Essay: Marcus Antonius – Marc Antony

Life and Accomplishments
Marcus Antonius was born in Rome on January 14 in 83 BC. He struggled in his early life because he had no support from parents and therefore he roamed the streets by himself gambling and drinking. Antony fled to Greece to escape the massive debt he found himself in by age 20.
In 57 BC, Antony joined the army. He served for a period of time in Egypt and there he first met Cleopatra, who will become a major figure in his life later on. He demonstrated excellent political and military experience and leadership underneath the dictator and consul Julius Caesar, who he formed a lasting friendship with. He remained in the military until 50 BC, when he was appointed as one of Caesar’s tribunes, allowing him to protect Caesar from his political enemies by vetoing any actions unfavorable to him.
Over time, a group of conspirators, led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, decided that they needed to kill Julius Caesar for the good of Rome. Antony was very loyal to Caesar and was with him until his last days. Antony was stopped at the door on the day of the assassination, and Caesar died from twenty three stab wounds inflicted by the conspirators on the senate floor.
Antony read Caesar’s eulogy at the funeral and continued to serve as the leader of the Caesarean faction in Rome. Octavian, Caesar’s nephew, is named emperor and takes control of Rome.
Antony later flees Rome and moves to Greece with his lover Cleopatra in 31 BC. He is isolated by Octavian’s general, Agrippa, and Octavian takes control of the east. A year later, Octavian is close to complete control. Antony is told that Cleopatra is dead, and he commits suicide out of anguish. As he is dying, he finds out Cleopatra is still alive, and he dies in her arms.
Children
Antony had relationships with at least five women, and they all left behind multiple children. It is unclear how many he actually had, but his descendants would all go on to be rulers of many states and kingdoms in the ancient world due to his high status and the status of his wives. Examples include: through his oldest daughter, he would become ancestor to the long line of kings of the Bosporan Kingdom, the longest-living Roman client kingdom, as well as the rulers and royalty of several other Roman client states. Through his daughter by Cleopatra, he would become ancestor to the royal family of Mauretania, yet another Roman client kingdom, while through his sole surviving son Iullus, he would be ancestor to several famous Roman statesmen.
Shakespeare
Marc Antony is a central character in two major plays written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600’s. Julius Caesar, a political drama about the assassination of Caesar by the conspirators, is one of the most famous pieces of theatre of all time. In the show, Antony is portrayed as a courageous but crafty schemer whose skill in politics brings about a civil war. He is meant to demonstrate the social harm done by the powerful people when they get too involved in pursuit of political ends. Antony has a strong personality but is a very honest man. He is both a positive and negative figure in the play and he shows the moral ambiguity and uncertainty which is the heart of the message of the play.
Antony is written to be a character that conflicts the audience about what they are supposed to think about him. He is conniving, mischievous, and a little off his rocker, but he is also courageous, very intelligent, and he cares about his country. The audience is conflicted on how they feel about him all throughout the play, as when he does something not so nice, it’s immediately countered by something heroic and smart.
In Antony and Cleopatra, written about seven years later, expands on Antony’s characterization. He is again portrayed as a sneaky and conniving character with good intentions at heart, but this time love comes into play. He throws his political positions away for love and the play is about the struggle of passion versus power.
In popular culture
Antony has had a lasting impact on culture as a whole. Not only has he been in Shakespeare plays but the character has also been portrayed in countless movies and works of art over the years. In the major movies made about Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, he was played by Marlon Brando and Charlton Heston, respectively. He has also been in a video game by Capcom called Shadow of Rome, where he is the main antagonist. Antony is seen in many novels, comics, shows, and movies throughout the years and he has had a lasting impact in pop culture.
Perception
Marc Antony was a very popular and well liked leader. He helped to expand the rule of the Roman empire by being a charismatic and likeable guy. He refused to be called by the words “Lord” or “Sire”. He would correct people whenever they called him by a title signifying his power, which shows how humble he was and how he thought of himself.
Antony helped the people in his country flourish. He controlled the people well, gave out contributions of grain and money, and was sent emissaries from India. Not only did his own people like him, but other countries also recognized his greatness and sent people to ally with Rome.
It is clear that Marc Antony was a very well liked person. He showed his amazing leadership by listening to the people, helping out his country, and meeting citizens in the streets. He allowed his receptions to be open to all, called everyone by name in the Senate, and spared people in war. Antony was a great leader and was recorded as such by the people around him as well as his friends and colleagues.