Is It Love?

Cleopatra is definitely a clever woman. She is always a step ahead of Antony (but it ultimately lead to his death), and she seems to be ahead of the readers also. Cleopatra seems to be diffcult for me to figure our: Does she really love Antony?

It is definitely not a question that can be easily answer. At first, I thought Antony and Cleopatra do have a true love relationship (see the comment I left on Kinzie/Erika/Nicole/Sarah's website). But gradually, I have doubt on my previous thought. Is she staying with Antony because she loves him, or because she doesn't want to be Caesar's trophy? Throughout the play, there are elements that point to different directions. Her affection toward Antony seems to be sincere and real. However, she also shows signs of "virtue of necessity" (Tyson, November 2) when she shows interest to Caesar's offer. It is just hard to figure this woman out...

On the other hand, I believe that Antony has a true affection toward Cleopatra. And it is because of this affection that he is tricked continuously, and it is also because of his affection that he leads himself into a tragic fall and ultimately to his own death.