Anthony and Cleopatra

This essay bequeath compargon and contrast Cleopatra as portrayed by Plutarch in his historical biography, Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romanes, translated by Sir Thomas North, 1579 (Brown and Johnson, 2000)1 with Shakespeares word of honor picture of Cleopatra in his encounter, The Tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra (Greenblatt et al, 2008)2. It depart try out their similarities and differences and their effect on the audience. This essay will gravel evidence of similarities in both(prenominal) portrayals by focusing on the opening scene of the play to illustrate Cleopatras brutish taunting of Anthony in show to both charm and simpleness him. It will then demonstrate where Shakespeare deviates from his source material and elevates Cleopatra to a more noble emplacement by analysing the description of the lovers first showdown as presented in both texts. It will project that Shakespeare does this in order for Cleopatra to fit the want tragic hero archetype.\nPlutarch dedicates untold of his writing on Cleopatra to her honorable accustom of language. He speaks of the polished nature that tempered her words, and the event that her voice and words were wondrous pleasant. (p20) These statements create an image of a woman that can use her tongue as an legal document of music in the like way that a glide charmer may allurement a snake under its control. Although words such as marvelous and pleasant are used, the audience is aware of a more ominous speck to Plutarchs depiction. This can be demonstrated by analysing Plutarchs (via North) natural selection of words. Plutarch claims that Cleopatra taunted him [Anthony] thoroughly. (p20) The use of the word taunted is a deliberate choice that invokes negative connotations that represent Plutarchs general impression of the Egyptian. A similar word, such as teasing, could have been used to suggest something thought to be sport and innocent in nature, notwithstanding taunting suggests something mor...