Powerplay in A+C (1 Viewer)

[Fido]

Small issue, i don't GET powerplay :|
we're doing Antony and Cleopatra, but we really squeezed it in before the trials, and consequently i did sooo much worse in it than all my other modules.
Does anyone have any tips on the module/how you can say anything about it?
I also have ithues talking about techniques in shakespeare... i mean really, what does he DO to the audience aside from putting them to sleep? sorry... i'm a little bitter...
any help / useful A+C quotes would be SERIOUSLY appreciated!!!!
thanks!

 

[rebooki]

try not to stress!! hehe i know its hard
we had to do powerplay in a week so i know what your going through....
my notes are split up into the different types of power that im using... eg military powerplay etc...
the man techniques that Shakespeare uses is literary techniques like the comments from Antony and Caesar's offsiders are TECHNIQUES
eg. one of Antony's soldiers Canidius comments:
"...So our leader's lead
And we are women's men" which shows Antonys power in decline and also the sexual power that Cleopatra has over Antony...
ITS HOW POWER IS REPRESENTED IN THE TEXT....

Also you'll only have to write about 2 paragraphs max on Antony and Cleopatra so make sure you have your Related Texts done heaps well...

 

[charbar]

hi i really need some help on A&C.. i think becasue its teh last module in the course it was carmmed in.. anwya could u please send me soem info on the powerplay represtented in the texts.. it would be immenley appreciated!
CHARBAR

 

[mayhemily]

Yeah I think im probably screwed. I aced the question in the trials because I had some related texts but uhh yeh i found the play really boring so I switched off when we studied it in class and so I dont realllllllllly get it... im just going to read through all the study notes and stuff i've accumulated. I think basically just remember the types of power ie, sexual, economic, military, be aware of who each character is, the triumvirate and stuff and have some quotes and techniques to back it all up. And then just make sure you have really strong knowledge of related texts - hint: choose ones that you like and are interested in because it makes them A LOT easier to remember. I got a really good one on Michael Moore for example.

 

[~*HSC 4 life*~]

hey mahemily, i got one on moore too, is it an article?

 

[charbar]

initative

thanks for replying anyway.. i thought no one would goodluck with ur hsc and maybe ill see u at uni lol

 

[Simmey]

A+C techniques

I did a+c first up and i still dont really get it.
The main thing i remember is that OC wins the powerplay because he is represented as pragmatic and politically astute.
For Shakespears techniques there is Liquid imagry associated with Egypt, as it is a land of indulgence with a languid atmosphere. for example "Melt", "Soft Hours" and "o'erflows". Rome , however, has stony, regimented imagery like "wide arch", "triple pillar". Structure, discipline etc is conveyed through miliataristic, powerful language....

Theres heaps on characterisation by Shakespeare like MA being strong and the 'ideal hero' yadda yadda yadda....

you gotta go on about different levels of power i think, like domestic power, sexual power, military power, political power, power of the people (even tho theres virtually nothing on it in a+c)

i remember talking about the fact that Shakespeare has the maids and soldiers speaking only in prose while the leads, like Cleo, OC and MA speak in verse showing their power through language.

Shakespeare also uses foreshadowing when the soothsayer says to Charmian that "you shal outlive the lady whom you serve"
Theres symbolism used as Cleo refers to herself and Antony as Venus and Mars - or is that metaphor????

i hope that is some help...i dont know
good luck

 

[charbar]

thanks!

thanks heaps! did u some of ur study in correspondance to teh advanced excel book?

 

[Simmey]

No, i didnt use anything from excel, they were just some notes that i had before trials. Hope they helped. good luck

 

[jimmik]

i dont get it, how does shakespeare represent powerplay? does he represent it as good/bad? or does he represent it as existing as different types of power??

 

[charbar]

as different types of power, gender, partriotic, manipulative etc

 

[MissSavage29]

to go off what charbar said the basic thing you need to be able to explore with powerplay is the differnt types of poewr and how this is portrayed...

many things u can look at - u have gender power - with cleopatra - look at how she uses her sexuality to gain influence over men, you could also look at enobaburus for this - there is a section early within the play when he is talking to the eygptian women (act I, scene v - i think, most certainly am wrong) - but he talks down to them - that is an elemetn of powerplay...
another for gender is cleopatra's going to war by Antony's side - her affirmation that "i will not be left behind"

political power look at the differnt styles/types of political power wthin the play - rome compared to egypt - the romans are your traditional miltiary state- they are controled through this style - How does Shakespeare present them like this? (look at the caculation of ceasar) then u can look at the eypgtian court - how does it differ - does shakespeare suggest which style of leadership is more effective - if so; is this a comment on powerplay????

power of the mob mainly shown through caesars references to "my slippery people" - how do they determine how things are done - do they have a say within roman politics... I think pompey says something abotu the attitude to the people...

knowledge = power explored using Pompey - he is the all knwoing figure - his speech makes reference to teh fact he knows that Anthony is in Egypt with Cleo and doesn't want to leave her

Then you can look at relationships and powerplay - very simply Antony and Cleopartra - how do they talk to one another - who has the more power iwthin the relationship - how do you knwo that - what does shakespeare do to show when cleo takes control (Act I, scene i) - who talks more - then u can look at the transformation of antony when he has power he speaks in the roman! way to her - what does this say abotu powerplay?

and the final thing i can think of right now is the triumerate - what does this group (or failure of) suggest about powrplay? Is shakespeare trynig to show that men aspire for too much power, or that men are infact weak to the lure of power...

hope that helps
Mel

 

[tennille]

Cleopatra= uses emotional/ sexual power to maintain power over Antony and therefore Egypt = powerplay.

Antony= can be abrupt sometimes- "Here me, queen!"- short, blunt sentences help him to achieve power over Cleopatra when frustrated = powerplay.

Caesar= opportunist= manipulates situations- eg. the marriage between Octavia and Antony was meant to bring Antony and Caesar closer but drove them further apart. The fact that Caesar is determined to attack Antony despite Octavia returning upon her "free will" reveals that he is searching for any pretext to gain power = powerplay.

 

[jimmik]

okay, so its the types of power. thanks, it helps clarify things for me.

 

[KungPow]

I think it probably wouldn't hurt to say how they portray powerplay? (eg negatively)

 

[jimmik]

err...but i wouldnt hav a clue if they portray it negatively or not..how do u tell?

 

[KungPow]

Stuff like: people in the quest for power ultimately lose everything (Pompey, Lepidus, Antony, Cleo, even Caesar has no life). Of course it's all about interpretation. But i'm sure you'd be able to see something like that in A&C and your related texts

 

[tennille]

Not you guys in particular, but I think some people focus on power itself rather than powerplay ie. how they gain and maintain their power. You should talk about power (military, emotional and if you have enough time, how they are negative etc) but also focus on how they maintain their power. This is not directed at anyone in particular, but I think I should just mention it.

 

[KungPow]

Agreed. I mean, the module is about powerplay, not power, right? So one would assume that the essay should be about powerplay and it's representation rather than power's representation.

Oh and just wondering, powerplay isn't just about gaining power, but maintaining it, correct? Like Lepidus for example, who acts not to gain power, but to preserve his own.

Oh and another thing. Would it be better to look at scenes or character interactions? Like, pick particular scenes to discuss on powerplay or pick "powerplay between Anthony and Caesar". Or is that the same thing?

 

[tennille]

I focus on realtionships mainly. Like ill mention antony and cleopatra, then ill write about the triumvirate and focus on powerplay there.