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  • Essay / Foreshadowing Cleopatra's betrayal in Shakespeare's “Antony and Cleopatra”

    Foreshadowing of Betrayal Cleopatra's betrayal is not at all unexpected if one carefully reads the text of Antony and Cleopatra. There are many foreshadowings of Cleopatra's corrupt morals and sense of self. Antony's infatuation with Cleopatra causes him to overlook her behavior and forgive her almost instantly. Her love is ultimately blinding and if Antony had been more aware and focused on his brain rather than his heart, he would have understood what Cleopatra is really like. What I found interesting were all the little examples that warn of a future betrayal of Cleopatra and could easily be ignored not only by Antony, but also by readers.Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Cleopatra's behavior is highlighted when Enobarbus and Antony speak to each other in Act I, Scene II. The way Enobarbus speaks of Cleopatra implies that he had once been close to her. As the story goes: “Alas, sir, no, his passions are made of // nothing but the finest part of pure love // ​​We cannot call him victories and waters, sighs and tears; these are // storms and tempests greater than the almanacs can // report. It can't be cunning about her; if so, she makes rain as well as Jupiter. (Act I, scene II). Enobarbus portrays Cleopatra as this dramatic image of a woman that he recognizes and wants Antony to recognize. Regardless of its "stormy" personality, it is also suggested to be milder when paired with "rain showers". Indeed, Enobarbus recognizes both Cleopatra's harshness as well as her ability to seduce and show affection. If one reads carefully, one can also notice that Enobarbus speaks of Antony's wife as if she were also his once upon a time. Antony does not seem to understand this and does not think that Enobarbus would possibly have sex with Cleopatra. However, if the two have had previous relationships together, this foreshadows his disloyalty. Antony's heart lies squarely with Cleopatra and we see this when he refuses to listen to Enobarbus. As can be seen, the foreshadowing of Cleopatra's betrayal connects the simple words of Shakespeare's texts to the more serious consequences that Antony faces. Whether through Cleopatra's behavior or her actions, with the help of inference and close reading, one can see the direction the play was heading from its very first pages. With the speech given by Enobarbus, we gain insight into what other characters besides Antony think of Cleopatra and their own unique ways of describing her, ultimately embodied in her actions..