In the play Antony and Cleopatra, the character of Cleopatra is one of many dimensions, and can be seen as a person of complex diversity. Her sudden changes in behaviour are often difficult to predict or comprehend and happen frequently throughout the play. She seems to express her feelings and emotions quite openly unlike the character of Antony, whose thoughts are unknown to the audience. She has a great love for drama and acting, sometimes teasing Antony by pretending she is angry, upset and even ill:.
Cleopatra "Help me away, dear Charmian, I shall fall.
It cannot be thus long; the sides of nature.
Will not sustain it".
Antony "Now my dearest queen".
Cleopatra "Pray you, stand farther from me".
Act 1:Scene 3, lines 15-18.
On the other hand, Cleopatra can be genuine about her feelings as we see towards the end of play when she commits suicide to be with her "beloved Antony". This is starkly contrasted with her behaviour at the beginning when she only tormented him and took him for granted. We see here that she was serious about the relationship all along, unlike she has been with her previous lovers.
Act 2:Scene 2 sees Enobarbus talking openly to Agrippa and Maecenas about Cleopatra's wild and wonderful ways. He describes in intricate detail the barge she sailed to the harbour in and how even the air would gaze upon her if it could; "Whistling to th"air, which, for vacancy, /had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too,/ And made a gap in nature". This portrays her queen-like status and beauty and it is easy to see why Antony falls in love. When talking about what sort of hold Cleopatra has over people, Enobarbus puts across that he believes Antony can never leave her completely; "Never. He will not" (line 244). He believes that Cleopatra can never be satisfied and will always be looking for more; "Other women cloy the appetites they feed, but she makes hungry".
In this scene it is clear that Enobarbus seems to foresee what the tragic outcome of the play will be, that Antony's fatal character flaw - his infatuation with Cleopatra - leads to his ruin and tragic death.
