History is told by the victors, thereby in many instances the sources and evidence surrounding significant figures are biased or incorrect by omission. Two examples of such misrepresentation are the last Egyptian pharaoh, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopater and Queen of the Iceni tribe, Boudicca. Prejudice is obvious in various Roman sources surrounding these women. This is due to the texts being written by men whose view of women was tainted by their culture; as a result, these women were represented with lies and misogyny. This has shaped the negative way in which modern society views Cleopatra and Boudicca. Women ruling or in a place of power was far removed from the Roman way of life, so the Romans immediately believed both Boudicca and Cleopatra …show more content…
Due to biased Roman sources, the way in which modern society views both Cleopatra and Boudicca is far removed from the entire truth. Cleopatra is portrayed today as a physically beautiful harlot and the fact that her story is impossibly intertwined with both Julius Caesar’s and Marc Antony’s provide a source for gossip. She is also misrepresented through various plays and films including William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of Cleopatra in Cleopatra (INCLUDE A PIC ON MY POWERPOINT!!! ALSO DESCRIBE THIS). Many of the false claims surrounding Cleopatra stem from Octavian’s propaganda during his civil war with Marc Antony. Octavian’s campaign of slander was successful as by the end of the civil war, the Roman’s viewed “Cleopatra as a woman whose beauty clouded men’s minds” (Roberts, R 1999:82). …show more content…
In Roman society a woman’s place was to care for children and the home, this was drastically different to the Celtic and Egyptian views of women’s which was far more equal (document called ancient_egypt(1) in downloads). In Celtic society women could rule, fight, inherit property, be a part of legal cases, divorce and chose who they married (although political marriages were still popular) (that sick pdf file ms newtos gave me). Similarly to this ancient Egyptian society a woman could refuse a marriage proposal, get a job, own a business, buy and sell property and women could also request a divorce (Donn L). Therefore through this one instance it has been shown that Roman’s society’s view of women was vastly different from both Celtic and Egyptian society and thus this is a reason for the Roman sources to have such a negative reaction to women such as Cleopatra and Boudicca ruling their people. Boudicca united the Iceni tribe along with various other tribes that surrounded her own. This is considered to be a good testament to her leadership skills as in Celtic culture one would generally prefer individual glory to army or group glory (pdf file ms newtos gave me). Similar to this Cleopatra showed her leadership skills through her ability to create alliances with powerful cities such as Rome
...an occupation of Briton that the Romans were tested and nearly broke. She stood up and showed the Romans how all Celtic people felt about their Roman rulers. Although some of the actions displayed by Boudicca and her horde may have seemed brutal, even barbaric to some, this was reflection of the time she lived in. Boudicca’s revolt was an act of revenge and the lack of respect shown to the Celtic people, in particular Boudicca and her family, by the Romans was reflected the way the Celtic people reacted. If Boudicca had of succeeded in defeating Suetonius in this last battle, the Romans would have retreated and the history of Britain would have been extremely different. Boudicca was not only a national hero but hero to all women as she led a revolt that challenged the foreign Roman rule, in a time when women were viewed by most as weak and inferior to men.
Though was Rome perhaps the most cosmopolitan place in the world of that day, it still didn 't take kindly to foreigners. And so Cleopatra and her son had to leave. If Caesar could not eve convince his people to accept his girlfriend, how could he be expected to convince his people to fully trust him to rule over them. He was not the traditional Republican politician that was expected during this time, even though he was an excellent politician, and a skilled writer, some of his lifestyle choices like his girlfriend and his child born out of wedlock, probably did not completely sit well with the Roman
During the Macedonian dynasty, Cleopatra took her reign in Egypt and became a powerful and successful leader. During her reign, she faced many problems, but worked it through and soon it was resolved. When Cleopatra first became ruler of Egypt many believed she wouldn’t be able to do it because she was a woman, was weak, and that she “wasn’t smart.” Her full name was Cleopatar VII Thea Philopator. According to Biography.com, “Cleopatra was born in about 69 BC and died around 30 BC.” Also according to HISTORY.com, “ Cleopatra’s parents were Ptolemy VII and Cleopatra V Tryphaena.” She had many siblings, but some unknown. Some of Cleopatra’s siblings are supposedly Ptomely XIII and Ptomely XIV.
