Dryden's versification in All for Love, his blank verse poem about the love between Marc Antony and Cleopatra, is competent and interesting, but it doesn't not have the majestic ring of Shakespeare's elegant verse in his blank verse dramatic work Antony and Cleopatra. Nonetheless, Dryden's story and Shakespeare's story of the world's most famous lovers are approached so differently that once the modesty of Dryden's poetry as compared to Shakespeare's poetic prowess is acknowledged, it is fair to speak in some regards of the superiority of Dryden's version of the story of Marc Antony and Cleopatra over Shakespeare's version.
Shakespeare approach his version of the story from an historical perspective, attempting to give his, sometimes not very flattering, perception of these two lovers as powerful leaders who often act for their own aggrandizement rather than from a notion of being monarchs. One way Shakespeare accomplishes this is to focus separately on Marc Antony and separately on Cleopatra, showing them in their separate and imperial roles. Dryden approaches his version of the story from the personal perspective, attempting to give his, often warm and forgiving, perception of these two leaders as overpowered lovers who are dependent on each other's love and devotion. One way Dryden does this is to focus on Marc Antony and Cleopatra together in each others' company.
If you judge the two Marc Antony and Cleopatra story versions by versification, the power of intricate language usage and historical representation of legendary leaders, then Shakespeare's version will most probably get the evaluation from every critic of being superior to Dryden's. If, on the other hand, you judge the two story versions by the telling of a human story, in this case a story of the warmth and drama of a human love, then Dryden's version may very well win the evaluation of being superior.
What distinguishes Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra from Dryden's All For Love?
The focus of Dryden's All For Love is much narrower than that of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra in terms of time, place, and subject. Shakespeare's play is a political and historical drama about how Mark Antony lost the chance to rule the world. It examines the dynamics of the Second Triumvirate, as well as the cultural differences between Rome and Egypt. All For Love focuses on the last days of Antony and Cleopatra in Alexandria and is concerned almost exclusively with romance, rather than with politics or history. In this sense, it resembles Romeo and Juliet more closely than Antony and Cleopatra.
Dryden's Cleopatra is inferior to Shakespeare's in her eloquence and rhetorical power, which is only to be expected. She is less regal and commanding and also less concerned with the political implications of her actions. Shakespeare's Cleopatra is at war with Rome and with Roman values throughout the play. When Antony tries to represent himself as a Roman hero with his dying words, she contradicts them with her eloquence after he expires. Dryden's Cleopatra, though she is afraid of dying, seems more interested in a life after death with Antony by her side than in what happens to Egypt or her place in history.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.