The boat was sailed by her maids, who were dressed as sea nymphs. Cleopatra herself was dressed as Venus, the goddess of love. She reclined under a gold canopy, fanned by boys in Cupid costumes (Hinge.Com, 1).
Needless to say, Mark Antony was enchanted.
Cleopatra made a similar dramatic first impression on Julius Caesar. Wanting to meet with Caesar, but knowing her political enemies were likely to have her killed if she appeared openly in public, she had herself smuggled to Caesar rolled up in an oriental rug. When the rug was unrolled, there was Cleopatra. Caesar was enthralled by this fascinating woman, and it is said that he made his/her lover that very night. Cleopatra obviously continued to enthrall Caesar, as he fathered a son with her, and kept her openly as his mistress in Rome for two years, lavishing her with gifts and titles. It was partly because of the scandal Rome felt at its leader having so open an extra-marital affair that Caesar was assassinated. And Cleopatra, being no fool, knew that she was also in danger, and so quickly headed back for Egypt.
Cleopatra was also an extremely intelligent woman, and a shrewd politician. She spoke nine languages, and is said to be the first in her Ptolemaic line of Egyptian rulers to actually learn the Egyptian language. She married her brother, which was the common practice among Egyptian rulers, and, as her brother was a child at the time, she essentially ruled Egypt on her own for three years while her brother/husband remained in the background. It was only due to the jealousy that her brother's advisors felt at her power that led to her being ousted from power for a while. Cleopatra knew when Caesar showed up in Egypt wanting to mediate the dispute between her and her brother/husband that she was being presented with the perfect opportunity to get Rome itself on her side. Her seduction of Caesar and Caesar's subsequent...
Conventional literature would come to see Cleopatra as an exploitive whore, responsible for the downfall of virtuous men like the Ptolemies, Julius Caesar and, inevitably, Marc Antony as well. So is this reported by historical accounts such as that by Cassius Dio who reflected that "Indeed she so enchanted and enthralled not only Antony but all others who counted for anything with him that she came to entertain the hope that she would rule the
As she explains to the reader: "I felt no fear of him, and but little shyness. Had he been a handsome heroic-looking young gentleman, I should not have dared to stand thus questioning him against his will, and offering my services unasked. I had hardly ever seen a handsome youth; never in my life spoken to one" (idem, 173). The young woman who was actually full of energy and eager
Essay Topic Examples 1. The Tragic Flaw in Shakespeare's Hamlet: Discuss the concept of 'tragic flaw' or 'hamartia' and how Hamlet's indecisiveness and obsession with introspection lead to his downfall. Analyze how this flaw is essential to the plot development and the unfolding of tragedy in the play. 2. Portrayal of Women in Othello: Examine the roles of Desdemona and Emilia in Othello and explore how
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