Orientalism and Ambivalent Colonialism in John Dryden's depiction of Cleopatra in All for Love

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore an oft-neglected facet in the study of Dryden’s plays through a post-colonial interpretation of his play All for Love. The research argues that Dryden’s choice to present oriental characters in a positive light bespeaks an ambivalent colonialist tendency on his part, given that many of the protagonists in his heroic plays displayed positive if not admirable characteristics positive. With a special focus on the character of Cleopatra, I posit the idea that Dryden’s portrayal of the last pharaoh of Egypt showed the viewer a character that is capable of expressing complex emotions at times, even contesting the ways in which the Romans viewed her and would come to view her after her death. By exploring the language of bondage and incarceration regarding Cleopatra and Marc Antony, the study shows how Antony’s character is rendered effeminate and in many cases impotent in Cleopatra’s court which in many cases could be a subversion of oriental female representation as posited by Edward Said in Orientalism.