Cleopatra as a Historical Figure Essay - 2549 Words

Cleopatra as a Historical Figure In hieroglyphs, the name reads â€Å"Kleopadra†. It is a name which in Greek means â€Å"Glory of Her Race† (Weigall, 44). It is a name belonging to a woman who has transcended the boundaries of time so that we may know her story. What better way to describe Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt, Ruler of the Nile, sent from the Gods themselves to lead her people, than â€Å"Glory of Her Race†? Cleopatra, the last ruling descendant of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, has arguably unparalleled fame as a female historical figure. Yet we must ask ourselves: why? What is it about this individual that strikes us as so intriguing that we, like the Elizabethans before us, centuries ago, like the Romans two millennia past, should†¦show more content†¦Shakespeare’s play, Antony and Cleopatra, shows this juxtaposition of the East and West as well, especially through the characters in the play. The opulence and sensuality of the East is personified by Cleopatra, whereas the moral solidity and observance of duty is beheld in Octavius. Mark Antony is torn between the two ideals, his duty as a Roman, and his obvious desire to indulge in the hedonistic way of the East. This exoticness of Cleopatra leads to a general view of her, both by the Egyptian and Roman populace, as having an other-worldliness quality about, a strange mysticism. This is reinforced by Cleopatra’s constant referral of herself as Isis, one of the more powerful Egyptian goddesses. Cleopatra is said to â€Å"†¦have attired herself†¦that which was supposed†¦ to have been worn by the mother-deity Isis† (Weigall, 45). By identifying herself with a goddess, Cleopatra is merely continuing the custom that the Pharaohs of old used to practice. Isis, whose Latin epithet, Stella Maris, means â€Å"Star Of The Sea,† is of particular importance to Cleopatra not only because she is an extremely strong, religious image of feminine power, but she is also often depicted as a personification of the throne itself, thusShow MoreRelatedEgyptian Tales Galore Essay1525 Words   |  7 PagesWhen Cleopatra came out in 1963, it was running on the budget of $44 mil lion ($297 in 2007 dollars). The movie follows Cleopatra VII, last queen and monarch of Ancient Egypt from 48 BCE (allying with Caesar) to her suicide in 31 BCE. Cleopatra was born in 69 BCE to Ptolemy XII and an unknown mother and she would later inherit the throne along with her brother Ptolemy XIII when her father died in 51 BCE. 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Discuss with Reference to Two or Three Representations.1195 Words   |  5 PagesPart 1 What do the representations of Cleopatra in film and on television (as shown on the DVD video ‘Cleopatra’) tell us about how her reputation changed over time? Discuss with reference to two or three representations. The name Cleopatra invokes a striking image in your mind. The Egyptian queen who took on the might of Rome. The way we see Cleopatra’s character changes in the way she has been depicted in movies and television across the years. With each different portrayal she reflectsRead MoreMovie Review Cleopatra2277 Words   |  10 PagesMovie Review of â€Å"Cleopatra† The legendary story of Cleopatra has endured for over two thousand years. Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1963 epic movie, â€Å"Cleopatra†, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richtard Burton depicts the end of Ancient Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty with the fall of Cleopatra. 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It is by far her most ambitious piece because it has a lot of underlying meaning to it. Lewis was so successful with her sculpture of Cleopatra because she related to the issues surrounding her. Cleopatra undoubtedly held a different meaning to Lewis than did to her other