Editing Antony and Cleopatra (section)

=== Critical history: changing views of Cleopatra ===
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| image2 = Posthumous painted portrait of Cleopatra VII of Egypt, from Herculaneum, Italy.jpg
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| footer = Left image: [[Cleopatra]] bust in the [[Altes Museum]], Berlin, Roman artwork, 1st century BC<br>Right image: most likely a posthumous painted portrait of Cleopatra of [[Ptolemaic Egypt]] with [[red hair]] and her distinct facial features, wearing a royal [[diadem]] and pearl-studded hairpins, from Roman [[Herculaneum]], Italy, mid-1st century AD<ref>[[Joann Fletcher|Fletcher, Joann]] (2008). ''Cleopatra the Great: The Woman Behind the Legend''. New York: Harper. {{ISBN|978-0-06-058558-7}}, image plates and captions between pp. 246–247.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Susan|author1-link=Susan Walker (archaeologist)|last2=Higgs|first2=Peter|editor1-last=Walker|editor1-first=Susan|editor2-last=Higgs|editor2-first=Peter|title=Cleopatra of Egypt: from History to Myth|location=Princeton, New Jersey|chapter=Painting with a portrait of a woman in profile|publisher=Princeton University Press (British Museum Press)|year=2001|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cleopatraofegypt0000unse/page/314 314–315]|isbn=978-0-691-08835-8|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/cleopatraofegypt0000unse|url=https://archive.org/details/cleopatraofegypt0000unse/page/314}}</ref>
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[[File:Venus_and_Cupid_from_the_House_of_Marcus_Fabius_Rufus_at_Pompeii,_most_likely_a_depiction_of_Cleopatra_VII (2).jpg|thumb|350px|A Roman [[Pompeian Styles|Second Style]] painting in the [[commons:Category:House of Marcus Fabius Rufus|House of Marcus Fabius Rufus]] at [[Pompeii]], Italy, depicting [[Cleopatra]] as [[Venus (mythology)#Epithets|Venus Genetrix]] and her son [[Caesarion]] as a [[cupid]], mid-1st century BC]]

Cleopatra, being the complex figure that she is, has faced a variety of interpretations of character throughout history. Perhaps the most famous dichotomy is that of the manipulative seductress versus the skilled leader. Examining the critical history of the character of Cleopatra reveals that intellectuals of the 19th century and the early 20th century viewed her as merely an object of sexuality that could be understood and diminished rather than an imposing force with great poise and capacity for leadership.

This phenomenon is illustrated by the famous poet [[T. S. Eliot]]'s take on Cleopatra. He saw her as "no wielder of power", but rather that her "devouring sexuality...diminishes her power".<ref name="McC" /> His language and writings use images of darkness, desire, beauty, sensuality, and carnality to portray not a strong, powerful woman, but a temptress. Throughout his writing on Antony and Cleopatra, Eliot refers to Cleopatra as material rather than person. He frequently calls her "thing". Eliot conveys the view of early critical history on the character of Cleopatra.

Other scholars also discuss early critics' views of Cleopatra in relation to a serpent signifying "[[original sin]]".<ref name="Jim" />{{rp|p.12}} The symbol of the serpent "functions, at the symbolic level, as a means of her submission, the phallic appropriation of the queen's body (and the land it embodies) by Octavius and the empire".<ref name="Jim" />{{rp|p.13}} The serpent, because it represents temptation, sin, and feminine weakness, is used by 19th and early 20th century critics to undermine Cleopatra's political authority and to emphasise the image of Cleopatra as manipulative seductress.

