Feminist Criticism Of Cleopatra

1227 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cleopatra power and leadership

What started as a dim and rocky reign, Cleopatra’s tenure spent ruling Egypt turned out to be extremely beneficial for the dying kingdom—at least until her death in 30BC. Cleopatra kept her kingdom from falling to the ruins it was destined for by using her undeniable wit and charm to create allies in all the right places. Though history likes to remember Egypt’s last great leader as nothing more than a teasing temptress, Cleopatra’s power ultimately stemmed from her clever leadership and smart networking. Though they weren’t Egyptian themselves the Ptolemies (who were of Greek descent) had considered themselves pharaohs for decades. Cleopatra’s family’s empire was once as great as history paints Ancient Egypt to be, but when it was time for Cleopatra and her little brother to adopt the Ptolemaic Empire, the kingdom was already falling apart. Civil wars raged throughout Egypt while Roman power continued to grow and …show more content…

Men have always been too afraid to give up their (perceived) authority and as women get louder, men get more frightened (this can be illustrated by watching even just five minutes of last year’s Super Bowl commercials). I think it’s fun to see that whether it is 2015AD or 31BC; the mentality between men, women, and sex is virtually the same. While she should be remembered for being the only sole female leader of her time, keeping her nation at peace, afloat, and thriving for 21 years at a time when it was inches away from crumbling, Cleopatra is remembered as nothing more than a messy, dirty woman. I think that’s what I’m taking away the most of from this article: women have always been sexual beings and men have always both worshipped and feared them for it. Also, that one of history’s most infamous celebrities is actually a fascinating, multi-faceted person who deserves a lot more than she is

Show More
Related

  • Cleopatra Sparknotes

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stacy Schiff author of Cleopatra strives through her book to denounce all historical myths surrounding Cleopatra. With the rigor of a true historian she is able to distinguish historical veracity from historical myth surrounding the queen from antiquity. The author highlights Cleopatra’s role as a powerful woman and in particular how she attempts to manage the various political or economic predicaments she faced. Stacy Schiff gives us a story that is masterfully reconstructed, allowing the reader insight into the historical context of the time- shedding new light on a woman whose greatest fault was not being a man.

    Read More

  • The Changing Depictions of Cleopatra's Legacy

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    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)

    Read More

  • Cleopatra VII: Her Early Life, Family And Her Relationships

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this research paper I will be writing about Cleopatra VII. Her early life, family and her relationships’. Cleopatra VII was born around 69 BC and was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes and Cleopatra V of Egypt. Her parents got married in the year 79 BC. Her father Ptolemy XII Auletes was the king of Egypt during 80-58 B.C. and 55-51 B.C. He was born in 117 BC and was also known as the “Piper” because he played the flute. He died in 51 BC, Alexandria, Egypt from being exiled. Her mother Cleopatra V was the queen of Egypt, born in 95 BC. She vanished around the time of Cleopatra’s birth in 69 BC then died in 57 BC. Some people believe she was either murdered or that she may have died while giving birth. (“Cleopatras Family”)

    Read More

  • Cleopatra Argumentative Essay

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    Amy Crawford the author of the article, “Who is Cleopatra?” supports this opinion with several examples from primary and secondary sources to shed light on the type of political leader she was and the motivations behind her actions. She explains that Cleopatra was a well-educated, clever, diplomat, who had deep devotion to her patriotism. Cleopatra made the effort to learn Egyptian, unlike her predecessors, among several other languages. She succeeded in ruthless power struggles with her siblings and created military alliances to maintain Egypt’s independence. Cleopatra sustained a vast,

    Read More

  • Themes of Sexism in Cleopatra and Plutarch's The Life of Antony

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • A Look into Cleopatra’s Early Life Influences

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    Much of Cleopatra’s life and her intentions remain a mystery. The aforementioned, thus raises questions about the early life influences that caused her to ascend to the throne. Cleopatra’s education, heritage, and personality all factor into her ascension as queen of Egypt.

    Read More

  • What Is The Purpose Of Cleopatra

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Why Did Cleopatra Fall Essay

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cleopatra family was a part of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek family of Macedonian origin who ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. Cleopatra originally ruled with her father Ptolemy XII. She later had to rule with her brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV to whom she had to marry as part of her Egyptian family custom. Her marriage with her brother, Ptolemy XIV, ended quickly after he died from unknown sources. She had, even more, problems with her second marriage to brother, Ptolemy XIII. He had worked

    Read More

  • Cleopatra: The Natural Nemesis of Rome

    2718 Words  | 6 Pages

    Cleopatra and the province of Egypt are not accepted by the Romans because the relationship between the two city-states is not equal, as Rome does not benefit from a partnership between the two, although Egypt expects to be treated as a people of equal power and prestige. While it is true that Egypt is a country with great wealth and fertile land, thus able to give to Rome ample amounts of gold and grain, these are not reasons enough to make Rome tolerant of...

