Cleopatra Assignment

Cleopatra Assignment What does it tell us about Plutarchs good deal of the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra? Plutarch views the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra as one where Cleopatra uses manipulation, temptation and obsession to control Antony. She is viewed as a fatal influence on Antony and he seemed powerless to resist her charms. In the eyes of Rome, Antony was changing from a veteran statesman and warrior to that of an effiminate get along sick juvenile on the alley to destruction.At the very beginning of the passage Life of Antony, Plutarch states Cleopatra is ever contrisolelying several(prenominal) fresh delight and charm to Antonys hours of seriousness and mirth but there is no hint of love or romance which was viewed as viewing a sign of weakness. The Romans did not value romantic love and this infatuation was another indication to Plutarch of Antonys self indulgence and sweep through lack of self-control.Plutarch thusly adds she kept him in const ant tutelage and released him neither night or day playing dice, drinking and hunting with him showing an obsessiveness and a leading role in this relationship and neer letting Antony out of her sight. His infatuation for Cleopatra was seen as a failing and Cleopatra tempered Antony with disdain and mockery, all was on her terms and Antony seemed powerless to resist her charms.Antony goes to great lengths to impress Cleopatra, for example he cheats when fishing by ordering his fishermen to souse down and secretly fasten to his hook some fish and Cleopatra goes along with this and humours him by pretending to admire her lovers skill. Cleopatra then confides in her friends about Antonys skill and invites them to be spectators the following day. This attempt at impressing Cleopatra in his fishing ability backfires, as she is one step ahead.As soon as Antony has thrown in his business enterprise she ordered one of her own attendants to get the start of him by swimming onto his hook and fastening on it a salted Pontic Herring. When Antony pulled in his catch revealing the kipper, which is not an impressive catch, this was met with great laughter by Cleopatras spectators and made Antony to look like a fool. It must be noted that this is a viewpoint from Plutarch from a series of character studies and not designed as a piece of conventional narrative history.