Their first meeting helps to conjure the readers understanding of Antony's irrevocable submission to her, indeed his most distinct flaw, which ultimately leads to his demise and fall from grace. The significance of the fish projects an image of Antony being likened to a fish out of water in Egypt; he is incapable of being a true Roman whilst in Egypt. Antony already shows awareness of this fact in the second scene of the play, 'these strong Egyptian fetters I must break, or lose myself in dotage' .We see Antony's awareness that his infatuation with Cleopatra could ruin his honour and his political position in Rome. .
Shakespeare encourages the audience to identify with Antony's situation, he is human with weaknesses, when his wife Fulvia dies Shakespeare uses a soliloquy to enable Antony to air his innermost thoughts and feelings, this enables us to feel compassion for Antony, he is enlightened to the fact that Cleopatra is indeed one of his biggest flaws, 'I must from this enchanting queen break off.' The audience understand how 'bewitched' Antony is by Cleopatra. As a Shakespearean tragic hero the audience needs to feel for the protagonist he needs to be enlightened of his flaws. The news of Fulvia's death sees Antony making more honourable decisions, the Elizabethan audience would have seen his decision to return to Rome and deal with his political obligations as an honourable and necessary action. R.Terry discusses how honour held both multiple and significant meaning during the renaissance. Terry writes, 'Renaissance men had to cope with the old and medieval code of honour and the tensions of a new one.' Both these honour codes are apparent in various parts of the play; hence the men of the time could identify and relate to Antony. This is an aspect of the Shakespearean tragic hero .
Tragically Antony is a man who 'struggled between two worlds', similar to the men in the Renaissance who struggled to understand their role in the changing Elizabethan England.