No one in Caesar has a good word for women.” Once again he is being sexist, not one bit of respect for women but this fits right into the play, the people of Rome seem to be somewhat of a sheep that don’t stand out. The citizens of Rome just follow the leader so when Rome needs a new leader or someone to follow, they won’t go towards the women that is soft, dull and dependant, they will go towards the man that is noble, manly and
The Romans were immensely furious with Cleopatra and had primary influence over what sources were left behind about her. So certainly this is going to lead to biases and inaccuracies in the depictions we have. Furthermore, we are all well aware of how Hollywood likes to dramatize and embellish stories in order to generate ticket sales and is not worried about the accuracy of the historical anecdote. Because of this and her popularity, our knowledge of Cleopatra has been flooded with twisted truths. When examining Cleopatra’s full reign beyond her love affairs, reveals Cleopatra put all of her effort forth in order to solve the conflict between Egypt and Rome and should be recognized for her masterminded and commanding leadership
Similar to the 1963 film Cleopatra, in Plutarch's The Life of Antony, sexism is maintained in the passage and compatible with its message. Through the author's portrayal of Cleopatra and Antony, he spreads the message that obsession with power is bad and the idea that manipulation and attempts at domination are signs of a bad ruler. Sexism is compatible with such messages because as indicated by Plutarch, Cleopatra utilizes sexist expectations of women in order to manipulate Antony through her aspirations of domination. Therefore, similar to the films Cleopatra and Quo Vadis, because Cleopatra is unsuccessful as she commits suicide in the end and is found "lying dead upon a golden couch," as well as is portrayed as an immoral ruler in Plutarch's Life of Antony, sexism is portrayed in the passage as a negative quality that leads to failure. (Plutarch, Life of Antony, 85) However, Plutarch differs in his treatment of sexism and attitude towards Cleopatra to the extent that he appears to place the fault with Cleopatra. While he maintains that sexism is a negative quality through his portrayal of Cleopatra playing into sexist expectations, by casting Cleopatra as a manipulative woman, Plutarch appears to be blaming Cleopatra for her own weaknesses as a ruler as well as for Antony's downfall. Although the film Cleopatra displayed how Cleopatra got power by using her sexuality and having Caesar and Antony fall in love with her, Plutarch Life of Antony portrays her as even more of a manipulator of men. For example, the author mentions that Cleopatra "pretended to be passionately in love with Antony herself, and reduced her body by slender diet; she put on a look of rapture when Antony drew near, and one of faintness and melancholy when h...
Cleopatra is most often remembered as the lover of two Roman consuls, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, thereby forever connecting the Egyptian queen to the history of Rome. The stories of her relationships with the two men do not always paint a flattering picture of Cleopatra, as her reported promiscuity and presumption give her a colorful reputation. Cleopatra is also sometimes seen as a misunderstood woman, someone who was never given a fair opportunity to be accepted as the wife of Marc Antony nor the mother of Caesar's child. Some historians and authors use the issue of Cleopatra's race as a reason that she was ostracized from Roman society, saying that the Romans were prejudiced against Egyptians, and despite Cleopatra's Greek background, would never accept her as a suitable mate for a Roman consul. This theory, however, is far outweighed by the numerous justifications the Roman people had for their distaste of Cleoaptra. It is not surprising that Cleopatra never found acceptance in Rome, as she offered nothing to the relationship between Egypt and Rome, she stood for everything they were against, and little by little, she succeeded in destroying parts of the society that the Roman people had worked to build.
After the completion of the book, it had let me to believe the book was written for the general audience. Although the author provided many resources, the information was taken from literature that was written during the time. Therefore, some of the quotes were biased either against or favored Cleopatra. For an example of bias against her, the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus called her a “wicked creature, who was a slave to her lusts, but she still imagined that she wanted everything she could think of, and did her utmost to gain it…. As for Antony, he was so entirely overcome by this woman that… he was some way or other bewitched to do whatever she would have him do.” On the contrary, here is an example of bias in favor of Cleopatra: “a princess well versed in the sciences, disposed to the study of philosophy and counting scholars among her intimate friends. She was the author of works on medicine, charms, and other divisions of the natural sciences.” This was taken from a tenth-century Arab historian Al Masudi. The author allowed his readers to conclude their own interpretation of Cleopatra by stating both sides of the story.
