Few heroes in Rome
By the end of Antony and Cleopatra, it has become apparent that heroism has left Rome, in favor of self-fulfillment at taking the deal. This could also be seen as the decision made by Coriolanus, who started a hero but made questionable decisions ending in his exile and ultimately death. "Sir, praise me not; My work hath yet not warm'd me: fare you well: The blood I drop is rather physical Than dangerous to me: to Aufidius thus I will appear, and fight." He is a hero for the soldiers under him, and nearly dies when he fights eventually by himself at Corili, but wins the day for Rome. However, when he aspires to politics, he fails miserably, whereas arguably if he wouldn't have taken the advice, and had simply remained as the general, things for him would have likely continued to be prosperous, but in deciding to be consul, he takes the deal in exchange for political power. The same is nearly for Antony, as when Caesar is killed, and Antony replies, "No place will please me so, no mean of death, As here by Caesar, and by you cut off, The choice and master spirits of this age." At this point is where Antony could have fought Caesar's murderers, but instead he puts aside their differences ultimately in exchange for political power, only to find that his life without Caesar has no meaning. This becomes apparent ultimately in Antony and Cleopatra, where Antony has become a co-ruler of Rome, but does nothing with his posistion other than booze and sex, with the occasional military campaign, the only thing he appears to be good at. What both of them gave up, ultimately, was meaning to their life. There are some who will take the deal, like Odysseus for example, in being the type of hero that he is. However, Antony's meaning in life comes from being Caesar's General, and without Caesar, his life is relatively meaningless. Coriolanus's meaning in life came from serving in the army, and when he left the army to become Consul, he quickly ruined his own life by antagonizing the people. There is at least one example of a Roman who didn't take the deal, and I think should recieve some mention, is Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, who became the dictator when Rome needed him most, and stepped down after the crisis was put to and end. Neither of the other two made that decision, and their decisions ultimately made the rest of their lives relatively meaningless. In short, Antony and Coriolanus could have lived the rest of their lives much more heroically, much shorter for Antony and likely much longer for Caius Marcius, if they would have instead followed what they likely knew to be the right decisions, and they would not have faced the problems they were presented with. They could have both made the decisions that Achilles made, but instead they left their own respective characters for political power, only to face their own hard, eventual downward spiral.












