Act 1 scene 5

WE RETURN AGAIN TO CLEOPATRA’S COURT. AGAIN ANTONY IS THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION, WITH CLEOPATRA ALREADY MISSING HIM AND HOPING FOR THE TIME TO PASS SO THAT HE MAY RETURN. ALEXAS RETURNS WITH A GIFT FROM ANTONY AND THIS DELIGHTS CLEOPATRA.

Make a list of the words and phrases Cleopatra uses to describe Antony. What impression are we give of Antony here?

How is Cleopatra presented in this scene? Use evidence to support your ideas

Mardian, the eunuch, recalls “What Venus did with Mars.”

Venus is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, desire and fertility.Mars is the Roman god of war (remember that Antony has already been likened to Mars).

These two opposing forces were often united in Roman mythology and art, and it is believed that Cupid was their son.

Venus was a goddess that may Romans’ claimed as a protectorate, and Pompey and Julius Caesar were no exception. It is believed that Augustus (Gaius Octavius) followed his great-uncle and erected a temple in honour of Mars, and the image of Mars in the temple is likely to have been accompanied by an image of Venus.

What is the relevance of this allusion?