Re-Imagining Cleopatra

Re-Imagining Cleopatra [Type the document subtitle] Nastasia Garcia Cleopatra 5/14/08 Through writers such as Boccaccio, Dryden, al-Mas'udi we see their version of Cleopatra, they each have different way of portraying her, giving their view of the situation during that time. Each of these writes provide a distinct version of Cleopatra, to this day people do not have a clear view on who she really is. Cleopatra remains a mystery; can anyone confirm for certain that the persona these writers portray her as is in fact who she truly is? It's hard to say since each of them has a dissimilar view on her. Some of which are not in favor of the queen, some being partial, and others who hold her in high esteem. In addition to the writers that have a diverse version of her, we have what is seen through movies and TV mini-series facilitates another account on who Cleopatra may have been. The film Cleopatra staring Elizabeth Taylor gives us a lavished portrayal of the queen, while episodes of HBO's Rome give us a more "down and dirty" depiction of her. Both of these representations are very much in their own right depending on how you may want to envision this ruler. Popular culture can only give us their version of what they have imagined went on during that epoch; it doesn't necessarily mean that they are all correct in each of their interpretations. However it does allow for

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Why did the Tamburlaine plays have such extraordinary appeal for sixteenth-century audiences?

Why did the Tamburlaine plays have such extraordinary appeal for sixteenth-century audiences? The Tamburlaine plays are two works written by Christopher Marlowe. In this essay I will discuss why the plays were so appealing to audiences in Marlowe's time and whether they are still as appealing to a modern audience and why. The character of Tamburlaine can be compared to some historical characters the most accurate being Timur the Lame, a historical ruler over most of central Asia. Richard Wilson compares him to Tsar Ivan IV, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, the 16th Century Emperor of Russia, whose tyrannical rule, may well be replayed in Tamburlaine. (pp.51, R. Wilson, 1996.) The first of the two Tamburlaine plays was performed in 1587, following Marlowe's graduation from Cambridge. The second was most probably written and performed later following the success of Tamburlaine Part 1 in the theatres. Some critics however believe that the two plays were written and performed together; 'in November 1587...Philip Gawdy describes how in a piece recently presented by the Lord Admirals Men an actor, called onto fire a gun at one of his fellows tied to a stake, missed his aim killing a pregnant woman, a child and maiming others. This has often been taken to refer to Tamburlaine's execution of the governor of Babylon in the final act of Part II, but the assumption cannot be

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Shakespeares Henry V and Aphra Behns The Rover were both written for an Elizabethan audience and concern many dominant notions of what it means to be a man. The dramatists explore not only masculinity but the extent to which men play different roles

Both Henry V and The Rover call into question dominant notions of what it means to be a man. Discuss this statement in an essay of 1,500 words, using the play texts as a basis for your discussion. Shakespeare's Henry V and Aphra Behn's The Rover were both written for an Elizabethan audience and concern many dominant notions of what it means to be a man. The dramatists explore not only masculinity but the extent to which men play different roles, often adopting behaviours and attitudes that they perceive as compatible with society's expectations for what it means to be a man: brave, heroic, leaders and decision makers, providers for their families, and being the sexually dominant gender. By exploring how the plays portray central male characters, it is also possible to see that the private thoughts of men, particularly those that conflict with the dominant notions of masculinity, are reluctantly expressed or kept hidden. Henry's 'state', as put by Eliot, is 'multiple and episodic' (Shakespeare, Aphra Behn and the Canon, p.76). He has to play many roles in order to be 'a successful political and military leader' (p.36). His masculinity is an act; it is a role he has learned. As a king and leader, he is portrayed as brave and heroic: an active participant who is willing to die for his country and refuses to be ransomed. His responsibility as king means he has to make

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Examine the relationship between speech and power in Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine and Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy

Examine the relationship between speech and power in Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine and Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy 'Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides' (Brown 1989:56). Rita Mae Brown's sentiment may be more visibly apparent in Marlowe's Tamburlaine than Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy; however both Elizabethan dramas use language to convey power and authority in different ways. When considering the importance of speech in a play, there are fundamental functions must not be forgotten; speech is not simply a method of conveying a story to an audience, but also a manner of setting a scene when few props or stage materials are available. Speech must also be used to develop characters on stage, often achieved through the use of asides, in which a character speaks a line heard only by the audience, or by soliloquies, whereby a character delivers a dramatic speech whilst alone on stage, expressing their intimate thoughts and feelings. Lastly, as the only communication medium, a playwright must make their attempt at innovation and originality through character's speech. Whilst combining all these elements, the play must flow naturally through continued speech and tell the story in an unforced manner, so as not to seem constructed or disjointed for the audience; all this without even considering the actual words themselves! In many ways it can be argued

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"The tragedy of the revenger is that he can only play by the rules set by his adversary, that is, turn tyrant to punish tyranny" To what extent is the true of Middleton's The Revenger's Tragedy?

"The tragedy of the revenger is that he can only play by the rules set by his adversary, that is, turn tyrant to punish tyranny" To what extent is the true of Middleton's The Revenger's Tragedy? 'Sternly moral and strangely perverse' (Schoenbaum 1955:6), The Revenger's Tragedy explores the ethical complexities of the revenger figure, Vindice, through his determination to take vengeance upon the lecherous Duke. The very nature of revenge tragedy shows an inversion of the morality play, in which the protagonist would face a series of temptations and ultimately choose a virtuous life over one of evil. Revenge plays on the other hand invariably include; secret murders and plots, disguises, violence and catastrophe, all of which are presented in The Revenger's Tragedy, but also within the character of Vindice. He is not, however, the soul revenger in the play. Irving Ribner lists nine different situations which involve revenge (1962:80) and therefore it is not surprising that some critics argue that Middleton's1 work should be more accurately named 'The Revengers' Tragedy' (Adams 1965:61). In order for Vindice, and the other malicious characters, to exact revenge, they must enter the world of their enemy, to achieve maximum devastation from the inside out; 'embracing evil in a vain attempt to destroy evil' (Ribner 1962:80). Is this, therefore, the real tragedy of the

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Do you agree with Juliet Dusinbierres claim that Renaissance Drama is feminist-in-sympathy? Include a Discussion of TWO or more of the set plays.

Do you agree with Juliet Dusinbierre's claim that Renaissance Drama is 'feminist-in-sympathy'? Include a Discussion of TWO or more of the set plays. The Renaissance oversaw a debate that challenged the roles of women. Although, feminism did not exist in Renaissance, there were women in society who struggled to achieve equality with men.1 However, whether Renaissance Drama contains feminist sympathies is controversial. John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi 2and Ben Jonson's Volpone3 are two plays that portray a female struggle for freedom and equality. Yet at the same, both plays show that there were limitations to this freedom and equality as not only were women dominated by patriarchy but also it seems that any women who proved resistant to this and strived to achieve equality were eventually punished for their actions. Webster demonstrates how women struggle to achieve equality and freedom as the protagonist, The Duchess is very dominating and independent. Siobhan Keenan supports this as she argues that "Webster's portrayal of the Duchess does not conform to either stereotype. The woman that we finally meet in the play is witty, self-assured and sexually knowing."4Keenan makes a strong argument because , seems that the Duchess in the first half of the play at least is domineering and therefore does not remain the ideal, chaste and virtuous woman that formed the typical

  • Word count: 1819
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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