Power in Rome during the time of Antony and Cleopatra was highly military in nature. This is not surprising due to the amazing gains achieved by the Roman Empire through military conquest. Rome, or as described in the text as '"'the ranged empire'"' (1.1.36) was certainly very prosperous at this time with most of the known world under its control. The phrase "'"all roads lead to Rome"'", still recognized in this day and age stands testament to the amazing power of Rome in it hay-day. Rome, however, still remained a democratic state, so while military had a huge presence and sway in the roman political sphere it was the senate which ultimately decided what and what not was to be done. In Rome the image of power is very stoic and composed, with leaders realizing that they need the respect of the roman people to retain their power.
Powerplay in Rome was dominated by the three triumvirs Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and to a lesser extent Lepidus. Antony held sway over the military, was considered the greatest general of his time and is the most senior figure in age and rank of the three. Octavius Caesar, who was politically more secure than Antony and seems the more educated of the three, is described by Cleopatra as no more that an adolescent in act 1, scene 1, line 22 when he is referred to as "'"scarce-bearded"'" and his speech imitated to make it sound like that of a spoilt brat (1.1.23-25). He however is well versed in the politics of the time and knows the value of the pen over the sword. Lepidus is described by all accounts as the weakling of the three, Pompey tells of how he "'"flatters both, and of both is flattered"'" but in the end is neither cared for by Antony or Caesar. In the scheme of "'"powerplay in Rome"'" Pompey acts as a mediator between tow great forces without been one himself. The main power play in this text is seen between Antony and Caesar and is perceived heavily throughout the first act of this play. From the very beginning we are given no illusions as to the nature of the relationship which exists between the two with the first sentence we hear Caesar speak referring to Antony as '"'our great competitor"'". This is the platform on which the power play of the text evolves, reaching a peak at the beginning of the second act where lives are changed not out of love (here I"'"m referring to the arranged marriage between Antony and Octavia) but out of a perceived idea that perhaps an advantage could lie in the arranged marriage.
Power in Egypt is completely at odds to its counterpart in Rome. People who have power, instead of been stoic and composed, flaunt their power with little regard for public opinion or views. In the time of Cleopatra Egypt was an autocratic state where rulers could rule unopposed and public opinion was taken like a pinch of salt. Enobarbus describes how Cleopatra appeared before Antony the first time they met:
The barge she sat it, like a burnished throne
Burned the water. The poop was beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
The winds were love sick with them. (2.2.201-204)
This dazzling opulence displayed on the part of Cleopatra would not have washed with the people of Rome but because of the power structure in Egypt with its many layers of tradition hidden just under the surface; the rulers are considered real gods, and to question them would be like questioning the religion of life-unthinkable.
Powerplay in Egypt is dominated by one person and one person alone: Cleopatra. She is the master of her domain and every thing that enters it seems to bow under her will. She reduces the most commanding general, in the most powerful country to a "'"strumpets fool"'" and has Caesar describing him as
A man who is the abstract of all faults
That all men follow (1.4.8-9)
In Egypt the main power play takes place between Antony and Cleopatra. The power which Cleopatra employs over Antony is a different type of power to that of the Roman Empire, usually sexually charged with constant emotional blackmail her power is something that Antony has never come up againsed. This serves to keep Antony in Cleopatra"'"s back pocket and always on the defensive, and in the eyes of others, particularly eyes viewing from Rome, this negatively impacts on his once undisputed power status. Even in "'"everyday"'" speech there is a sort of power play involved. Antony"'"s stoic prosaic mode of speech stands in stark contrast to hyperbolic and over dramatized speeches Cleopatra constantly uses to try and pull on the heart strings of Antony. This relentless "'"tooing and frowing"'" between Antony and Cleopatra constituted the main power play in Egypt.
In the general context of the play power play is communicated and expressed differently depending on which characters are wielding and/or on the receiving end of power. An overview of the power play in the text can be simply shown through analyzing the relationships of the three main characters, Antony, Cleopatra and Caesar, in their dealings with each other and outside stimulus. During the beginning of the play we found that Cleopatra had power over Antony, achieved through her seduction techniques, Antony had power over Caesar, due to his in superior age and experience, and Caesar was not effected by the power of Cleopatra, hence giving him power over her. This power triangle starts to break up when Caesar"'"s influence on the senate becomes too strong and Caesar gains more power in Rome than Antony, making him the most powerful of the three. At this stage the main concerns of the characters become apparent; Caesar wants to achieve his goals, of a single empire with a single leader, Antony wants to maintain his triumvient position while still being with Cleopatra in Egypt and Cleopatra is seen to want to align herself to Antony for reasons not too clear.
The concepts of power play in Antony and Cleopatra are again communicated through the interactions of the various characters, and in how they relate to changing power conditions around them. The concept that "'"inactivity can decrease your power"'" is a theme explored throughout the first half of the book. Seen when we observe the gradual decline of Antony"'"s power due to his inactivity in Egypt, and more clearly when Caesar stated that '"'Pompey/ thrives in our idleness'"' (1.4.77-78), this is one of the main concepts of powerplay communicated in the book. Another concept of power and power play communicated in this text through the interactions of its characters is that of the notion of "'"never outshining the leader"'". In Act 3 scene 1 there is a perfect example of this. In this scene the dialogue of the two characters is the process of which the communication of the theme (of powerplay) takes place. Ventidius tells us how it is
Better to leave undone than by our deed
Acquire too high a fame when him we serve"'"s away. (3.1.14-15)
Many other themes of power play are expressed in the play Anthony and Cleopatra. And whether it be from language use, grammatical punctuation, or simply the interaction of the various characters they all contribute to making the power relationships of the various characters more pronounced and clear cut in the play.
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