Serapion's Dream

Serapion's dream in Scene I: Act 1 symbolizes Caesar Octavius' conquering of Egypt. The Nile floods, and all of Egypt's animals are stranded in the river. The river recedes, and the animals are beached on land. Here, the Nile symbolizes Egypt. The flooding of the river is a simile for Cleopatra's personal excesses. Egypt will be taken from its citizens by Caesar Octavius' invasion, just as the river recedes, leaving the animals who rely on it to die, as many of Cleopatra's citizens will.

The Roman Empire

For John Dryden, the Roman Empire symbolizes an Anglo Saxon value system. Roman soldiers, such as Ventidius and Dolabella, value civic duty over personal desire. This dedication to preserving civil order is the same one Dryden claims Charles II's Restoration to the throne after the English Civil War returns to England. Mark Antony strives to adhere to the same...