Cleopatra Biography Essay Research Paper Cleopatra s free essay sample

Cleopatra Biography Essay, Research Paper Cleopatra s Trickeries Mother, lover, warrior, femme-fatale. Mother of a state, lover of all that brings beauty, warrior of the province, femme-fatale over all work forces ; this was Cleopatra Queen of the Nile. Cleopatra s intelligence, humor and beauty are still remembered and written about to this twenty-four hours. Bear a Grecian, Cleopatra adapted to the Egyptian ways and even larn their native lingua, a effort which had non been ccomplished since the Ptolemies had foremost ruled. Although non a true Egyptian, she utilized her enormous aptitude and cunning female ways to derive and supply, for her state that she so loved. Cleopatra was a born swayer and did so with a flourish that would subsequently be her undoing. Cleopatra s seductive, yet absolute ability to maintain Egypt in the agencies of net income and addition was accomplished through her legendary beauty, cunning intelligence and political cognize how and adumbrate inside informations of events environing her life. # 8220 ; He was moved by the beauty of the demoiselle, which was enhanced by the fact, being so just, she seemed to hold been wronged ( Florus ) . Cleopatra s beauty was and still is to this twenty-four hours said to hold been rather memorable. In 49 BC Cleopatra was in desperate passs and had to traverse enemy boundary lines in order to talk with Caesar. This brief happening in her history can give us a slightly brumous position of Cleopatra s organic structure size. ( Fraser 36 ) If she was able to suit into Egypt s tightly rolled rugs this may connote that Cleopatra was little and lissome. This is merely rationalisation. Cleopatra may non hold been attractive as it is suggested throughout history. Her supposed beauty may hold been one of the rare cases where intelligence, humor and personality far excel over visual aspects. ( George 960 ) Another ground for believing that Cleopatra may non hold looked as idea, may hold come from the coins that were minted for a really short clip to observe Antony and Cleopatra s unifying. On the face of the coin Cleopatra is pictured being fleshy of face and hooked nosed. This may hold been true or it may hold been, due to the creative persons deficiency of endowment. ( Shenkman webpg ) Hellenistic coins on the other manus offer a more visually fulfilling similitude. ( George 961 ) It is thought that possibly the carvings of Queenss and Pharaoh that are seen decorating walls all over Egypt may offer Cleopatra s portrayal. This is non at all the instance since these are merely generalized carvings that are used to picture all swayers. ( Perl 40 ) Thus it is about impossible to hold a ocular thought of Cleopatra s beauty. Therefore we must trust upon the Hagiographas of people of her clip. A adult male by the name of Appian wrote Antony was amazed at her humor every bit good as her good expressions # 8230 ; ( George 960 ) . Another adult male by the name of Plutarch merely said her existent beauty, it is said, was non in itself so singular that none could be compared with her # 8230 ; . ( George 960 ) . This authorship does non, as it seems, suggest that Cleopatra was non just off face instead all of them point to the fact that she was in that twenty-four hours, a really beautiful adult female whom, combined with her personality, was a perfect queen graven image. Cleopatra s colouring was another really eccentric and difficult to demand fact. Ptolemies, Cleopatra s household, were Macedonian Greeks and their people had a broad scope of hair and eyes sunglassess, from light to dark. Their tegument, excessively, could hold been one of many visible radiation or dark sunglassess. The precise tegument, hair and oculus colour seems to depend on the beginning used. ( George 961 ) Cleopatra s hair is a myth in its ain right. She neer wore her hair in knocks, in fact it was non long at all. Since wigs were the tallness of manner and depicted your wealth, Cleopatra had her hair shaved highly close to her scalp as excessively accommodate her many wigs nd to forestall any unwanted lice every bit good. Upon her bald caput she wore a wig of tight coil. This common thought of Cleopatra holding knocks foremost came into drama when the first Hollywood film was made about her life in 1934. The actress who played Cleopatra, Claudette Colbert, wore knocks because of a personal fancy for them, whereas in the 1960 remaking Elizabeth Taylor wore them because they were in manner at the clip. ( Shenkman webpg ) Although grounds throws a individual in both waies it is a simple want for us to believe in the fact that a adult female held so much power over the opposite sex in the yesteryear with her beauty. Up to this point Cleopatra s beauty has been the lone subject discussed, but her visual aspect was far from the lone thing that kept her royal underside in the highest place in Egypt. Cleopatra was a adult female who was ever believing and ever one measure in front of the tyrannizing work forces of her clip. A adult female of unbelievable personal appeal and intelligence ; she spoke nine linguistic communications. ( Shankman webpg ) The first show of her ability to accomplish her desires came when she was put on the throne in 51 BC and made to govern with her brother Ptolemy XIII. After a three twelvemonth reign with Ptolemy in the shadow of her opinion, Ptolemies advisers eventually convinced him to subvert the throne and direct Cleopatra into expatriate. ( Comptons Encyclopedia Cleopatra ) Not so easy thwarted Cleopatra amassed an ground forces on the boundary line of Egypt and snuck through the Gatess ina rolled up in a rug in order to acquire an audience with Caesar, whom was indoors Egypt. Cleopatra so used her feminine appeals and frolicing ways to capture and convert Caesar to assist her regain her throne. Caesar and Cleopatra from that dark on were lovers. This relationship greatly benefited Cleopatra in the sense that she had Rome s confederation every bit long as Caesar was hers. Caesar subsequently helped her get the better of her sister Arsinoe and once more recover her throne. ( Webpg beginning 6 ) Cleopatra was outraged when alternatively