Caesar & Cleopatra

(1) Caesar & Cleopatra – anti –romantic comedy

(2) Character of Caesar
(3) Cleopatra foil to Caesar
(4) Theme of the play Caesar and Cleopatra
Caesar is one of the best brain children of Shaw. Caesar and Cleopatra
is purely an anti-romantic comedy. In this play Shaw tries to establish the pri
nciple that passion in its various aspects must be disciplined and controlled by
reason. He presents Caesar as a man of practical wisdom, a man of reconciliati
on and a man who is master of his mind.
The central theme of the play ‘Caesar & Cleopatra’ is the wickedness and fut
ility of revenge. Shaw’s aim was neither to present Cleopatra as an immortal love
r nor to idealise Caesar a mighty warrior and the conqueror of the world. Shaw’s
Caesar is tired of war. As an iconoclast, Shaw wants to break the idealism on wa
r and revenge. So he presents Caesar as a man of clemency and a messenger of t
he Life Force. As he does in his other plays, Shaw uses his sword against senti
mentalism, revenge and romantic illusions on war.
Shaw tries to give Caesar the justice that Shakespeare denied him. He m
akes deviations from history in order to project him as the greatest man that ev
er lived. History tells us and Shakespeare supports it that Caesar fell a prey
to the charms of Cleopatra, the serpent – queen of the Nile. But Shaw ignores the
se facts to project Caesar’s greatness as a man and this makes Caesar and Cleoptra’
an anti-romantic comedy.
Shaw’s Caesar is bold and anti romantic. He is not infatuated with Cleopa
tra. Caesar transforms her. He makes her a real queen from a timid teen-aged gi
rl. She becomes as woman, ‘from a kitten to a cat.’ Caesar shows the characteristi
cs of Fabianism . He is against revenge. In the climax of the play in Act.IV,
he expresses ‘ murder shall breed murder, always in the name of right and honor a
nd peace, until the gods are fired of blood and create a race that can understan
d.” Shaw’s plea for an evolutionary change is revealed here.
Like Bluntchli in ‘Arms and the Man’, Caesar expresses Shaw’s anti-idealism.
In the end of act two of the play, Caesar speaks to Cleopatra, ‘No, Cleopatra, No
man goes to battle to be killed’. Caesar is against killing. He never accepts th
e killing of Pompy by Lucius. As Shaw tells in his notes on Caesar, “Caesar is gr
eater off the battle field than on it”.
In the fourth act of the drama, Caesar clearly proves that he is the spo
kesman of Shaw Caesar and Cleopatra are more as symbols of opposing standards of
conduct than as persons that they stay in memory. He is the instruments of the
‘Life Force’.
Caesar is not romantic before Cleopatra. She wants to use Caesar to ter
minate her enemies. But Caesar is not so. Cleopatra is only a foil to Caesar.
Shaw stresses on the genius of Caesar and not on the beauty of Cleopatra.
Annotations.
Page – 28
1. My way hither was the way of destiny; for I am he of whose serious you a
re the symbol part brute, part woman and part god…….
Or
What a dream ! what a magnificent dream !
‘Caesar and Cleopatra’, included in the volume called ‘Three plays for puritan
s’, is one of the anti-romantic plays of Shaw. In this play, Shaw presents Caesar
as a man of clemency, one who is against revenge war and violence. In the firs
t act of the play Caesar is in the Syrian desert in search of his rival Pompy.
He is before Spinix , a huge monster with a lion’s body and a woman’s face and head
. Caesar compares himself with the Sphinx in greatness.
The Sphinx is described as a symbol of his own greatness. He is part br
ute because he is a fighter .He fights and kills people. He is part woman, beca
use, he is gentle. He claims that there is nothing of man in him. He has a sor
t of spiritual kinship with the sphinix.
 Shaw introduces Caesar as a strong man with reason, clemency and gentlen
ess.
Caesar is awakened by the words of Cleopatra who hides behind the Sphinx
. She introduces herself as the Queen of Egypt. She calls him old gentleman’. S
he wants him to hide there or Romans will eat him. Now Caesar tells that he doe
s not want to wake up. He wants to remain in the dream, for which he would pay
ten continents as the price.
