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Dramatic Irony
Act 4
Explanation and Analysis—Cleopatra and Caesar:
Cleopatra and Caesar are foils of each other in more ways than one: age being perhaps the most obvious of these. Cleopatra is young and inexperienced when she meets Caesar; he, being older and wiser, takes her under his wing and mentors her as she takes on more of a leadership role as queen.
In some ways, Caesar becomes a father figure to Cleopatra, attempting to counterbalance Ftatateeta's violent maternal influence. He ultimately fails to fully turn Cleopatra to his philosophy, and as the play progresses, she becomes his foil in values as well as age. Where Caesar leads with compassion, grace, and mercy, however, Cleopatra leads through cruelty, fear, and intimidation. Caesar inspires his legions to follow him, as the audience sees demonstrated at the end of Act 4:
CAESAR: Apollodorus: lend me your sword and your right arm for this campaign.
APOLLODORUS: Ay, and my heart and life to boot.
Cleopatra, however, must terrify her subjects and attendants constantly with threats of violence to maintain her position as leader, as at the beginning of Act 4:
CLEOPATRA: You shall give me a [music] lesson every day for a fortnight. [The musician hastily scrambles to his feet and bows profoundly.] After that, whenever I strike a false note you shall be flogged; and if I strike so many that there is not time to flog you, you shall be thrown into the Nile to feed the crocodiles.
Where Caesar attempts to break the cycle of violence and bloodshed, Cleopatra seeks to perpetuate it.
Related Themes:
