Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in the Royal Palace in Alexandria, Egypt. A lush, beautiful country, Egypt has managed to escape being conquered by the Roman Empire, and Cleopatra is determined to keep it that way.
Profession… Queen of Egypt, a job that comes with as many responsibilities as it does perks. As Queen, Cleopatra has beautiful rooms and dozens of servants to wait on her, but she also shoulders the whole weight of Egypt's military and political affairs. Other nations may think such responsibility too much for a mere woman to handle, but Cleopatra sees herself as equal to any man.
Interests… pleasure, in any and all forms. For all her skill as a ruler, Cleopatra is finely attuned to her needs as a woman. From expensive wines to powerful leaders, she indulges in the best of everything. She especially seems to get a kick out of toying with the hearts of men, flirting with unabashed glee.
Relationship Status… seeing Mark Antony, one of the co-rulers of Rome. There's little doubt that Cleopatra loves Antony, but she seems to enjoy testing his affections, asking him that, "if it be love indeed, tell me how much."
Challenge… maintaining her hold on Antony's affections. For all her flirtations, Cleopatra is worried about how much Antony truly loves her. After all, in seeing Cleopatra, Antony has already proven untrue to his wife, Fulvia. As a result, how can she "think you can be mine, and true?" And with the political entanglements that threaten Antony's power, Cleopatra is worried that her lover might abandon their love for his reputation...
Personality… headstrong, sensual, and passionate. Commanding and proud, Cleopatra wears her sexuality without shame and is unafraid to charm her way into getting what she wants. But while her words can be overtly theatrical, there's littlle doubt that the emotions behind them are genuine – and when Cleopatra declares her undying love for Antony, she means it.
Get to Know her in...
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Historical epic. The triumphs and tragedy of the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra.The winner of four Oscars, this epic saga of love, greed and betrayal stars Elizabeth Taylor as the passionate and ambitious Egyptian queen who's determined to hold on to the throne and seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison). When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony (Richard Burton), who vows to take power -- but Caesar's successor (Roddy McDowall) has other plans.
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Ultimately she dispensed with an ambitious sister as well; incest and assassination were family specialties. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, among the most prominent Romans of the day. Both were married to other women. Cleopatra had a child with Caesar and--after his murder--three more with his protégé. Already she was the wealthiest ruler in the Mediterranean; the relationship with Antony confirmed her status as the most influential woman of the age. The two would together attempt to forge a new empire, in an alliance that spelled their ends. Cleopatra has lodged herself in our imaginations ever since. Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Shakespeare and Shaw put words in her mouth. Michelangelo, Tiepolo, and Elizabeth Taylor put a face to her name. Along the way, Cleopatra's supple personality and the drama of her circumstances have been lost. In a masterly return to the classical sources, Stacy Schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. Rich in detail, epic in scope, Schiff 's is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life.
