Greco-Roman Influence in Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra Essay

Greco-Roman Influence in Shakespe bes Antony and Cleopatra Greco-Roman fabulous images seem to dominate Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra. Ever since the humanist revolution st cheated, Renaissance writers, including Shakespeare, systematically tried to revive Greek literature and Greek mythology. It was an attempt to exhibit an alternative authority to Catholic scholastic dogma that has the stamp of antiquity. Shakespeares cognition of mythology was almost exclusively Roman, especially in relation to love and war. As a matter of truth, the Romans did not have created gods of their own, because They were a people of complicated religious feeling, but they had little imagination. In fact, the influence of Greek art and literature were powerful in Rome. Thus, they adopted Greek gods, and the Greek fab figures rancid into Roman mythologic figures to suit their society. For example, Ares, who is the Geek deity of war, turned into Mars, the Roman god of war. The Rom an wish Mars better than the Greeks liked Ares, because Ares was not a typical deity of war, so Mars became the physique of military virtues and the defender of Rome. In fact, a thorough understanding of the mythological figures and images in Antony and Cleopatra like Phoebus, Furies, Venus, Mars, Hercules and Bacchus, can be the best guideline to a perceptive interpretation of the play. These mythological figures can be mirrors which reflect the character of a specific character or the culture of a society. Therefore, the wreak of these myths is very important in Antony and Cleopatra being one of the ways to start the play. The values and culture of the Egyptian societ... ...while once she seems to help him in position his armor on. Hence, Cleopatra gives him the spiritual support when he goes to war. Obviously, the previous mythological figures are not accidentally mentioned in the play. They are another source which enables the contributor to understand the characters and the cultures of Rome and Egypt in Antony and Cleopatra. Therefore, these myths are very important in an indirect approach to the play. Bibliography Hamilton, Edith. Mythology Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York Warner Books, 1969. Miles, Geoffrey. Ed., A Rough Guide to the Godsand A mythologic History of the World, Classical Mythology in English Literature A small Anthology. London Routledge, 1999. Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. London Longman, 1981.