In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare creates such a complex character. But while she is complex, she infuriates me! She is equal parts of power, sexuality, and love. It is really odd though because when it comes to Antony, she is super-bipolar, she does not really know how to carry herself. She claims to be conquered by him rather than be courted (3.16.60). She’s the queen of an rich, powerful and lavish empire, but when it comes to Antony, she becomes this little girl who is so enamored by a warrior and politician. I feel that it is so weird that someone so powerful like Cleopatra, who by the way is no where near young anymore, would be so immature when it comes to an amorous relationship. She swears this relationship is real in 1.5.63, but yet I’m not convinced she really thinks it is. She knows he has the capacity to be unfaithful (in fact he completely is) but yet she wants to be with him regardless. Like, I’m really upset.
I think it comes from being romantically involved at a young age.Or maybe it’s like a psychological thing that she has to act like this and Antony just follows suit to please her because the pursuit is so fun. Although, maybe the real reason I’m upset is because her lubby-dubby relationship with Antony sounds like the ones I’ve had with ex girlfriends that didn’t end well which, spoiler alert, also happened here.

Within these two acts, we see Antony’s mood fluctuate from self-loathing to confident to an angry madman and then back to loathing himself. He goes back to war with Cesar and after winning on land, he celebrates prematurely only to lose at sea. When this happens, he is filled with anger and believes that Cleopatra has betrayed him. Threatening to kill her, Cleopatra leaves and locks herself away. The moment she tells Mardian to send word to Antony that she has died, I had a feeling that this scheme of hers to reclaim his love was not going to go according to plan. This scene also reminded of Romeo and Juliet, where one pretends to die but in the end both lovers end up dead due to their plans going awry.

What I don’t understand is that if Antony loved Cleopatra so much, wouldn’t he run to see her upon hearing the news of her death? It’s this once simple act that could have changed the entire play. The ending I feel was also a little prolonged .. and I’m not sure where the countryman came from. It’ seems all too coincidental that he had a poisonous snake with him. In the end it seems that everyone who was loyal to Antony and Cleopatra ends up dead; but we also see Cesars “love/admiration” (?) for Antony in his soliloquy after hearing about his death BUT he stops in the middle of it to question the Egyptian which I find odd.

The main thing in Act 3 is the war between Caesar and Antony because of Antony’s decision to leave Rome and live in Egypt with Cleopatra. As we all know that in Act 2, Caesar and Antony become friends because Antony marries Octavia, Caesar’s sister, and this is how their enmity cools down for a moment. However, in Act 3, the situation is completely changed and both pillars end up fighting. I think this image represents the war scene in the play when Antony actually loses his everything and sends an ambassador to place a request on his behalf to live in Egypt, which is denied by Caesar. This act is mainly about the loss of Roman Empire and loss of honor and dignity for Antony, because he is defeated in the battle and lost his honor and respect since his proposal is denied.

For me, this play is the most difficult play to understand so far, because I am unable to think of Antony and Cleopatra as lovers. I am saying this because it is insane if they love each other then why Antony marries Octavia and Fulvia, his first wife. Also, Cleopatra is not really sincere to Antony as well. In a scene when the ambassador presents Antony’s proposal, he also conveys Cleopatra’s message that she is willing to submit him her everything including herself to Caesar (3.12.16-19). For me it is very disturbing. I did not like this play at all because there are several things in this play that I have trouble with. I don’t think so it is really a love story because they both have betrayed each other. Moreover, the war is the cause of Antony being unfaithful to Octavia, his wife and Rome, his native land. Then, I feel he deserves the loss of honor and empire because he is the one, who gives chance to Caesar to fight with him.

An interesting point I would like to make about the play is that one can make the argument that Iago’s manipulation of Othello is actually a seduction. Each well-calculated decision by Iago reflects many of the steps in the controversial book The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene. For example, Greene’s book stresses the following: Choosing the right victim, creating triangles, mastering the art of insinuation, using the demonic power of words to sow confusion, etc.

Most of these steps were used by Iago in the previous acts of the play that eventually lead to the several tragedies at the end of Act V. While seduction is traditionally used to obtain a lover, one can use it to have absolute power over an individual, much like the power Iago has. Iago effectively played his cards right and used Othello’s insecurities (age, moorish qualities, non-christian origin) to turn him into a jealous beast. His words were able to create little triangles in the play and allowed him to insinuate horrible ideas about Desdemona and Cassio into Othello’s mind so much so that he falls into a trance.

“My lord is fall’n into an epilepsy. This is his second fit; he had one yesterday.” (4.1.52-53)

Iago’s seduction of Othello (while terrible) can be seen as a work of art, a masterpiece of manipulation where each move was perfectly timed, a truly flawless victory. Simply by using the right words he gets Othello to not even believe Desdemona in Act IV without proof that she’s lying: “Are not you a strumpet” (4.2.81)

His power has Othello hanging on every word and acting on impulse, while altering his reality with simply his tongue.

Furthermore, Iago is successful as a mass seducer throughout the play, having fooled Roderigo into giving him all his money, Venetians like Lodovico, Casio, and Montano into believing he is “HONEST” Iago, perfectly analyzing each individual character and using them as pawn in his masterpiece.

