Anthony and Cleopatra

This turn out allow compare and distinguish Cleopatra as portrayed by Plutarch in his historical biography, Lives of the solemn Grecians and Romanes, translated by Sir Thomas North, 1579 (Brown and Johnson, 2000)1 with Shakespeares depiction of Cleopatra in his play, The catastrophe of Anthony and Cleopatra (Greenblatt et al, 2008)2. It will demonstrate their similarities and differences and their establish on the audience. This essay will present evidence of similarities in both portrayals by commission on the opening crack of the play to illustrate Cleopatras vicious taunting of Anthony in order to both shape and control him. It will and then demonstrate where Shakespeare deviates from his source corporeal and elevates Cleopatra to a more dire status by analysing the verbal description of the lovers branch meeting as presented in both texts. It will call down that Shakespeare does this in order for Cleopatra to adjoin the desired tragic numbfish archetype.\nPlutarch dedicates much of his writing on Cleopatra to her skillful economic consumption of language. He speaks of the courteous nature that treated her voice communication, and the fact that her voice and words were marvelous attractive. (p20) These statements create an meet of a woman that spate use her tongue as an instrument of music in the same way that a serpent charmer may allure a snake under its control. Although words much(prenominal) as marvelous and pleasant are use, the audience is sure of a more heavy undertone to Plutarchs depiction. This fundament be demonstrated by analysing Plutarchs (via North) choice of words. Plutarch claims that Cleopatra taunted him [Anthony] thoroughly. (p20) The use of the word taunted is a metric choice that invokes negative connotations that match Plutarchs general thought of the Egyptian. A similar word, much(prenominal) as teasing, could have been used to suggest something thought to be fun and innocent in nature, but taunting su ggests something mor...