Nostalgia in Antony and Cleopatra

One of the main themes Prof. Little touched on was the idea of nostalgia, or longing for a Rome which the characters once had, as if the they are looking to go back to an era in which things worked successfully in Rome. The problem with this is that, there is no way to ever reach something that has happened in the past; it no longer exists. This can be seen as Shakespeare’s critique of nostalgia, in that he is blatantly showing the audience how reaching for something in the past ultimately leads to destruction. The character of Ceaser acts as the one who reaches most drastically for this idea of an old Rome. His “Modena Speech” in Act 1, Scene 4 acts as the major nostalgia scene in that Shakespeare reverts back to a time in history when Antony followed the way of the Roman lifestyle, or the virtus. Furthermore, Ceaser is projecting this idea of a failed Rome onto Antony in that he crossed over into a more feminine or civitas world, preventing them from ever reaching that perfect Rome of the past.

Ashley Wynn
Ian Hoch, Dis 1E