How the Conflict Between Roman Duty And Egyptian Sensuousness Develops The Tragedy Of Antony And Cleopatra Comments: More focus on final scene was expected.

Antony epitomizes the traditional tragic hero. The elements that constitute Antony's tragic standing are centrally developed by the conflict between Roman duty and Egyptian sensuousness. The audience empathises with the nature of his demise, as it deems Antony a morally respectable person, and can understand his downfall as a result of the conflict. The conflict embodies his tragic flaw, which is his stubbornness in trying to achieve an elusive compromise between his duty to Rome …

…in which it occurred. The audience feels morally inferior to Antony, as he is a man with a sense of honour based on honesty, but is unable to fulfil this, as he suffers from impulsiveness and an inability to compromise between duty and passion. This inability is reflected in the play as a whole, as the conflict between Roman duty and Egyptian sensuousness is indecisive, further justifying Antony's demise in the mind of the spectator.