I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar
Cleopatra was the social lite of her time. She had dazzled the people of Egypt who were mesmerized by her and adored her. They also wanted to be her for her luxurious lifestyle, her witty personality and was loved by powerful men. But not only was she mysterious and clever, she was the first of her linage to learn the Egyptian language. Cleopatra was not an Egyptian and the many rulers in her Macedonian Ptolemy before her did not care to learn the Egyptian language This showed that she actually cared about the Egyptian culture. Pablo Neruda really captures her power, grace and fascination when he writes, "Take care of all our dreams;/ control the obscurity/ of our slumbering prowness". She manipulated politics and controlled the people of Egypt with her obscure and rare personality. Along with this dreamy and mystical appearance, she was graceful and charismatic. She lived the fantasy of the Egyptian people: she was pampered like a precious cat with her milk baths, her gorgeous gowns and her copious amount of jewels and treasures. Along with her extravagant lifestyle, she also knew how to run her empire. Cleopatra was "a complex heroine- a lover as well as a queen, a mother of four, who spoke nine languages...and a great ruthless leader" (Highet). She was seen as an immortal Goddness of Isis in Egypt, accompanied with her powerful words and conviction. Neruda describes her perfectly when he writes, "I should like to sleep like a cat,/ with all the fur of time,/ with a tongue rough as flint". She knew what to say and how to say it. She was an exquisite sovereign that made her name and appearance known to world. An although in her myth she did die a tragic death, her legacy is immortal. Ironically, she could not have gotten the independence of Egypt and protect her dynasty if it was not for the help of her two Roman lovers: Caesar and Marc Anthony.
The Exotic Flower
Along with charming the Egyptian people, she took the hearts of two very powerful men, Caesar and Marc Anthony. After capturing Caesar's heart, he openly shunned his wife in Rome. He gave her everything she wanted, she bore a son with him and he was planning on marrying her. The Romans admired her for her intelligence and witty humor, but envied her and resented her for her extreme luxurious lifestyle. Caesar was blinded by her intelligent beauty and under her spell, while the Romans surrounding him thought "How neatly a cat sleeps,/ sleeps with its paws and its posture,/ sleeps with its wicked claws,/ and with its unfeeling blood,/ sleep with all the rings--/...of its sand- colored tail". The Romans did not trust her. Under her irony and ingenious there was something brewing inside her, a plan. But she had the heart of the most powerful man in the world and with his help she can rule all of Egypt. He was a prisoner of her mysterious beauty like the rest of Egypt. Disappointingly for Cleopatra, Casear was assassinated and the Romans kicked her out of Rome and she returned to Alexandria.
When she was back in Egypt, Marc Anthony summoned her to Rome because he wanted to question her about he assassination of Caesar. She made an exceptional lavishing entrance into Tarsus. From the moment she saw her his heart melted and was bewitched by her beauty and her rare magnetism. She too fell in love with Marc Anthony and soon had three children of their own. They both gained power from each other because Anthony received her financial and military support and with his power she could gain back Egypt's eastern empire. But their love affair took a dark turn. Marc Anthony challenged Octavian saying that Caesarion was the legal heir to the Roman Empire and not him. Cleopatra and Anthony's plan back fired and Octvian defeated them in battle. While Anthony was in battle he heard that Cleopatra was dead. He was so enthralled and wrapped up in her charm that he could not live with out her and he killed himself. She too then ended her life after her lover, by being bitten by a snake. "Sleep, sleep cat of the night,/ with episcopal ceremony/and your stone- carved moustache./ Take care of all our dreams;/ control the obscurity/ of our slumbering prowess/ with your relentless heart/ and the great ruff of your tail". The ending of Pablo Neruda's poem is perfect for the tragic ending of Cleopatra's life. Cleopatra is now finally asleep, frozen in her time with her religious power as Godess of Isis. But at the same time she is not dead because she is still as mysterious today as the day she was born, and because of this, her name, power and beauty is everlasting.
When she was back in Egypt, Marc Anthony summoned her to Rome because he wanted to question her about he assassination of Caesar. She made an exceptional lavishing entrance into Tarsus. From the moment she saw her his heart melted and was bewitched by her beauty and her rare magnetism. She too fell in love with Marc Anthony and soon had three children of their own. They both gained power from each other because Anthony received her financial and military support and with his power she could gain back Egypt's eastern empire. But their love affair took a dark turn. Marc Anthony challenged Octavian saying that Caesarion was the legal heir to the Roman Empire and not him. Cleopatra and Anthony's plan back fired and Octvian defeated them in battle. While Anthony was in battle he heard that Cleopatra was dead. He was so enthralled and wrapped up in her charm that he could not live with out her and he killed himself. She too then ended her life after her lover, by being bitten by a snake. "Sleep, sleep cat of the night,/ with episcopal ceremony/and your stone- carved moustache./ Take care of all our dreams;/ control the obscurity/ of our slumbering prowess/ with your relentless heart/ and the great ruff of your tail". The ending of Pablo Neruda's poem is perfect for the tragic ending of Cleopatra's life. Cleopatra is now finally asleep, frozen in her time with her religious power as Godess of Isis. But at the same time she is not dead because she is still as mysterious today as the day she was born, and because of this, her name, power and beauty is everlasting.