She then goes on to explain the parallels this would have made with English society at the time and how it would have made the audience uncomfortable. In the play, she tells us that women were considered the most masculine they had ever been and that men played women in the theater (well, they had to since women weren't allowed). The best example of gender role reversal or bending is when Cleopatra puts her clothes on a drunk Antony: "Before the ninth hour I took him to his bed, then I put my tires and my coat on him while I carried his Phillipan sword. » (2.5.20-23). Not only is this image humorous, but it also clearly feminizes Marc Antony. By feminizing Antony, Cleopatra becomes dangerous, especially for a male audience. Women having the power to be the dominant partner or embody the male role would have been a huge red flag. Not only was Cleopatra a dangerous and mysterious character to the audience, but she also made Egypt and the Orient dangerous and mysterious.