Cleopatra has been described as both an "enchanting Queen" and "triple-turned whore". Examine Shakespeare's presentation of Cleopatra and how a modern audience might respond to her.

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Cleopatra has been described as both an “enchanting Queen” and “triple-turned whore”.  Examine Shakespeare’s presentation of Cleopatra and how a modern audience might respond to her.

In Antony and Cleopatra, written around 1606, according to Wells and Taylor, it is apparent that it is characterised by informality and decadence and this may be a reflection of the times.  Audiences might have wanted or expected such things and the dramatist merely complied with current tastes. Drama was the prime means of public entertainment during Shakespeare's time.                                                                                                                                             To go and watch a Shakespeare play was a form of escapism for his audiences. They escaped into another world and would be fascinated by the plays Shakespeare produced. Cleopatra was an especially fascinating character for the Jacobean audience because she was controversial, shocking and challenging. The Jacobean people were predominantly devout Catholics and Protestants, they wouldn’t have practiced monogamy, adultery and more than one sexual partner would have been disgraceful.

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Women were by far the lesser sex; however this status was acknowledged, they may have seen it as customary and it was generally accepted by most women. The audiences would have been very shocked by the behaviour of Cleopatra although it was to be expected; she represented an opposite of how their women acted; she had a lot of control and her relationships with the several men she courted were all sexual. She had ultimate control over which men she chose to love and the fortunate gentleman she loved were under her command. A distressing part of Cleopatra's character for ...

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