Cynicism and Idealism in Antony and Cleopatra

Of each of Shakespeares plays, Antony and Cleopatra is the genius that intimately dramatically reveals the skirmish amidst cynicism and idealism. In the play, Shakespeare uses capital of Italy as a symbol for cynicism, which he frequently bear upons to as politics, and Egypt to refer to the nonions of idealism. This infringe betwixt capital of Italy and Egypt makes up the central conflict of the play and drives the characters towards most of their actions. Characters in Antony and Cleopatra conspicuously associate Rome and Egypt with competing points of view (Hirsch, p.175). This is despite the event that, obviously, Romans are capable of idealism and Egyptians capable of realism. Though Egypt did not name the same concussion on European level that Rome had, to turn out that Egypt had a tale of tremendous policy-making power and that its rulers must deliver been capable of exercising real pragmatic and cynical decisions is to ignore history. It is this very real hi story that drives the story line in the play. In fact, had Antony and Cleopatra not been rulers of their respective(prenominal) realms, and, therefore, symbols of cynicism and idealism, their love affair would not call for been tragic. Antony would not need been censured for locomote foredate to Cleopatras charms, he would not have been expected to marry another(prenominal) woman, and he may have triumphed in the eventual battle to rule Rome. However, by falling in love with Cleopatra, Antonys Roman cynicism falls prey to idealism, and he can eight-day be nothing much than a pragmatic politician. Therefore, it is build that, Under the pressure of diachronic necessity Voluptas must lose, whether equal by Cleopatra or Falstaff; hardly the defeat is not the wakeful and obvious matter of a morality play (Kermode, p. 1345). On the contrary, throughout the play, even though the audience knows the outcome, there is a immutable tension between idealism and cynicism, and a consta nt strain about which one should prevail.\nIt is important to...