Ironically, it is his own wife that reveals all of his wrongdoing at the end of the play, who sees through his shroud.

Iago the antagonist within the textcan beviewed in many ways as a “chess master”. His very calculated moves express how strategic he is in his ploy to bring down Othello. Iago devises this plan that is so complex to keep in motion it requires all those involved to play their part without being aware what their actions are leading to. Essentially in order to bring down Othello many of the other characters in the text serve as a pawn to Iago, the most unknowing pawn being Cassio. The most tactical move by far was Iago convincing Cassio to speak about his intimacy with Bianca. This was extremely tactical in that Othello, who is placed by Iago skillful to listen to the conversation, is convinced that Cassio is referring to Desdemona. Cassio says” I marry? What, a customer? Pg87 l121. These words put the figurative nail in Cassio’s coffin because Othello is convinced that Cassio is using his wife as a prostitute. As Othello is confronting Desdemona he says to her “he hath used thee.” Pg 166 l68-69. This is ironic in that Cassio and Othello were both used unknowingly. The remaining characters Roderigo, Desdemona, and Bianca were all also pawns put in motion to get Iago one step closer to power. His Judas like betrayal of others are expressive of how he was willing to do anything to meet his objective. The consequences of Iago behavior led to the murder of many of his pawns by the end of his game.

While we already know that Iago has an evil plan to destroy the Venetian Moorish general, Othello, it is interesting to see how he describes as his plan unfolds. “I have’t. It is engender’d. Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.” (1.3.12) In a Puckish style rhyme, the lines are delivered in a musical and magical type of way, presenting the idea that Iago’s monstrous plan of deception may very well be something mystical, and superhuman.

Though he were wise enough to devise a plan to deceive Roderigo to come with him to provide him money, and to deceive Cassio to get drunk and cause him to get into a brawl and lose his position, it is interesting to note that this plan may not be something that he can control either once it is given birth. Like a child that he raised himself, it is interesting to see that it is this jealousy that he springs onto Othello that once was his own.

Iago : “I stand accountant for as great a sin,- / But partly led to diet my revenge, / For that I do suspect the lusty Moor [Othello] / Hath [has] leap’d into my seat; the thought whereof [of] / Doth [does] like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards [eat me up]; (Act2.1.305-309)

It seems he may have been jealous of Othello because he was suspecting that his own wife was cheating on him, and he would not stop until he had gotten “wife for wife” (2.1.286). Later on it seems that the monster of jealousy has already taken ahold of Othello, however it may be something that he knows all too well.

Iago: “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.” (3.3.170-172)

The most playful deceptions arise from jealousy as seen from the story of Oberon and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or from Helena and Hermia when she feels deceived, and this is when the human frailties seem at its weakest. Iago’s understanding of how to use these dysfunctional relationships to his advantage is how he is able to get Roderigo to come along with him to Venice and to continue to give him money and help him with his plans.

What about Emilia, who speaks on jealousy as if she knows it well herself?

Emilia: “But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster
Begot upon itself, born on itself.(3.4.159-160)

There are many parallels that may be drawn between Othello and The Merchant of Venice, especially as the play proceeds with Acts II and III. The title itself contains a subtitle of “The Moor of Venice,” a parallel to the title of Merchant. Both Othello and Bassanio face romantic turmoil associated with the influence of a supposed friend, and each have particular symbols of their affection that have been given great importance.

Acts II and III see Iago’s manipulations bear fruit as Othello begins a downward emotional spiral. He becomes overcome by his moods and loses his temper, and consequently his rationality. Taking Iago’s suggestions to heart and not giving his newlywed wife the benefit of the doubt is an example of emotional immaturity and ignorance. This harkens back to our earlier reading of The Merchant of Venice where Antonio persuaded Bassanio to act against his romantic interests. This is very similar to Othello’s situation as he too faces romantic destruction from the influence of a male confidante in his life.

In The Merchant of Venice, we see Bassanio give up the token of marriage of his ring from his soon-to-be wife Portia, at the request of friend Antonio. His ability to be persuaded by a male friend to give up an important belief in his romantic love shows a lack of commitment and independence. Similarly, Othello takes the rumors raised by Iago to heart, and tosses aside his once strong belief in their love. However, they clearly differ in that Iago is acting out of hate, while Antonio seemingly acted out of love.

Additionally, the loss of the handkerchief by Desdemona is reminiscent of the giving away of the ring by Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice. In each case, there is some measure of trickery involved as Desdemona merely gave the handkerchief to Othello, and Portia entrapped Bassanio in giving away her ring. However, each bear a symbolic representation as almost the essence of their love. In Merchant the ring was almost the contract of their marriage itself, and in Othello, the handkerchief symbolizes the virtue of Desdemona, which must be given to Othello for their marriage to be legitimate and honorable.

However, Othello’s promise of vengeance on his wife and Cassio for their alleged affairs that he makes with Bassanio predicts a more ominous outcome than we saw in Merchant. It seems that unlike in Merchant where Portia was the manipulator merely teaching a new husband a lesson, Othello faces a far greater foe and does not seem to possess the fortitude to see through his trap to destroy his life.