2. That is why my hair is so wavy…. That is because my blood is made with Nil
e water P. 29.
Caesar does not disclose his identity to Cleopatra. She wants to know w
hether he has seen the white cat which she had brought to be sacrificed to the S
phinix. She asks Caesar whether the white cat could be her great great great- g
randmother. Then she says that her great – great – grand mother was a black kitten
of the sacred white cat .she was the seventh wife of the Nile God. Her blood is
made with Nile water that is why she is so.
The passage reveals the popular ancient stories on Egyptian Ancestry.
3. Woe to the vanquished, Caesar! When I served Pompey, I slew as good men as he
, only because he conquered them. His turn came at last (P. 50)
Or
Did not I as a Roman, share his glory?.........................
Am I Julius Caesar, or am I a wolf, that you thing to me …… might Roman ….. My gratitu
de. (P.50).
Intro +In Act two of the play Caesar is in the palace of Alexandria with
his secretary Britannus. Caesar is in the palace of Alexandria with his secret
ary. Britannus Caesar wants Pothinus to pay him Egypt’s debt to Rome ie 1600 tale
nts. Rufio declares that all are Caesar’s Prisoners. Caesar shows his clemency an
d allows them all to go free. Then Pothinus says that it is for Caesar to go.
Caesar would have been at the mercy of the Roman army of occupation led by Achil
les. To prove, he calls Lucious who had killed Pompey. Lucius says that he
placed Pompey’s head at Caesar’s feet, with the same hand.
Caesar then asks Lucius whether he would not have killed Caesar himself,
if Pompey had been Victorious. Lucius replies that he would kill the vanquishe
d man and serve the bigger man. Pompey’s turn came at last.
When Pothinus speaks , Caesar laughs at the idea of revenge. He says h
e does not approve the killing of Pompy that he shared the glory of Pompey his o
wn friend and son-in law.
The words of Caesar show that he is against revenge and killing which is
the main stream in the play.
4. Why should the slayer….. of Pompey . (P.51)
Or
Caesar is no Caesarian……… ----------------------------Republicans. P.51
I. Para – Annotn . 3 +
Lucius Condemns Caesar for killing Vercingetorix, the chief of a rebelli
ous tribe of Gaul. Caesar replies that it was done in the interest of the commo
n wealth and not out of vengeance. He offers Lucius a place in his service which
Lucius rejects.
He believes that Caesar would be defeated. Now Rufio comments that Lucius is a
Republican while he is a Caesarian. Then Caesar corrects that he is not a Caesa
rian ie a despot. He would be a Republican if Rome were a true Republic.
Caesar, the spokesman of Shaw speaks as a true man of reason who is against war,
revenge and killing.
5. Clemency is very well for you, but…. Thanks to your Clemency
Rufio and Britannus are of the view that if the prisoners are let free,
they would become dangerous in future. Those who are released by Caesar will jo
in the enemy group of Pothinus. Rufio reminds Caesar that they do not share Cae
sar’s clemency.
Caesar acts as a diplomat here. He shows practical wisdom. If the pris
oners are not released, each prisoner will have to be guarded by two of his sold
iers.
6. It is not the lion I fear, but the jackal. P.52.
I para – Annotation 3 +
Rufio is ready to send the released Egyptians out of the palace. Caesar notices
Ptolemy alone sits in the hall. He asks Caesar whether he will also be sent ou
t. Caesar wants him to escape from the lion’s moth. Then Ptolemy says that he is
not afraid of the lion (ie straight forward Caesar) but the jackal (ie Rufie)
7. Mine is a temple of the arts…… Art for Art’s
Introduction +at the beginning of the third act Roman guards in
front of the palace stop Apollodrous and the Eygyptian soldiers, who carry carpe
ts to the Queen. The guards have contempt for art. They ask him whether he is
a merchant. Apollodorus replies that he is a noble man. He is a worshipper of
beauty who collects beautiful objects of art for beautiful Queens. His motto is
Art for Art’s sake.
