Caesar and Cleopatra

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Recommended: The relationship between Antony and Cleopatra

The film Caesar and Cleopatra is about the sudden entanglement of the lives of Julius Caesar, portrayed by Claude Rains, and Cleopatra, portrayed by Vivien Leigh. When Julius Caesar visits Egypt, he finds Cleopatra and her younger brother/husband fighting over sole rule of the throne. Caesar helps Cleopatra earn her title and teaches her how to become a great ruler.
This movie’s portrayal of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra is historically accurate. For example, Julius Caesar visits Alexandria, he finds himself in the middle of the dispute between Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII, portrayed by Anthony Harvey. After the death of Ptolemy XII Auletes, Cleopatra is forced by ancient Egyptian custom to marry her brother Ptolemy XIII. Once Ptolemy sees that Cleopatra wants the throne to herself, he drives her away. At the beginning of the movie, Cleopatra meets Julius Caesar in hopes that he will help her become the sole ruler of Egypt. In order to get an audience with Caesar, Cleopatra gets her servant to wrap her up in a carpet and rush her to Caesar to plead her case. Fortunately for Cleopatra, Julius Caesar takes her side on the ordeal and teaches her fearlessness and leadership. As Cleopatra and Caesar spend more and more time together, their relationship as lovers begins to flourish. Although Julius Caesar and Cleopatra loved each other, she also had a special place in her heart for Mark Antony. In fact, Cleopatra and Mark Antony eventually married- to the dismay of the Romans- and had 2 children. A war eventually breaks out and Julius Caesar is called to fight with his men. Before he leaves for the war, Julius Caesar is notified that the Great Library of Alexandria caught fire due to the raging warfare. Caesar displays a nonchal...

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... Caesar’s entire legacy shaped history. The Great Library was regarded as the largest library of the ancient world. Caesar’s command to begin the fire in the city destroyed the holder of some of the greatest early collections of works in a variety of fields.
Caesar and Cleopatra effectively and accurately displays the early relationship between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. After the death of her father, Cleopatra seeks Caesar’s aid in helping her achieve sole rule despite the presence of her brother/husband. As the film goes on, the viewer watches Caesar and Cleopatra grow as friends and as lovers. Gabriel Pascal, the director, works immensely hard to create a setting that helps the viewers feel like they have been transported back in time. This historically accurate rendition of the play by George Bernard Shaw is a delight to watch and fun for viewers young and old.

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