Cleopatra And Octavia In Antony And Cleopatra

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In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra and Octavia are two contrasting characters who come from rivaling societies. The differences between the two women, in both appearance and manner, emphasizes the differing ideals of their respective civilizations. The Roman idea of Egypt is that it is a country of magic and unbridled passion, whereas their account of themselves is one of calm demeanor and rational thought. Both Cleopatra and Octavia seem to represent the ideals of the civilizations they belong to. Cleopatra is a woman of incredible beauty, charisma and allure. At the beginning of the play, Enorbarbus acknowledges her appeal when he describes the moment when Antony first saw Cleopatra, coming down the Nile River in her barge: For her own…show more content…
He will not. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Other women cloy The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry Where she most satisfies, for silent things Become themselves in her, that the holy priests Bless her when she is riggish. (2.2.244-250) Power over physical appearance is one that Octavia, who is described by one of Cleopatra’s messengers as being plain, doesn’t have. Where a pouted face is enough to bring Antony home from Rome, Octavia is unable to get any attention from him. This is partly because she lacks Cleopatra’s beauty and extravagant public appearance. For example, when, in Act 3, Scene 6, Octavia goes to visit her brother, Caesar in Rome, she arrives unheralded, and Caesar is insulted: But you are come A market-maid to Rome and have prevented The ostentation of our love, which, left unshown, Is often left unloved. We should have met you By sea and land, supplying even stage With an augmented greeting. (3.6.51-56) Octavia differs in temperament from Cleopatra as well. When she is betrayed by her husband, Antony, she exhibits pain, but none of the anger and dramatics that Cleopatra displays when Antony married Cleopatra. Cleopatra’s unbridled passions are what the East feared from the West, who valued calm rationality. While Octavia can be controlled by men, Cleopatra cannot be. The two women epitomize the difficulty of when the East clashes with the

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