Cleopatra: Tragic Heroine or Femme Fatale - Assignment Example

Cleopatra: Tragic Heroine or Femme Fatale? The novel Anthony and Cleopatra is deliberately named, as it encompasses the oppositional relationships of the two lovers. While Anthony embodies the character of a noble and virtuous Roman power wielder, Cleopatra embodies the character of a hyper-sexualized Eastern woman who has an ever lasting impact on the audience. Although their profiles are different, both show intense love relationship and consideration for each other. The author has skilfully delineated the character of Cleopatra and has made her an eternal character in the literary world. In this paper we analyses the character of Cleopatra in order to prove that she is a true tragic Heroin rather than a Femme Fatale. A FEMME FETALE: Cleopatra is one of those lead characters in Shakespeare’s which have maintained universal popularity and have become eternal in their fame. She is blessed with extraordinary beauty and charm. Beauty which can coax men to perform dangerous tasks like Antony did. Enobarbus explains her character in the following words; “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Other women cloy The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies. For vilest things Become themselves in her, that the holy priests Bless her when she is riggish”. In her love, Antony started compromising on his duty which Caesar makes him realize in the following words; “Leave thy lascivious wassails. When thou once Was beaten from Modena, where thou slew'st Hirtius and Pansa, consuls, at thy heel Did famine follow; whom thou fought'st against, Though daintily brought up, with patience more Than savages could suffer. Thou didst drink The stale of horses and the gilded puddle Which beasts would cough at. Thy palate then did deign The roughest berry on the rudest hedge; Yea, like the stag when snow the pasture sheets, The barks of trees thou brows'd. On the Alps It is reported thou didst eat strange flesh, Which some did die to look on. And all this- It wounds thine honour that I speak it now- Was borne so like a soldier that thy cheek So much as lank'd not”. (1.4.56) As Antony observes, she is a woman “[w]hom everything becomes—to chide, to laugh / To weep” (I.i.51–52). The breathtaking air of poise and elegance that surrounds a femme fatale is one of the major characteristics that are pointed out by literary priests. This characteristic is also applicable to Cleopatra as her poise is described in the following words: “The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, Burned on the water; the poop was beaten gold, Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that The winds were love-sick with them,” For a man, an association with a femme fatale could prove disastrous at several occasions. The term is very relevant to cultures where a powerful woman is feared by all. A classic femme fatale veils her antagonistic nature with love and seductive attitudes. But this is one quality that is not consistent with Cleopatra as she truly loves Antony when she calls Antony; “Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he or sits he? Or does he walk? or is he on his horse? O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! Do bravely, horse; for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st? The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm And burgonet of men.” (1.5.19) The intelligence of Cleopatra was also unparalleled. Her proactive nature and deep consciousness of the political situation led her to win laurels on the battle fields. She thought that, “the way to prevent war is to be ready for it!” This was one of the main evidence of her intelligence.” Although at some instances in the novel, Cleopatra is showed as a passionate lover but it is this love that led Antony to risk his life for the queen at various instances. The impact that Cleopatra made on him can be judged from the following lines, ‘Let Rome in Tiber melt and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall... I bind, on the pain of punishment, the world to weet... We stand up peerless.’(1.1.33-39). The passionate relationship between the two also causes her to lose her temper at instances which is quite unlikely. When a messenger informs her about the marriage of Anthony, she loses her temper saying; ‘The Gods confound thee! Dost thou hold there still?’ (2.5.92-93) This shows that her love could cause her to become devilish at times. The love that Antony had for her led him to protect her at all instances even when his own life was in danger. Cleopatra had strong feelings for Antony and she did not want to deceive him. Hence she was not a Femme Fatale (Keluge, 2008). CLEOPATRA AS A HERO Her heroic nature is evident in the end of the play when she, in spite of all her fame and fortune, succumbed to death and took pleasure in it as well; “Dost thou not see my baby at my breast , That sucks the nurse asleep? As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle , Oh Antony!” Like a true Hero. Cleopatra is also ready to accept her shortcomings despite of all the haughtiness that she showed in the first place. She is also considerate towards her enemies when she says; “Though age from folly could not give me freedom, It does from childishness. Can Fulvia die? “(1.3.57) Simultaneously, she asserts her power on certain occasions; "You did know how much you were my conqueror, and that my sword, made weak by my affection, would obey it on all cause." Typically, a person is considered a true hero if he is portrayed as an honourable man who is born to royalty. But he, through his life suffers a reversal of fortunes. He also goes through the agony that none goes through. Subsequently, he makes a slight mistake that leads to his downfall. But he later realizes his mistake and tries to atone for it, I f this context is taken into consideration, we can easily identify Cleopatra as a tragic hero rather than a heroin. She is born to the royal family and grows up under state attention. Then when she takes the thrown, she uses all her power and intelligence to save her motherland. She also poses tough challenge to her rival power and for that matter; she eventually falls in love of Antony. The problem begins when she is unable to create a balance in her political and Love life and she ultimately succumbs to the exacerbated conditions. Her mistake causes her to lose Antony without whom she would not live. As a result, she commits suicide. CLEOPATRA AND ARISTOTLE’S CONCEPT OF TRAGIC HERO Aristotle asserts that a tragic hero must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience. Cleopatra is born as a noble women and she as a high level of self efficacy. “Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me." She also asserts her supreme powers on some occasions as pointed by Aristotle. “I am fire and air; my other elements I give to baser life." The qualities identified by Aristotle of a true tragic hero are the typical characteristics of the character of Cleopatra. Cleopatra is an embodiment of beauty, charm and intelligence. Things that are possessed by heroes. Although she is not the conventional femme fatale who notoriously cause failure to men, her personality mesmerizes her acquaintances and also the audience. Hence she is able to inculcate pity for herself in the hearts of the audiences. She also comes to know in the end that she has made a mistake by not justifying her love and her political designation so she attains her love for Anthony by killing herself, trying to prove that her love for Antony was true and undeniable. Hence she completely fulfills the criteria of a tragic hero as laid down by Aristotle (Mcomber, 2008). REFERENCES: DEATS, S. M. (2005). Antony and Cleopatra: new critical essays. New York, Routledge. SHAKESPEARE, W., & NEILL, M. (1994). The tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra.Oxford, Clarendon Press. KLUGE, S. (2008). An Apology for Antony. Morality and Pathos in Shakespeare’s; s Antony and Cleopatra.OrbisLitterarum. 63, 304-334. SHAW, B. (1951). Caesar and Cleopatra: a history. Baltimore, Penguin. McComber, P. John. Journal of Modern Literature. Vol.31, No. 2 (Winte, 2008), pp. 23-38. Indiana University Press Retrieved from: www.jstor.org/stable/30053266 Read More