What Does the Paragraph Tell Us About Plutarch’s View of the Relationship Between Antony and Cleopatra?

Assignment 01

Part 01

What does the paragraph tell us about Plutarch’s view of the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra?

Plutarch first introduces us to Antony and Cleopatra by immediately trying to enforce a view of Cleopatra as a watcher or guardian to Antony, no matter where Antony went Cleopatra was with him to amuse him, keep him company or to play along with his schemes. She kept him in constant tutelage, and released him neither night nor day (assignment booklet AA100 pg. 18). Plutarch also holds the view that Cleopatra is manipulative and has an agenda of her own, one way in which this is seen, is to have a servant hook a Pontic (kipper) to Antony’s line, when retrieved by Antony the appearance of the Pontic further undermines any authority (military or political) he may have due to the size of the onlookers which Cleopatra has invited to view this spectacle. She ordered one of her own attendants to get the start on him by swimming onto his hook and fastening on it a Pontic. (Assignment booklet AA100 page 18)

Antony on the other hand is viewed as weak, easily swayed and infatuated with Cleopatra, his attempt to impress Cleopatra with his fishing abilities seem to further this argument by showing that Antony would rather partake in leisure activities than that of a statesmen. This in turn would have further bolstered beliefs to the romans who thought that Antony was a puppet of Cleopatra and was caught in her spell. The charm of her presence was irresistible (assignment booklet AA100 pg. 18). Plutarch emphasises this point by comparing the love for Cleopatra by Antony as a madness to which he had given in and lost all sense of morality,   the feelings which had been stirred in Antony had lain buried in roman morality, were now on show for all to see. He had lost his mind to Cleopatra.

Plutarch’s view also had a moral agenda behind it, illustrating what was wrong and right in roman society at that time in history; Plutarch argues that...