
enobarbus antony,
caesar antony,
|
Acceptance Essays