The Slogan Art for Art’s sake was there in England led by writers like Osc
ar wilde and Walter Pater.
8. When a stupid man is doing……………. That it is his duty.
Or
Who says artist.. Caesar himself, you are a prisons
Intro +
Towards the end of the third act of the play Cleopatra comes to the quay
to go to light house in a boat to see Caesar. But she and Apollodorus are stop
ped by Roman guards. Apollodorous is about to fight. Cleopatra clears that she
will not go back to palace. She enquires whether Caesar’s guards have become ill
mannered. The centurion guard replies that he is doing his duty as ordered. Th
en Apollodorus comments that every fool will justify his action. He wants Cleop
atra to return to the palace. He would get orders for her release from Caesar.
The words reveal Shaw’s humour
9. Now Caesar has made me wise …………. But it is greatness
Or
If Caesar were gone, I could govern the
I para of anno– 8 +
Pothinus wants Celeopatra whether she is infatuated with Caesar as it is
said. Cleopatra replies that is it not so. If it is so she wishes she were ma
de foolish. She was once foolish but Caesar has made her wise. She does what s
he has to do. That does not make her happy, but that leads her to greatness.
Cleopatra believes that she would be able to govern Egypt when Caesar re
turns to Rome. Caesar’s acquaintance has gained her wisdom and courage to rule Eg
ypt.
Cleopatra’s words reveal what extent Caesar has changed her.
10. And so, to the end of history murder she will breed murder…. Create a race
that can understand. P.108.
Intro + In the fourth act of the play, Cleopatra tells Rufio that Pothin
us was murdered by her order. Rufio, Lucius and Britanius consider her action t
o be right. But Caesar criticises it. He describes why he is against murder.
He says that with the murder of Pothinus people will be against Cleopatra. Then
Caesar will kill them for murdering their Queen. Then people might kill him in
turn. The murder will produce murder in the name of honour and peace. If so t
he gods will be tired of murder and create another race which can understand lif
e.
The words of Caesar show that he is really the spokes man of Shaw. The
words clearly reveal that the play is anti-romantic and Shaw is against war an
d killing.
Appollodorus
Appollodorous is presented in ‘Caesar and Cleopatra ‘as a representative of art. He
is a man from Sicily, whose motto is ‘Art for Art’s sake. He sells beautiful carpets
 for beautiful queens. He pleases Cleopatra with his flattery. He is bold and ex
pert in sword also. When Caesar is trapped, it is Appolodorous who shows the way
of escaping by jumping in to the sea and swimming away. He acts tactfully .It
is Appollorodus who saves Cleopatra inside a carpet as a gift to Caesar. Caesar
acknowledges him for his service and ability. When Caesar leaves, he gives Appol
lodorus the charge of art in Egypt.
Ftatateeta
Ftatateeta is the chief nurse of Cleopatra. She frighten
s Cleopatra and even beats her till the arrival of Caesar to Egypt. Caesar under
stands her very easily. Ftatateeta is tall and wrinkle faced. Caesar mispronounc
es her. She guesses that she is no match for Caesar. He makes her to obey Cleop
atra .She is sincere in her service to the queen. When Cleopatra is rolled up in
the carpet to be taken to Caesar, she is full of concern for her and prays si
ncerely. Ftateeta is bold and physically strong . She kills Pothinus and throws
his body over the palace wall.Rufio kills her in turn.
Rufio
Rufio is the trusted body guard of Caesar. He is every inch a soldi
er. He has devoted loyalty towards Caesar. He proclaims himself a Caesarian and
he wants to be known as Caesar’s child. He is always concerned about Caesar’s safe.
When Caesar is threatened at the court of Ptolemy he fills the court with Roman
soldiers and announces them to be prisoners. He does not allow Caesar to touch A
ppollodorus rolled carpet. Rufio knows very well about Caesar’s clemency and hatre
d for revenge. He tells Caesar that he had killed Ftateeta without any malice. T
hough he is less practical compared to Caesar, he is a powerful character.