Antony and Cleopatra
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To Care or Not to Care
Nay, hear them, Antony. Fulvia perchance is angry; or who knows if the scarce-bearded Cesar have not sent his pow'rful mandate to you, "do this, or this; Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that. Perform't, or else we damn thee. (I,I,19-24)
So is this play a play of reason or a play of emotion? If I were to write the rest of the conversation it would show that Cleopatra is using reason here. She is telling Antony to go back to Rome and do what Caesar wants him to do rather than have him stay there for her.
As we all know, this play is covered with high points of reason and even more high points of emotion. I think that Shakespeare is trying to show that man is only reasonable when it wants to be, and love or passion gets in the way of reason way to often.
Now when Cleopatra talks to the messenger that has come from Italy, she gets very emotional.
Antony's dead!..