Jan 2, 2010

Antony and Cleopatra | Antony and Cleopatra: Analysis of the Final Act and Scene

An examination of the final act and scene of the play, focusing on the language and actions of Cleopatra.

The language of the final act and scene of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra richly reflects the metaphors and images of the preceding acts. As a final statement by Cleopatra of her devotion to Antony, the scene is rich in references to the dead lover’s majesty; comparisons with Caesar serve to heighten the glory of Antony’s greatness in life and death.

The setting is the Monument, and the scene opens on Cleopatra, whose grief over Antony’s death is beginning to turn into resolution of the course she must now take. In her first words she speaks of her...