The woman, by definition is the nurturer of life. She labors through birth, tends to the needs of her family, and assumes unending responsibilities. And while women have given birth to the ancient and modern day male heroes we've come to glorify to this day, we must remember that some of those same women have also been tremendously influential and invaluable all throughout the depths of history. One such woman is Cleopatra, the temptress whose ambition and seduction both augmented her empire's prestige and brought about her theatrical downfall.
Because of the time period in which Cleopatra lived not very much is known of her. In ancient times there was record keeping. Although many of the accounts written down were not preserved well enough to be available to this day.
For thousands of years, humanity has been ruled mainly by a Patriarchal society. In this society women have often been seen as objects or inferior humans through the eyes of their male counterparts. The Elizabethan era was no exception to these beliefs, and works of literature often supported these misogynistic views. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, however, the author appears to portray the characters of Portia and Calphurnia in a positive light, ignoring the common stereotypes often associated with female characters. Although Portia and Calphurnia have minor parts in the play, their strength is discernible. Both female characters are portrayed as logical voices of reason, whose intellect and intuition are able to foreshadow Caesar's death. Their loyalty and devotion to their husbands, and their ability to manipulate the most powerful men in Rome, demonstrates that Shakespeare intended to portray Portia and Calphurnia as women of great strength and power.
Despite Egypt’s provincial annexation to Rome after her death, Cleopatra managed to keep the Romans at bay for nearly twenty-two years. Unfortunately, much of her achievements have been disparaged and attributed to the utilization of her sexuality. To add, her image as a competent female ruler has been further distorted by the media and literature alike. Much of this misrepresentation can be accredited to the scarcity of reliable and unbiased accounts about her life. The Romans were afraid of Cleopatra’s power and the alliances she created with their generals. Therefore, accounts of her life in Roman scripture are not particularly in her favor.
Around 69 B.C, one of the most famous female rulers ever known was born, she was Cleopatra. She was the descendent of the Egyptian ruler, Ptolemy XII, and she would eventually became the queen of ancient Egypt herself. She was known for being extremely intelligent and very charming, and because of this many romans feared her and viewed her as a threat. When her father died the throne of Egypt was left to her and her brother, Ptolemy XIII, and rivalry formed between the two, making her even more determined to become the sole ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra had trained all her life to be the successor of Egypt and she hungered for power. Like her father, she tried to have peace with Rome and maybe even have power over them. She would gain her power by having Caesar one and only son, Caesarion, the loyalty of Marc Antony, a well-known general who was popular among the troops in Rome, and of course by using her intelligence and Egypt’s resources. Cleopatra was a successful ruler because she had a thirst for power.
Cleopatra VII, one of the most renowned female ruler in history to be last the last one of her family line of Pharaohs. The myths and stories that surrounded her life have made her the subject of books, movies, and plays. Cleopatra VII has been fascinated people throughout the years, but has been misunderstood by all of them.
Between the characters of Octavia and Cleopatra there exists a "moral contrast" (Bree 110) -a conflict of Roman ideals and Cleopatra's foreignness. Throughout the tradition of Cleopatra, authors, including Plutarch, Shakespeare, Dryden, and Fielding, as well as filmmakers such as Mankiewicz, have separated Cleopatra from Rome and Octavia because of her combination of political power and sexuality: "The notion of Cleopatra that we have inherited identifies her primarily as being the adversary, the Other. Her otherness is twofold. She is an Oriental, and she is a woman…" (Hughes-Hallett 4). If Cleopatra represents the 'Other', then Octavia exemplifies Rome itself. She embodies all of the characteristics of a proper Roman wife: beauty, grace, wisdom, and above all obedience to her husband. Octavia is Antony's celebrated wife throughout the literature although their relationship is dispassionate, while Cleopatra's "otherness" prevents her from attaining the respectable title of Antony's wife despite their love. Octavia acts as a character foil for Cleopatra, highlighting Cleopatra's foreign nature and her sexuality, which the Romans find unattractive and unacceptable in the character of a woman.