John dryden’s presentation of cleopatra

by | Oct 6, 2021 | Homework Help

Write an article on john dryden’s presentation of cleopatra Paper must be at least 2000 words. The play which consists of five acts represents a turning point in John Dryden’s career as a playwright and (esteemed) dramatist. This artistic piece is impressive in creating genuine emotion and dramatic tension within the rigorous strictures of the neoclassical theatre. Here, the unities of time, place, and action are strictly observed, but the story loses none of its power as a result (Byrne, 2004). Unlike other plays that revolve around the same love story, Dryden’s setting is restricted to the Temple of Isis in Alexandria during the time when Antony’s rival, Octavius Caesar, is on his unopposed advances toward Egypt. Depictions of naval powers, Rome’s increasing empire and the rich Roman culture are all lacking in the play. However, the constraints on the play’s setting are overcame by the emotional depth of the drama and the well-developed interactions among the characters. Aside from the lovers’ interactions, the play was also enlivened by the polished characters of Octavia, the wife of Antony and Caesar’s sister. Ventidius, the lieutenant of Antony’s troop in the East who remained loyal to his friend’s cause. and Alexas, Queen Cleopatra’s eunuch and ill-tongued adviser. The focus on the weakness of the lovers and their voluntary crimes of passion is another notable deviation of Dryden’s work from other portrayals of Antony and Cleopatra. Through numerous affluent lines, the writer implied that a person’s passion ought to be always within his/her power. By presenting his main characters to be voluntarily immersed in sin, the writer was able to gather sympathies for the characters of Octavia and her children and other innocent sufferers in the play.Historically, Queen Cleopatra is known as one of the few female and yet, the most famous ruler of Egypt. She was famed for her intelligence and timely wit, inasmuch as her charm and beauty. Timeless anecdotes of her depicted her as a ruler who is gifted with a sharp mind inasmuch as she is well-endowed in her outer appearance. However, in Dryden’s play, she was illustrated to be clinging to nothing but her charms. Her famed wit had taken backseat to her charismatic beauty and her confidence that she is in possession of all Antony’s love. The mental prowess that was said to be allied with her beauty to win Julius Caesar and Antony’s hearts is not evident in the said play. Unlike the intelligent heroine portrayed in other plays, Dryden’s Cleopatra is shown as a woman who has forgotten all her reasons because of the strong feelings that she felt for the Roman Antony. All the arguments that came out of her mouth seemed to be woven by her much troubled and despairing heart.In All for Love, Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt is depicted as a woman who has lost all her battles with love. Though the love in question is well-reciprocated by her chosen man, the appalling situation in the face of war is highlighted by the fact that her lover’s wife is no less than the sister of Octavius, Antony’s former ally in the Second Roman triumvirate who turned into his bitter enemy. Perhaps, this is the reason why the proud queen of Egypt readily succumbed to her defeat.

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