Plutarch’s view of the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra seems to comprise
of the key components of any lustrous infatuation, something, which was regarded by
the Romans as showing a weakness of character.
At the start of the extract Plutarch informs us that Cleopatra provides Antony with
‘fresh delight and charm’ providing relief from his usual ‘hours of seriousness or
mirth’, which in itself appears like any normal courtship but he then hastens to add
that she releases him ‘neither night nor day’, which adds an obsessive and intense
passion to their relationship, which is devoid of real love or romance.
Plutarch then follows by saying that Cleopatra keeps Antony in constant ‘tutelage’,
which gives her a more formal almost superior role in their relationship. All talk of
charm and delight is now eradicated as we learn that it is she who is wearing the
proverbial trousers whilst he remains her besotted follower desperate to please and
impress.
Cleopatra is portrayed by Plutarch as having a tremendous hold over Antony. She is
the seductive and manipulative temptress and this grasp that she holds him within is
echoed a number of times throughout the extract. Antony is clearly desperate to
impress her as he fakes his fishing skill, ‘he therefore ordered his fishermen to dive
down and secretly fasten to his hook some fish’ However Cleopatra is no fool and
The Essay on Antony Cleopatra First Act
Nature, described as mysterious and secretive, is a recurrent theme throughout Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Cleopatra, the ill-fated queen of Egypt, is both mysterious and secretive, and her emotional power is above and beyond nature's great strength. Whether described in a positive or in a negative manner, both nature and Cleopatra are described as being "great natural forces." Throughout ...
only pretends to ‘admire her lover’s skill’, which is the only piece of affection shared
between them in the extract and even this display appears maternal without romantic
love.
Antony’s second attempt at impressing Cleopatra is foiled and he suddenly finds
himself made a mockery of. Plutarch has taken this hunter of ‘cities, realms and
continents’ and presented him as a naïve child succumbing to the ‘great laughter’ and
superiority of the adults surrounding him.
The final echo of Cleopatra having the upper hand in their relationship is after
Antony’s second attempt at impressing her when she tells him, ‘Imperator, hand over
thy fishing-rod to the fisherman of Pharos and Canopus…’ She reprimands him as
one would a child and upstages and out wits him yet again. It appears that Plutarch
has depicted Cleopatra as always ever so slightly out of Antony’s reach and his
actions and attempts lead to nothing but instead add more fuel to his desire of her.
Cleopatra, to Antony, is like gold, valuable, almost unobtainable and like a greedy
merchant he recklessly pursues her to no avail.
It is quite clear that Plutarch viewed Antony and Cleopatra’s relationship as slightly
worthless. The fact that Antony had allowed himself to become bewitched by this
woman and Queen shows a lack of self-control and would ultimately lead to his
demise. Cleopatra is shown as the cunning manipulator that has taken a great warrior
and turned him in to a love sick youth.
474 Words
Part 2 – Cézanne
When first glancing at the two paintings one would be forgiven for thinking that they
were almost identical, painted by the same artist. The similarities in the composition
of both appear one and the same right down to the jug and fruit. Cézanne however has
used darker hues whilst Matisse has taken a more radiant and brighter approach.
The modelling in both paintings indicates that the light is coming into the paintings
from the left. In Cézanne’s it appears as though the light is shining through a curtain
or blind and is therefore slightly obstructed and not as bright and illuminating as
The Term Paper on Four Styles Of Roman Wall Painting
The wall paintings evolved from around 2nd BC. Romans created these extravaganza works to emphasise their wealth. The evidence for the techniques used is described by Vitruvius’ in _De Architectura._ He noted that wall paintings were interior wall designs as frescoes, which were executed using damp plaster (lime and sand mixed together). There must have been at least several layers of this ...
Matisse’s where the emergence of the light is shining directly on to the piece of work
resulting in a much more radiant piece of art. It is as though Matisse’s entire
composition reflects a happier disposition and a desire for a life free from trouble and
nervous excitement, which is something that is expressed in other paintings of his.
Again, with the brushwork in both paintings there are similarities and it is quite
clear that Matisse has himself been greatly influenced by Cézanne’s style of painting.
Cezanne’s brushwork appears quite square, blunt and structural with quite thick
strokes. His use of colour is quite subdued with ‘earthy’ tones, greens, greys and
browns. Matisse’s brushwork seems quite broad and spontaneous, almost as if he is
allowing the light, unpainted canvas to outline the forms, and his use of colour is a lot
brighter and bolder than Cézanne’s. Matisse’s lively brushstrokes add an interesting
and unique texture to his work. It is quite clear that although Matisse was obviously
influenced by Cézanne with this piece of art, he has still managed to combine his own
unique style using the simplicity of Cezanne with a brilliantly expressive use of
colour.
Both Cézanne and Matisse have a delicate eye for detail both being able to capture
the intricate nature of their subject matter. In both paintings the tiny variations that
they have made in the walls behind their tables give a realistic depth to the picture
rather than appearing flat. This is particularly so in Cézanne’s, as each individual fold
of the cloth has been carefully crafted to gently caress the fruit. This sense of depth
that has been created by both artists by organising the spatial relations of their
paintings through the use of variations in colour, for example in Cézanne’s where a
brightly colour orange stands out against the green of an apple behind it.
Both pictures are good examples of still life as a type of art and both artists have
looked at the objects and studied their shapes, where the light has fallen on them and
the shadows that they have made in relation to the other objects. Works of still life
The Essay on Paul Cezanne Zanne Works Colour
PAUL C'EZANNE Post Impressionism, as the name would suggest, is the art movement that directly followed Impressionism. One artist, who led the Post Impressionism movement, was French artist, Paul C'e zanne. Much of his early work was pure Impressionism and, although he was introduced to the style and guided by Camille Pissarro, C'e zanne's works showed a distinctive uniqueness. C'e zanne broke ...
engage the senses and the imagination and although the objects represented in both
pictures may have no symbolic significance they entice the viewer to contemplate
their importance.