of Caesar get marrieding her he forced her to keep the throne with her 13 twelvemonth old docile brother. Cleopatra saw an advantage in her and Caesars relationship when she discovered that she was pregnant with his boy, shortly to be born, Caesarion, or small Caesar. Hoping to derive more so merely his name in matrimony but every bit good a place in Rome for her boy, Cleopatra denounced that Caesar would claim Caesarion, therefore doing him a inheritor to Caesar s bequest. After Caesar s tryst, Cleopatra fled to Egypt in fright of her life and made her son co-regent. It was non until two old ages subsequently that Cleopatra saw another manner to politically farther herself. ( Feinstein 24 ) This chance came in the signifier Mark Antony one of three of Romes swayers. Mark Antony summoned Cleopatra to set her on a mock test, and inquire her about some past dealingss with his enemies. Cleopatra being the play prima donna she was, arrived in expansive manner in order to do a really influential feeling on Antony. ( Webpg beginning 6 ) Cleopatra had sagely judged Antony s Dionystic ways and the feeling she made was one of great impact, go forthing him enamored with her. Cleopatra knew precisely how to acquire into Antony s life and therefore benifit hers. The Roman author Plutarch wrote Plato admits four types of flattery, but she had a 1000. Were Antony serious or disposed to mirth, she had at any minute some new delectation or appeal to run into his wants ; at every bend she was upon him, and allow him get away her neither by twenty-four hours nor by dark. She played at die with him, hunted with him ; exercised in weaponries, she was at that place to see. At dark she would travel joging with him to upset and torment people at their doors and windows.. ( Webpg beginning 6 ) This exerpt goes to demo how good Cleopatra intertwined their lives together, therefore Antony believed her to be a portion of his mundane life, like the imbibing of H2O, the ingestion of nutrient. He could non populate without her and hence would make what he needed to maintain her. Plus their relationship allowed him the entree to Egypt s financess and ground forces. Cleopatra finally lost Antony once more for the period of four old ages in which she gave birth to his twins, he so came back to Egypt where he stayed. In 36 BC Cleopatra became his life and married woman. Although Cleopatra neer forgot his other Roman married woman, she made it so that Antony could neer go forth her side, in fact she starved, cried, and fainted her manner when Antony had intended to go forth to see his Roman married woman. ( Comptons Encyclopedia Cleopatra ) Although this deathless devotedness of Antony to Cleopatra was finally his and their undoing. In 31 BC Antony was losing a sea conflict, seeing this Cleopatra took her ground forces and fled, seeing this he, the captain of the ground forces, turned heel and abandoned his ground forces to follow her. In this, Cleopatra had lost her confederation to Rome through Antony, for Rome believed him to be under a enchantment that kept him from moving rationally. Therefore taking him from teh ground forces and influence on Rome. ( Heinrich 17 ) Cleopatra s life was filled with extravagancy and wealths beyond comparison. Egypt was an highly good managed state and had the net incomes to demo. Thus Cleopatra had the money to be every bit excessive as she pleased. Her trip down the Nile to see Mark Antony after being summoned was done on a imposingly big barge-like ship. The ship was non a flatboat at it is normally thought for it would non hold floated, it was a boat covered in plated gold, Ag oars, with wallowing purple, scented canvass. Pipers, and flute participants playing below decks set the temper with music that drifted to shore. Upon the ship Cleopatra had dressed as the goddess Venus, draped in gossamer silks, and pearls. ( George 437 ) Her staff upon the ship were sea nymphs, and male childs in Cupid costumes who fanned her beneath a gold canopy. ( Webpg beginning 7 ) This would hold been an highly effete sight to Antony s Roman eyes. Yet Antony considered himself to be Dionysis incarnate and hence once more, Cleopatra had gained his esteem for her glamor. Antony had yet another surprise that dark. Cleopatra did non step off her boat to recognize him but alternatively invited him to dinner that dark with his work forces. Anthony was greeted by Cleopatra. Antony s avaricious eyes were focused on the pearls that Cleopatra wore that flushing to flash Egypt s wealth and its power. Beneath the pess of the invitees was a pes of rose petals. The tabular array had been set with solid gold dinnerwareand there were sofas every bit good on which the soldiers could lean back. At the decision of the repast Cleopatra announced to Antony s work forces that all were allowed to take their dinnerware every bit good as their shock absorbers as simple gifts from Egypt. ( George 437 ) As for Cleopatra s love personal businesss no 1 will of all time cognize if it was love at first sight or merely profit of states that brought Cleopatra her two ill-famed lovers. Caesar may hold used Cleopatra for her wealth and what it could lend to the expensive Roman civil wars. Anthony may hold merely been confused as to where his love and commitment belonged when he had an chance early to get married Cleopatra, yet married his challengers sister. In any event Cleopatra seemed to acquire over and forgive these work forces for their mistakes which in any footings shows that she did harbour some fondness, aside from political addition, for them. In decision Cleopatra lived a gloriously interesting life and she has the history and Hollywood films to turn out it. Yet even being the femme fatale that she was we may neer cognize if Cleopatra of all time did hold her bosom crestless wave with pride and love for Caesar, Antony or any adult male. She was a proud adult female and believed in her rights as a queen, those rights did non, in her books, include being paraded through Rome, in ironss. No 1 will of all time cognize if she was believing of love or retaliation when she took her life in 30 BC but one can merely give her the hand clapping and quiet self-respect deserving of a queen.