    Read More

  • Similarities between Greek and Egyptian Mythologies

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    Despite a few minor differences, Greek and Egyptian traditions appear quite similar. The many parallels may be a result of the connections between these two cultures. Though they were separated by the Mediterranean Sea, they often traded with each other, leading to a spread of ideas. Another reason is that Egypt was once governed by Greeks, such as the Ptolemaic Kings, who furthered the spread of Greek ideas and traditions in Egypt. Though their rule in Egypt ended with the suicide Cleopatra VII, their influence had a lasting impact. Greek and Egyptian cultures were connected through trade and rulers and as a result their mythology shares many similarities.

    Read More

  • Cleopatra: The Historical Seductress

    1338 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cleopatra was immediately established from the second she burst out of the womb as a member of the royal family of the Ptolemy's; the family which had controlled the Egyptian throne since the rule of Ptolemy I which began in 323 BC. She was born the daughter of Ptolemy XII, King of Egypt, in 69 BC, her full name being Cleopatra VII, or "Thea Philopator" in Greek: a name, which literally translates to "a goddess loving her father." She did most definitely loved her father, so dearly, in fact, that he granted the throne to Cleopatra upon his death in 51 BC. From the moment she set foot on the throne, co-ruling Egypt with her brother and obligatory husband Ptolemy XIII, she was intent upon coercing her, and only her, influence upon all of Egypt. More specifically, she wished to possess a less influential bridegroom so that she could impose more of her ideas and policies upon Egypt. It is for this reason that Cleopatra initiated one of the most notorious and controversial relationships of all time with one of the most prominent figures in history; Julius Caesar. Caesar fell in love with Cleopatra from the moment he saw her. Even though she was not known to be exceptionally beautiful, it is derived from many accounts that she was the definition of a wicked temptress, the defining characteristic that obviously won Caesar's heart. Naturally, Caesar aided Cleopatra after Ptolemy XIII's advisors had driven her from the throne, and declared war upon Ptolemy XIII. Caesar and Cleopatra were victorious and Cleopatra returned safely to the throne. Shortly after the coup, Cleopatra was noticeably pregnant. The product of this pregnancy was a son, named Caesarion, who is widely believed to belong to Caesar.

    Read More

  • Why was Cleopatra Famous?

    1273 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ptolemaic Dynasty was an ancient dynasty of Macedonian Pharaohs who ruled Egypt. In 51 B.C.E after the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, 18 year old Cleopatra and her 12 year old brother Ptolemy XIII were in succession for the throne. Cleopatra and her brother married to keep the power within the family. They were to rule Egypt in unison, sharing power of the throne. That changed in 48 B.C.E when Cleopatra was forced to escape to Syria after being dethroned by her brother who was told to do so by his advisers, Achillas and Theodotus.

    Read More

  • A Look Into the Death of Queen Cleopatra

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the early years of her life, Cleopatra learned that to gain the thrown in the dynasty of the Ptolemies it took a lot more then sheer knowledge. She did however have a very good education in which she knew how to speak seven different languages and was the only Ptolemy to have know how to speak Egyptian and Greek ("The Unsolved Death of Cleopatra"). It is clear that even from such a young age Cleopatra was driven to succeed. It appears that it wasn't enough for her to just be educated, but to surpass her siblings and quite possibly her own parents. This was soon proven to be so once she inherited the throne and problems began to ensue. With the title of pharaoh came the marriage to her younger brother, though neither one was willing to share that power together. Soon after taking the throne her brother was found murdere...

    Read More

  • The Power of Cleopatra

    1773 Words  | 4 Pages

    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 become 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.

    Read More

  • Cleopatra VII Philopator

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cleopatra VII Philopator was an important aspect to the Egyptian dynasty and known as one of the most famous female ruler. She became ruler at the age of eighteen years old after her father Ptolemy XII Auletes died. Egyptian tradition focused her and her ten year old brother to share the role of pharaoh when she took the throne( Bio). Tension being to arise between the two and Cleopatra fled to Syria in hope of starting an army of mercenaries to help take her throne. Her alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony showed how she was able to use her beautiful charm (Fiero). She was a well educated woman that was able to speak multiple languages. This allowed her to gain recognition and become a powerful leader.

    Read More

More about Feminist Criticism Of Cleopatra

Open Document