Alexas Character Analysis

Alexas is Cleopatra’s servant and one of her close advisors. He is a eunuch, meaning that he has been castrated—Alexas thus frequently laments that he has never experienced the joys of love and sex himself. He often acts as Cleopatra’s messenger to Antony: for instance, he is the one who brings Antony Cleopatra’s ruby bracelet and persuades him to see her one last time, thus preventing his departure from Egypt. At other times, however, his interventions are less helpful. He persuades Cleopatra to flirt with Dollabella in order to make Antony jealous, a decision that has disastrous consequences because it alienates the two lovers from each other. He also brings Antony the false news that Cleopatra is dead, thus throwing Antony into despair and causing his suicide. In these moments, Alexas is depicted as opportunist, unscrupulous, and self-interested. At the same time, however, he seems to genuinely care for Cleopatra and hope to help her. He is also, understandably, concerned for his own safety when the Roman troops arrive—a fear which turns out to be well-founded, since in the last scene Alexas is led off stage in chains.