Antony and Cleopatra
We have been reading Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra for 2 weeks already. But I am still having trouble understanding the Shakespearean modern English (maybe that's why we can call ourselves post-mordern!?) I have the same feeling that I, as a reader, have been defamiliarized by the previous works we have read in class. Those literary works are old, but the new translations - in the language that is closer to the one we use nowadays - provides a different aspect for us to look at those literary works. And it is also because of the use of the more mordern language that we are able to understand the text more easily. Then, reading Shakespearean works becomes relatively difficult because of the differences in word usage and in social aspects.
There is one thing that has stuck in my mind about this play: how did Cleopatra look like? Shakespeare describes Cleopatra with a sense of divinity (2.2.234-39). However, it seems to me that Cleopatra was not as good-looking, or exotic as the image described in the play. In the passage where Cleopatra is described to have defy the normality of feminility that "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale/Her infinite variety" (2.2.234-35). Instead of having an image of a divine goddess, I have the image of the Egyptian curse and witchcraft. It is because of her witchcraft and curse that allows Cleopatra to seduce every man she wants, and further achieve the state of transcending mortality.
Just because of curiosity, I searched the image of Cleopatra through Google. Cleopatra has been portraited in a variety of ways (parallel to Shakespeake's text?), and I have put up some links here for everyone to see the faces of Cleopatra.
Cleopatra's Statue (head) (http://www.imit.kth.se/~dick56/)
Michelangelo's Image of Cleopatra c. 1500 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Giampietrino's Interpretation c. 1600 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Pietro Ricci's Interpretation c. 1700 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Cleopatra and Antony (France) c. 1450 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Cleopatra in the 21st Century
(http://www.duke.edu/~sas19)
Notice that in most of the images, you can see the presence of snakes and Cleopatra is perceived as a naked, white woman (not tawny at all). Would the presence of the snakes be a hint of Cleopatra's association with witchcraft? Nevertheless, you can clearly see the differences and similarities between these images from different time period, especially the one in the 21st century.
There is one thing that has stuck in my mind about this play: how did Cleopatra look like? Shakespeare describes Cleopatra with a sense of divinity (2.2.234-39). However, it seems to me that Cleopatra was not as good-looking, or exotic as the image described in the play. In the passage where Cleopatra is described to have defy the normality of feminility that "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale/Her infinite variety" (2.2.234-35). Instead of having an image of a divine goddess, I have the image of the Egyptian curse and witchcraft. It is because of her witchcraft and curse that allows Cleopatra to seduce every man she wants, and further achieve the state of transcending mortality.
Just because of curiosity, I searched the image of Cleopatra through Google. Cleopatra has been portraited in a variety of ways (parallel to Shakespeake's text?), and I have put up some links here for everyone to see the faces of Cleopatra.
Cleopatra's Statue (head) (http://www.imit.kth.se/~dick56/)
Michelangelo's Image of Cleopatra c. 1500 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Giampietrino's Interpretation c. 1600 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Pietro Ricci's Interpretation c. 1700 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Cleopatra and Antony (France) c. 1450 (http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/)
Cleopatra in the 21st Century
(http://www.duke.edu/~sas19)
Notice that in most of the images, you can see the presence of snakes and Cleopatra is perceived as a naked, white woman (not tawny at all). Would the presence of the snakes be a hint of Cleopatra's association with witchcraft? Nevertheless, you can clearly see the differences and similarities between these images from different time period, especially the one in the 21st century.
posted by Finsen at
1:12 AM
1 Comments:
Enjoyed reading your post on the Shakespeare play. The language is admittedly difficult but where Shakespeare has been taught for years in the school system eg in Singapore you get to understand the language pretty well by the time you reach the Singapore equivalent of high school (if you have been reading literature all along). But with Shakespeare it is not only the archaic diction that makes him difficult reading; his language is condensed - which makes for quite a bit of disentangling.
However, the plus point is that you can always bet that Shakespeare's words are worth every bit of mental effort. Note the economy & continuing relevance of some of his words from one of his sonnets "And art made tongue-tied by authority" or - from Macbeth - how can this summary of deceit be better phrased:
Look like the innocent flower
But be the serpent under it.
Talking about serpents, remember that Cleopatra used the asps as the instruments of her death and it is not so much the association with witchcraft but the Christian mythology of the serpent as the embodiment of Satan in the Garden of Eden that would appear to be relevant here...
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