"Our courteous Antony, Whom ne'er the word of 'No' woman heard speak, And, for his ordinary, pays his heart." This is the Antony that Shakspere, in the play before us, brings upon the scene. * * ** * Upton has a curious theory, which would partly make Shakspere to belong to the French school. The hero of this play, according to this theory, does not speak" the language of the people." Upton says— "Mark Antony, as Plutarch informs us, affected the Asiatic manner of speaking, which much resembled his own temper, being ambitious, unequal, and very rhodomontade. This style our poet has very artfully and learnedly interspersed in Antony's speeches." ." Unquestionably the language of Antony is more elevated than that of Enobarbus, for example. Antony was of the poetical temperament--a man of high genius-an orator, who could move the passions dramatically-a lover, that knew no limits to his devotion because he loved imaginatively. When sorrow falls upon him, the poetical parts of his character are more and more developed; we forget the sensualist. But even before the touch of grief has somewhat exalted his nature, he takes the poetical view of poetical things. What can be more exquisite than his mention of Octavia's weeping at the parting with her brother? "The April's in her eyes: it is love's spring, And these the showers to bring it on." *Critical Observations,' p. 100. And, higher still : "Her tongue will not obey her heart, nor can Her heart inform her tongue: the swan's down feather, And neither way inclines." This, we think, is not "the Asiatic manner of speaking." PERSONS REPRESENTED. M. ANTONY, a triumvir. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 6; sc. 7. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 7; sc. 8; sc. 9; sc. 11. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4; se. 5; sc. 7; sc. 8; sc. 10; sc. 12; sc. 13. OCTAVIUS CESAR, a triumvir. SEXTUS POMPEIUS. Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 6; sc. 7. DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, a friend of Antony. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 6; sc. 7. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 5; sc. 7; sc. 8; sc. 11. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 6; sc. 9. VENTIDIUS, a friend of Antony. Appears, Act II. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1. EROS, a friend of Antony. Appeurs, Act III. sc. 5; sc. 9. Act IV. sc. 4; sc. 5; sc. 7; sc. 12. SCARUS, a friend of Antony. Appears, Act III. sc. 8. Act IV. sc. 7; sc. 8; sc. 10. DERCETAS, a friend of Antony. DEMETRIUS, a friend of Antony. PHILO, a friend of Antony. MECENAS, a friend of Cæsar. Appears, Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 6; sc. 7. Act III. sc. 6. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. AGRIPPA, a friend of Cæsar. Appears, Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 7. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1. DOLABELLA, a friend of Cæsar. Appears, Act III. sc. 10. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. PROCULEIUS, a friend of Cæsar. THYREUS, a friend of Cæsar. MENAS, a friend of Pompey. MENECRATES, a friend of Pompey. VARRIUS, a friend of Pompey. TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar. CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony. SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's army. EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar. Appears, Act III. sc. 10; sc. 11. ALEXAS, an attendant on Cleopatra. Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 5. Act III. sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 2. MARDIAN, an attendant on Cleopatra. Appears, Act I. sc. 5. Act II. sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 11; sc. 12. SELEUCUS, an attendant on Cleopatra. DIOMEDES, an attendant on Cleopatra. A Soothsayer. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 3. A Clown. Appears, Act V. sc. 2. CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 5. Act III. sc. 3; sc. 7; sc. 9; sc. 11. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 8; sc. 10; sc. 11; sc. 13. Act V. sc. 2. |