Character Analysis Cleopatra

If an imaginary spectrum were constructed and if Octavius Caesar were placed

at one end of the spectrum, Antony would waver, swaying and shifting in the
middle, and Cleopatra would be found at the other end of the spectrum. Not only
is she queen of Egypt, she is the epitome of Egypt itself. She represents all those
qualities that Octavius and the practical Romans have denied themselves —
enjoyment, playfulness, sensuality, and passion. But like all the other major
characters, Cleopatra is more than an allegory of personality traits. She is a full-
dimensional, complex human being. In his portrayal of this woman, Shakespeare
has taken the view of her as presented in countless legends and blended in
many subtler features. She is no longer the one-dimensional, near-mythical
queen of a mysterious and erotic country.

Cleopatra is a monarch, but we rarely see her performing any of the functions of
one. She meets Antony, falls in love with him, and she appears to be totally
devoted to pleasure and to finding fulfillment through her relationship with him.
Her love for Antony becomes, ultimately, the most important thing in her life. But
the strength of her passion is hidden by the superficial mannerisms which she
uses to manipulate people, so that initially in the play, the impression that the
audience has of her is simplistic — that is, it is consistent with the stereotype of
the Egyptian harlot-queen. Later, Shakespeare transforms her into a complex,
confused woman. Tragically, Cleopatra never realizes that the games which she
plays to gain attention are often misinterpreted by Antony; yet it is clear that she
is devoted to him — more than even he is to her, at first. Nor does she betray
him at the end in order to bargain for her own life. One reason for her continual
playacting with Antony is that she is basically an insecure woman. Initially, she
would like Antony to marry her, but he is married to Fulvia. When Fulvia dies,
Antony is almost immediately married to Octavius's sister, Octavia, in order to
cement a political truce recently formed between himself and his rival, Octavius
Caesar. Cleopatra fears that if she were Antony's wife, he would treat her in as
cavalier a manner as he has his other women, for he willingly abandons them to
spend time with her.

One important thing to note about Cleopatra throughout the play is her technique
of subterfuge which she employs to get her way: all her ploys are part and parcel
of the culture she lives in, the "mysterious East" which has long been symbolized
for Westerners by indirection and pretense. Audiences don't often realize this fact
until the end of the play, but Cleopatra's manner never affects her essential
integrity. It is yet one more illusion in a country known for illusion and mystery to
Shakespeare's audience.