1. Act 3 Scene 4
By Karin & Elizabeth

2. Significance Caesar’s perspective-> switch after last scene
Shows Caesar’s character-> very Roman; commanding and focused, harsh, big ambitions
Concern for Octavia’s arrival-> pride/dignity
Caesar denounces Antony-> has publicly “given up empire to a whore” and her sons
Caesar explains reasons for deposing Lepidus-> “grown too cruel/ That he his high authority abused”
Octavia arrives and Caesar scolds his sister for arriving like “a market maid to Rome” -> motives?

3. Language
Tone
Caesar-> critical-> Antony’s deeds-> public enthronement
opulence-> “chairs of gold”
Allusion
“the goddess Isis
That day appeared”
- Cleopatra looking powerful in front of the public after Antony had made her queen
->Enjambment implies her omnipotence cannot be contained by the line

4. Rhetoric-> convinces Antony Lepidus was “too cruel”, abused authority and “deserved his change”
-> argues Lepidus was right to be deposed
-> shows Caesar is ambitious as a leader, unlike Antony
Irony-> it was Caesar who abused power to depose Lepidus
-> it was unlikely that Lepidus was thirsty of power
Personal pronouns-> use of “I” “me” “my” “thou” “thee” “thy”
-> suggests closeness and intimacy-> love of Octavia and Caesar

5. “That ever I should call thee castaway!”
-> angry tone
-> protective brother
-> respect -> Octavia deserving better treatment
List-> army, horse-> how Octavia should be greeted-> increases dramatic effect-> shows his outrage
Hyperbole -> “should have ascended to the roof of heaven”
-> tremendous affection
-> humiliates Antony’s mistreatment of Octavia -> expose to Rome his bad character

6. “by sea and land, supplying every stage
With an augmented greeting”
-> exaggerative tone
-> his willingness to sacrifice -> affection or insincerity to humiliate antony
“most wronged sister”
->tone of pity
-> critical of Antony
-> Octavia as a victim
“up to a whore”
-> crude language -> typical Roman prejudice against Cleopatra

7. Key Themes: Love, pleasure and decadence
Antony “publicly enthroned” Cleopatra, showcasing his love and devotion for her-> gave her his empire
Did it in “chairs of gold” -> extravagant
Caesar and Octavia -> Caesar concerned -> familial love
Not much pleasure in Rome, very serious
Key Themes: Gender
Octavia-> very submissive and passive -> Caesar worried for her-> trying to protect her

8. Key themes: Public vs Private
Antony bestows land unto Cleo-> public display of of a private affair
Caesar sees this-> disapproves of it - all his action linked to public duty-> contrast Antony
Wants to publicise Octavia’s entrance -> public appearance
Key themes: Honour and betrayal
Caesar betrays Lepidus-> does it for own gain -> start to see ruthless ambition for power -> strategy

9. Development: Character
Caesar
Power hungry -> humiliation of Antony -> proof he’s a better ruler
Politically ambitious -> rid of Lepidus as an obstacle
Protective brother -> tremendous affection
Octavia
submissive -> lets Caesar convince her that she’s wronged
naive-> thinks coming to Rome is based on her “freewill”
Antony
treacherous
untrustworthy
weak -> giving away power for love

10. Opening
Caesar’s first words negative -> “Conteming Rome”; bad image of Antony sustained throughout his speech-> said with disgust? -> trying to influence the audience
A comma after first words-> dramatic pause, audience knows Caesar is going to start denouncing Antony-> confident
States his view on Cleo-> audience now aware of his stereotypical view

11. Ending
Caesar ends negatively-> Cleo again, “whore” -> low opinion of women
Maecenas’s point of view of Antony-> mistrust of Romans towards Antony-> forebodes Rome turning against Antony
Accusing Antony of “levying/ The Kings o’th’earth for war” -> gathering ranks to battle with him
Forebode that there will be a war

12. Relevant Links
Not the first time Caesar complains about Antony deserting responsibilities-> No way excuse his foils when we do bear/ So great weight in his lightness.
Deteriorating relations between Antony and Caesar -> even when they first meet-> not on good terms, have to be told by generals to make peace
Low opinion of women expressed in later scene-> after battle, thinks Cleo will sacrifice Antony for own gain after he was defeated
Antony’s love to Cleo-> also shown in act one scene 1 -> further establishes the extent of his love
Octavia as a precious, vital link of Caesar’s relationship with Antony-> Antony’s desertion of her shows the breakdown of their relationship