The [[postmodern]] view of Cleopatra is complex. Doris Adler suggests that, in a postmodern philosophical sense, we cannot begin to grasp the character of Cleopatra because, "In a sense it is a distortion to consider Cleopatra at any moment apart from the entire cultural milieu that creates and consumes Antony and Cleopatra on stage. However the isolation and microscopic examination of a single aspect apart from its host environment is an effort to improve the understanding of the broader context. In similar fashion, the isolation and examination of the stage image of Cleopatra becomes an attempt to improve the understanding of the theatrical power of her infinite variety and the cultural treatment of that power."<ref name="r1" /> So, as a microcosm, Cleopatra can be understood within a postmodern context, as long as one understands that the purpose for the examination of this microcosm is to further one's own interpretation of the work as a whole. Author L.T. Fitz believes that it is not possible to derive a clear, postmodern view of Cleopatra due to the sexism that all critics bring with them when they review her intricate character. She states specifically, "Almost all critical approaches to this play have been coloured by the sexist assumptions the critics have brought with them to their reading."<ref name="Fitz" /> One seemingly anti-sexist viewpoint comes from Donald C. Freeman's articulations of the meaning and significance of the deaths of both Antony and Cleopatra at the end of the play. Freeman states, "We understand Antony as a grand failure because the container of his Romanness "[[wiktionary:dislimn|dislimns]]": it can no longer outline and define him even to himself. Conversely, we understand Cleopatra at her death as the transcendent queen of "immortal longings" because the container of her mortality can no longer restrain her: unlike Antony, she never melts, but sublimates from her very earthly flesh to ethereal fire and air."<ref name="Freeman" />

These constant shifts in the perception of Cleopatra are well-represented in a review of [[Estelle Parsons]]' adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Antony and Cleopatra'' at the Interart Theatre in New York City. Arthur Holmberg surmises, "What had at first seemed like a desperate attempt to be chic in a trendy New York manner was, in fact, an ingenious way to characterise the differences between Antony's Rome and Cleopatra's Egypt. Most productions rely on rather predictable contrasts in costuming to imply the rigid discipline of the former and the languid self-indulgence of the latter. By exploiting ethnic differences in speech, gesture, and movement, Parsons rendered the clash between two opposing cultures not only contemporary but also poignant. In this setting, the white Egyptians represented a graceful and ancient aristocracy—well groomed, elegantly poised, and doomed. The Romans, upstarts from the West, lacked finesse and polish. But by sheer brute strength they would hold dominion over principalities and kingdoms."<ref name="r2" /> This assessment of the changing way in which Cleopatra is represented in modern adaptations of Shakespeare's play is yet another example of how the modern and postmodern view of Cleopatra is constantly evolving.

Cleopatra is a difficult character to pin down because there are multiple aspects of her personality of which we occasionally get a glimpse. However, the most dominant parts of her character seem to oscillate between a powerful ruler, a seductress, and a heroine of sorts. Power is one of Cleopatra's most dominant character traits and she uses it as a means of control. This thirst for control manifested itself through Cleopatra's initial seduction of Antony in which she was dressed as Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and made quite a calculated entrance in order to capture his attention.<ref>"Cleopatra: The Woman Behind the Name". Tour Egypt. Web. 28 January 2013</ref> This sexualised act extends itself into Cleopatra's role as a seductress because it was her courage and unapologetic manner that leaves people remembering her as a "grasping, licentious harlot".<ref name="Lustful Seductress. Wfu. Web">"Lustful Seductress". Wfu. Web{{full citation needed|date=January 2021|reason=If this is 'Web', there should be a URL.}}</ref> However, despite her "insatiable sexual passion" she was still using these relationships as part of a grander political scheme, once again revealing how dominant Cleopatra's desire was for power.<ref name="Lustful Seductress. Wfu. Web" /> Due to Cleopatra's close relationship with power, she seems to take on the role of a heroine because there is something in her passion and intelligence that intrigues others.<ref>Cunningham, Dolora. "The Characterization of Shakespeare's Cleopatra." ''[[Shakespeare Quarterly]]''. 6.1 (1955). 9–17.</ref> She was an autonomous and confident ruler, sending a powerful message about the independence and strength of women. Cleopatra had quite a wide influence, and still continues to inspire, making her a heroine to many.