Love and politics are two themes central to the story of 'Antony and Cleopatra.' Antony, the hero of the tragedy, is seen as a man caught between two worlds- the fantasy microcosm of Alexandria, and the titanic responsibilities and honours of the triumvirate, whilst his lover Cleopatra is the ruler of Egypt. Between them, they have political authority over half the known world, so theirs is a relationship embroiled in political significance.
             The language that Shakespeare uses to portray these two principle dimensions of the play is therefore integral, in order to evoke the tragedy the author intends. For Antony and Cleopatra's tragedy explores almost a crown on death, a total, unprecedented political collapse. The two extremes, love and death, seem to unite in speech. The culmination of the play sees to die as symbolic of total love. Conversely, to love is also to die. Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, Cleopatra and Antony all die at the height of their love or loyalty. Clearly such tragedy of political and romantic importance requires a diverse and complex deployment of language, and it is this technique that I now seek to explore.
             The language of love in 'Antony and Cleopatra' is one of the plays greatest pleasures. The magnificence of the poetic lexis is what elevates the characters in the imagination, and sustains their larger than life status. It is majestically exaggerated- take the picture of Cleopatra on her barge sailing down the river Cydnus to meet Antony, w hich ends in a praise of her "infinite variety" she herself envisages Antony as "the demi-Atlas of this earth." Her dream of Antony after he is dead "his legs bestrid the ocean" is similarly grand. Her response to the death of Antony, "the crown o'th'earth doth melt", and her own words as she is about to commit suicide "give me my robe, put on my crown, I have Immortal longings in me" ...