3/8 & 3/10 - Class Notes

- Antony and Cleopatra

- Scene 1 is central to the play

- First word "nay," argument is already propensity of Antony's actions

- Rumors constantly going around: the woman lier

- Antony and Cleopatra never alone together, missing soliloquies

- Other peoples perspectives/interpretations

• No point of view not questioned or up for debate

- Act II scene 2

• Description of how Antony and Cleopatra met
• Presented as truth
• Presence of rumor and perspective

- Roman: cold, hard, masculine, white, fixed personality and ideals, stoic

- Egypt: soft, fluffy, feminine, eating, black, fluid, desire, voluptuous

- Octavia vs Cleopatra

• Ideal wife with blonde hair and blue eyes
• Cleopatra with dark skin more passionate

- Antony and Cleopatra = Mars and Venus

• Venus married to Volcan
• Mess of love and war together

- Identity

• Who am I? Who are people?
• "It is what it is" description of crocodile from Antony
• Antony's identity threatened
• Cleopatra embraces lack of identity, infinite variety

- Fight against wrinkles, nostalgia for the past

- Cleopatra: me person and media person

• How am I doing?
• Needs audience
• Puts on a play or a show - Tell Antony I'm dead.

- To become gods must work on everything: what is said, what is seen, what is done

- Self creators or culture creates personality

- Lie that leads to the truth