Cleopatra: A Sign of the Times
"For Rome, who had never condescended to fear any nation or people, did in her time fear two human beings; one was Hannibal, and the other was a woman" (Lefkowitz 126).
Abstract
Cleopatra VII, the last reigning queen of Egypt, has intrigued us for centuries. Her story is one that has been told many times, and the many different and vastly varied representations of her and her story are solely based on the ways in which men and society have perceived women and their role in society throughout history. By looking at the perceptions of women starting from the Hellenes, the Greeks who greatly influenced Roman ideals, and following those perceptions through to the end of the 19th Century, it is easy to see how Cleopatra has been used to represent the "good woman." In other words, she has been used as a role model for women, to show what was their acceptable role in society and to shape their actions and beliefs into an acceptable form. The earliest writers saw her as an evil temptress, as attitudes changed she became a victim and now in recent representations she is seen as "a feminist hero and a savvy politician" (Nilsen 1). Following this history, one can see how the story of Cleopatra is a story that has been told many times to fit each time period's own allegiances.
The negative image of Cleopatra that has presided throughout history can be traced back to 5th Century Athens and their perceptions of women. During this time period the Greeks pit their own bourgeoisie ideal of femininity against their counterparts in "barbaric societies" (Nyquist 89). This barbarism was also associated with Orientalisms and therefore Egypt was considered barbaric. The barbarians and the Greeks were considered...
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Changing social habits of a contemporary society have seen Cleopatra depicted in many different ways. Whilst few artefacts remain of the true image of Cleopatra, we see from her portrait on the coins (Fear, 2008, p, 21 Fig 1.4) that despite being no legendary beauty, she had the power to captivate two of the greatest Romans of her time. Cleopatra consummated her union with Julius Caesar, which strengthened her grip on the throne, following his assassination; she formed alliance with Mark Antony, in opposition to Octavian, a coalition that would lead to her downfall as both Antony and Cleopatra’s combined forces would be defeated against Octavian in the battle of Actium in 31 BCE. (Fear, 2008, p.7)
Cleopatra II. Summary: 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.
While Voodoo is a long way from standard, it is progressively depicted as only one more religious alternative. Our society has allowed Voodoo to have its own space inside the domain of religious alternatives. So, Voodoo is not simply a traveler ware – it is presently a piece of the religious purchaser society, advertising itself and being advertised in the economy of religious decision, and all things considered, it is entering the standard in the wake of being controlled to the edges of religion for so
Haas, Saumya Arya. "What Is Voodoo? Understanding a Misunderstood Religion." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 Sept. 2013.
...ined in the films Quo Vadis and Cleopatra and is compatible with their messages, while in the process is displayed as a negative thing. The incorporation of sexism and its unfavorable portrayal demonstrates the fault in such beliefs to audiences. However, in contrast, although Plutarch's Life of Antony also implies that women playing into sexist expectations is a bad thing, Plutarch appears to place the blame on women themselves and to encourages certain sexist elements to be maintained. If audiences are able to interpret how sexism plays into the great messages spread by such Ancient Roman films, perhaps audiences can learn to end the persistence of such gender inequalities in society. Perhaps if audiences learn from the directors' messages and recognize the faults in Plutarch's positive view of certain sexist elements, the fall of the misogynist empire can occur.
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
Voodoo is a very promising religion. It offers comfort and support to practitioners while Haiti remains unstable. There is a strong sense of tradition, but it is a very unique sense of tradition. Voodoo has no formal dogma, no specific organization, and no written text. There is no right or wrong way to practice Voodoo. Because there was no formal history of Voodoo practitioners believed it was easier to form a bond with the supernatural world. Each individual has his/her own relationship with his or her specified god, and each relationship is unique. The religion is in the hands of the practitioner. People can choose how deep they wish to get involved in this religion. A practitioner of Voodoo decides for him or herself how to establish their personal bond with the supernatural. In comparison religions like Catholicism, have guidelines to follow and consequences for all your actions. Voodoo allowed Haiti to form an identity of its own.
Voodoo has been a misunderstood religion for as long as it has been around. The reputation of the Voodoo religion is that is a satanic religion, involves animal sacrifices, and utilizes black magic in order to benefit from the religion. Many Hollywood movies have portrayed Voodoo in this fashion. There have been songs written about Voodoo and black magic. All throughout history Voodoo has had a bad reputation. The Voodoo religion has been misinterpreted by its believers therefore the reputation has been tainted. According the article The Origins of Voodoo, the Misunderstood Religion, "images are the result of the misrepresentation of Voodoo by popular culture, and do not accurately represent Voodoo"(http://www.ancient-origins.net).
When thinking of ancient Greece, images of revolutionary contrapposto sculpture, ornate lecture halls, and great philosophers in togas are sure to come to mind. As the birthplace of democracy and western philosophy, ancient Greece has had an inordinate influence on the progression of the modern world. However, the ancient Greeks’ treatment of women is seemingly at direct odds with their progressive and idealistic society.
Voodoo is a religion that is different from most traditional religions such as Christianity. The origination of the Voodoo religion came from Africa, however it is said to be a collective combination of Catholic and Native American practices as well. This paper will discuss varies topics of Voodoo such as what it is not, the beliefs and practices that surround death and afterlife, the myth of the Voodoo creation and compare the religion of Voodoo to that of Christianity.
Pomeroy, Sarah B. Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990.
Women in antiquity did not have an easy lot in life. They had few, if any, rights. Surviving early records of the civilizations of antiquity from ancient Greece, Egypt, China, and Rome suggest the diversity of women’s roles differed little from region to region. There were a few exceptions, mostly concerning women of nobility and the city-state of Sparta. Excluding the rare instances mentioned most antique women were generally limited on education, mobility, and almost all possibilities interfering with domestic or childbearing responsibilities. The limited social roles of women in antiquity suggest the perceived c...
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... Egyptian women were looked at differently than men; their role was that of the nurturer and the caregiver, the bearer of a family’s future. They were just as important to the society as the men. Ancient Egypt was a very complex world, and just as complex was the role that women played in its society. They were not free, but they also were not enslaved. They were vital, but only in terms of their husbands and their children. Egypt offered women a far more free life than the rest of the ancient world. In the end, women played a secondary role to men putting their desires for achievement aside so their husband could be king.