Reading the Love in Antony and Cleopatra Essay

This article is a review of "The Love in Antony and Cleopatra" by Robin D. Cook. This book covers ancient topics like gender roles, romantic themes, and relationships in literature. I enjoyed the book, and recommend it to couples as a Valentine's Day book.

The love in antony and cleopatra essay follows the life history of the famous couple, with brief biographies. However, when I started reading, I wanted to stop because the essay was too short. Some topics were repeated unnecessarily, especially towards the end, where there were more historical facts than personal opinions. Also, some of Cook's information could have been learned from other sources, and not just his own study. Nevertheless, the main theme of the book - that love is a powerful force that can alter history - is a sound one.

The first ten verses deal with the backdrop and background of love, with a description of how love works in the world. They also illustrate love in terms of how people act toward each other, and how that behavior is affected by societal pressures. The introduction of Caesar and Marc Antony as lovers, for example, is depicted using anecdotes. Then we get a good description of the intensity of love between Cleopatra and Marc Anthony, and Antony's reaction. The details are again detailed later on in the text.

After this introduction, the focus is more on the characters involved, and the development of their relationship, based on facts and portraits of the two individuals. We are introduced to Juliet and Marc Antony, and their budding love for each other. The subsequent chapters cover the background and the rise of love in romantic relationships. We are presented with the details of how Juliet met Marc Anthony, and the reasons for their love and desire for each other. Finally, we move on to the end of the Essay, which reviews the various theories on love and its historical importance.

The entire essay is written in first person pronouns, with detailed descriptions. The essay begins by recounting the events that led up to the infamous "Titus And Brutus" scene from Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Then we move on to examine the role that love and affection play in history. Internet Page take two women who were famous for their passionate love for one another, and relate their story to help us better understand love. The final paragraph of the essay describes the importance of love in light of current events.

I found the most useful information regarding the relationship between Juliet and Marc Anthony was the historical comparison of the two characters. They had a complicated history, and their love story was fascinating to me. After finishing the Love in Antony and Cleopatra Essay, I began reading the legends surrounding their relationship, and found even more interest. The most interesting thing I learned was that both characters were involved in homosexual love affairs at one point. This is interesting in light of the present-day discussion about same sex relations and what the bible has to say about it.

Much of the essay deals with the different relationship theories about love, with the author making a personal observation based upon their own life. The author repeatedly states that love is a wonderful emotion, and she expresses her love for Antony and Juliet as though they were a family, quoting the famous line from the Timon of Athens, "Love is but the passion and necessity of a man." The basic elements of love are dedication, trust, and caring, and the author includes her own take on these things as well, drawing on her own experience.

The key phrases in the love in antony and cleopatra essay include the phrases, "The wild man is wooed by the woman," and "The woman is the companion of the man." These phrases lead up to the main theme of the love poem--how the wild man and woman become one in love. It then transitions to the marriage of Antony and Juliet, and then the subsequent civil war. I liked the way the author included the history of Antony and Juliet as a parallel with the present day--they're actually almost identical.