Do You Agree That "Shakespeare Is Especially Interested in Exposing the Human Frailty and Vulnerability of Those Who Wield Great Political Power" in ‘Antony and Cleopatra'?

In the course of ‘Antony and Cleopatra', Shakespeare examines all of the characters through their various emotions, and several in the different circumstances they are thrust into, giving the audience a unique, contemporary view of the Rulers of the Roman Empire at the time.

When the audience is told of how Cleopatra was first introduced to the Romans, through Enobarbus's speech (2:2), she is described as having "cloth-of-gold" and having "delicate cheeks". This long description of Cleopatra recounts how all of Alexandria flocked to the sea to gaze upon her, and how the wind itself would have gone had it not "made a gap in nature". The presence of Cleopatra, being able to draw hundreds to her by merely turning up on a barge, is obviously (as Plutarch described) "irresistible".   She is also politically cunning, shown when she bargained with Caesar, asking for the Ptolomy namesake to be preserved within Egypt. This level of thought, whilst under extreme duress from Caesar to betray Antony, draws into question whether she truly loved Antony at all, or whether she was merely using him which would imply a manipulating, shrewd leader.

However, she is at times very insecure in herself. When she discovers that Antony has married Octavia she quickly questions Octavia's looks and composure, implying a severe level of insecurity in her own looks. It also implies she doesn't trust Antony, and finds it difficult to trust others, despite the fact that Antony has already declared that he would first let "the wide arch of the ranged empire fall" before he would stop loving her. One can perceive that her lack of trust in Antony, or even herself and her love and looks, is actually a level of manipulation where she has seduced Antony for him to do her bidding. She frequently needs reassurances of his love from the very beginning of the play, where she is annoyed at the level of control that she believes Fulvia and Caesar have over Antony. Again, this could be perceived as... [continues]

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