Antony and Cleopatra: Shakespeare's criticism of the XVIIth century's anti-feminism

Extraits de l'exposé

[...] Antony and Cleopatra: Shakespeare's criticism of the XVIIth century's antifeminism Like in his other Roman plays like Julius Caesar, Shakespeare used in Antony and Cleopatra the description of the Roman society to describe his own society. But in this play the main point of analysis was not politics but the place of women in the society. During the XVIth and XVIIth centuries, the anti-theatrical and antifeminist critics developed. The Puritans made virulent attacks against theatre, accusing it of destabilizing the social order, in particular because theatre gave too much importance to women, who were commonly considered as fiends. [...]

[...] Cleopatra's suicide is an act of defiance to the patriarchal laws. She demonstrates indeed that human identity is multiple and the description of her character tends to show the limits of the puritan distinction and of the hierarchy of genders.[33] The strengthening of feminine stereotypes through the male actors probably limited the effects of Shakespeare's argumentation. Cleopatra herself points this problem out with irony when she says: [ ] The quick comedians Extemporally will stage us, and present Our Alexandrian revels. [...]

[...] WATTS Cedric, ?Antony and Cleopatra: the moral and the ontological?, in Critical essays on Antony and Cleopatra, Longman Literature Guides p GEARIN-TOSH Michael, ?Love in Antony and Cleopatra?, in Critical essays on Antony and Cleopatra, Longman Literature Guides pp.53-54. BEVINGTON David, Introduction to Antony and Cleopatra, Cambridge University Press, 1990/2005, p.4. BONNEFOY Yves, op.cit., p.30. BONNEFOY Yves, op.cit., p.31-34. HOLLOWAY John, ?Antony and Cleopatra?, in Twentieth Century Interpretations of Antony and Cleopatra : A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Mark Rose, Englewood Cliffs p.66-68. BONNEFOY Yves, op.cit., p.32. BONNEFOY Yves, op.cit., p.39. [...]

[...] In fact, Cleopatra makes a second invitation to Antony, in order to lead him to the real values and to cure his love from his prejudices. Therefore she has to dominate her tantrums and her hysteria (the stereotype of feminine weaknesses) and she must die without hesitation. She wants to find nobility in the acceptation of death and in this way reach supreme freedom.[22] For Antony, Cleopatra is just a ?triple-turn'd whore? (IV.xii.13) who betrayed him. Cleopatra wants him to regain consciousness by thinking about her suicide. [...]

[...] These Roman values are in contradiction with the Egyptian ones. When they realise that Antony is changing, the Romans fears a contamination of their patriarchal society by the Egyptian depravity. The effeminate Antony looses his authority on his followers and threatens the myth of the male hero.[10] In this play Cleopatra is also described committing typical sins of women. She is shown using her charms to seduce Antony and to ?effeminize? him. This idea of depravation of men by women is a typical point of the antifeminist critics in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries. [...]