2. Often in the play, Enobarbus can be seen as the
voice of reason as he frequently states character’s
true intensions.
Thus through Enobarbus, the audience can see
what each character is truly like, and sympathise
with others (such as Antony)
Through Enobarbus, Shakespeare foreshadows
events to come within the play such as: the Battle
of Actium, and the fates of Antony and Cleopatra
3. Enobarbus states to Menas that the tension between Antony and
Caesar has not gone away; but soon will grow
“the band that seems/ to tie their friendship together will be the very/
strangler of their amity”
Though this is an image of Antony and Octavia’s marriage, it also
hints at future events to come
Enobarbus also states that Antony “will to his Egyptian dish again”
implying that his marriage with Octavia will not last long as he will go
back to Egypt
Enobarbus sees Antony’s marriage to Octavia as an ‘Occasion’
implying that Antony married for political reasons, as well as to keep
peace with Caesar
4. “They’ll grind the one the other”
Enobarbus puts across his fears that Antony and Caesar will grind
at each other until there is nothing left, foreshadowing the battle
This phrase in particular enforces the contrast between the two
characters (Antony and Caesar)
5. “The wounded chance of Antony”
Enobarbus here, confirms Antony’s loss of power and reversal of
fortune
This also makes the Soothsayer’s warning (in Act II Scene III) seem
more authentic as the voice of truth has now confirmed Antony’s
downfall
6. A feminist critic would be very negative about Enobarbus’ character
as he treats woman as sexualised objects
In Act I Scene II Enobarbus tells Antony “when old robes are worn
out, there are members to make new” “your old smock brings forth a
new petticoat”
Enobarbus refers to Fluvia as an ‘old robe’ and an ‘old smock’; and
refers to Cleopatra as a ‘new petticoat’
Here Enobarbus is comparing these women to pieces of clothing
that can be easily slipped on and off, he is objectifying them to the
extent where these women are emotionless
7. Though Enobarbus is from a lower-status and in not noble, unlike
Antony and Caesar
He is the voice of truth in the play thus giving him a much important
role
Enobarbus, though he is not noble, he is moral in comparison to
characters of a higher status like Caesar who imprisons Lepidus,
under false accusations, in order to obtain power
8. It is possible to see, from a psychoanalytic reading, that Enobarbus
is subconsciously in love with Cleopatra. We can interpret this in
‘the barge scene’ Act II Scene II. In this scene Enobarbus talks
about the first time he and Antony saw Cleopatra
Enobarbus goes into detail, he remembers the purple sails, silver
oars and gold cloths.
He also describes the winds as being “love-sick” in her presence
Enobarbus describes Cleopatra as embodying the goddess, of
Love, Venus:
“O’erpicturing that Venus” “On each side of her/ Stood pretty dimpled
boys, like smiling cupids”
This description, plus the “burnish’d throne”, is like he is idol
worshipping Cleopatra
9. He also describes the way in which Cleopatra spoke
“having lost her breath, she spoke and panted,/ That she did make
defect perfection”
It is as even her breathlessness spoke for her
His emphasis on her panting could be seen as being sexualised as
he is concentrating on her breathing and her mouth
