Antony and
cleopatra Shakespeare's ;Antony and Cleopatra' needs to be studied and restudied if you are contemplating
a career in statecraft or any career for that matter. After the fall of Julius Caesar, his close friend Mark
Antony, and Caesar's cousin Octavius Caeasar (
Augustus Caesar) along with Lepidus formed a
triumvirate to rule the Roman Empire. Needless to say there was no leadership concept among them.
Though Mark Antony was a great warrior, an unparelleled orator and an experienced man, he
had a weakness. In Shakespeare's words, he said,
" Let Rome in tiber melt and the wide arch of
Ranged empire fall: Kingdom's are clay
Here is my space."
The 'space' was
Cleopatra's bosom. He did not understand the immensity of his task and he wasted
time in revelries in Alexandria, the then capital of Egypt. This was well utilised by his arch-rival Augustus,
though he was quite young to take the mantle of the supreme ruler. But Augustus did take the mantle
ultimately. If Antony could accept the leadership of Augustus, he could have saved himself. Lepidus was
not a contender for the top job. Antony chose death to the ignominy of surrendering to Augustus. What a
tragedy! Once Mark Antony was a close and loyal friend of Julius Caesar. At that time Augustus was
a mere novice in politics and statecraft. But Augustus had one strength along with his claim of kinship
with the mighty Caesar. That was his singlemindedness. He did not allow himself to be distracted by
any other consideration other than the welfare of the Roman empire. That was the difference between
Octavius and Antony. Ocatvius would never have thought of uttering the words'Let Rome in Tiber melt'
even in his dreams.
Cleopatra married his younger brother Ptolemy, then ten years old, which was not considered to be
immoral then for the sake of Egyptian kingdom. She used her charms with Julius Caesar to save her
kingdom. But she really fell in love with Antony which was her undoing. For men and women in
high officer love or weakness for individuals can prove very dangerous . Who can forget Coriolanus
who gave up his plan to defeat Rome, which banished him for being hot headed, for the sake of
his mother who was still a citizen of Rome? That is a different story.
Sathya