Simon Wicker AA100 (C2723194)
Part 1 Cleopatra
What do the representations of Cleopatra in film and on television (as shown on the
DVD Video ‘Cleopatra’) tell us about how her reputation changed over time? Discuss
with reference to two or three representations.
Our perceptions of Cleopatra have changed as history moves forward and society
evolves.
In 1917 at the start of the 20th century women’s roles in society were changing and
Comment [AJB1]: Good – a small
point but is important to establish early on
that you have understood the implications
of the question.
However, I would be inclined to have this
as its own paragraph, even if just one
sentence, because the next section links in
more directly with the 1917 film.
they were becoming far more liberated. At the time, Egypt and the Orient were
perceived as places of exotic promise and wonderment, as well as a sense of fear of
the unknown. Theda Bara portrayed Cleopatra in a style that typified the views of
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these times, dressed in luxurious costumes and set in an Egypt full of ancient artefacts
and hieroglyphics, her representation of Cleopatra was overtly sexual, “threatening
and ominous”(Cleopatra, 1917, in ‘Cleopatra’, 2008; see transcript p.1) and would
have played on the fears of what would have been at that time a male-dominated
Comment [AJB2]: Right – a nice and
tight connection between the context and
the manner of representation.
Comment [AJB3]: Italicise the titles of
entire films.
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society, struggling to come to terms with this new type of woman.
Moving forward in time to 1963, women’s roles in society have evolved, with the
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Comment [AJB4]: I wonder if quoting
the remark about her being the “torpedo of
domesticity" might really help to reinforce
this point.
right to vote and more equal rates of pay. This time we see Cleopatra played by
Elizabeth Taylor, the first actor/actress ever to receive a million dollar fee. Western
society still perceived the Orient as opulent and self indulgent, and Hollywood at the
height of its filmmaking heyday could not have portrayed Egypt in a more
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extravagant or over the top fashion, almost bankrupting the movie studio Twentieth
Century Fox in the process.
Comment [AJB5]: True, although
doesn't this have less to do with the way in
which they wanted to depict Cleopatra and
construct a view of her reputation
specifically, and more to do with the desire
to produce a blockbuster movie with the
best-known actress of her day?
Simon Wicker AA100 (C2723194)
Taylor’s Cleopatra inherited some of the earlier Cleopatra’s traits, still AngloAmerican in appearance and using her sexuality to her advantage, but this time we see
Cleopatra played as a shrewd diplomat, who makes use of her superior intellect in
dealing with Caesar and Anthony. Her speech at the tomb of Alexander, where she
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¶
speaks of creating a single world culture, echoes American and world politics at the
time where the United Nations was playing a more prominent role in the world arena,
and President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King were making their landmark
speeches.
Finally, we come to the modern day interpretation of Cleopatra. Society has become
more sensitive to the issues of race and ethnic background and the first thing we
Comment [AJB6]: Again, you have
nicely linked the representation to the
context. However, this would be quite a
difficult point to perceive independently,
and therefore this is one place where I
would be inclined to have a citation for the
course materials which have directed you
to this reading.
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notice in the 1999 movie Cleopatra, is the change in Cleopatra’s appearance. Rather
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than the white Anglo-American look of the previous productions, we now have a
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much darker skinned Cleopatra as would be more akin to her African heritage. The
Comment [AJB7]: Had we know about
her African heritage? It might be worth
mentioning the Afrocentrism debate
briefly, or citing pp.25-26.
other significant change is that Cleopatra has now taken on the role of a warrior queen
able to go toe to toe in combat with her Roman male opponents, and this is much
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more in line with the equal status women share with men in our modern western
society.
Comment [AJB8]: Yes, and it's a far
cry from the previous productions which
have depicted Cleopatra having to make
use of her sexuality as a method of
“combat”.
We can see that over time Cleopatra’s reputation has changed, influenced by politics,
race, and women’s changing role in western society, but the recurring theme present
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throughout all the productions is our idea of ancient Egypt as a luxurious, exotic,
over-indulgent culture where Cleopatra uses her sexual dynamism to captivate her
male adversaries.
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Comment [AJB9]: A neat conclusion,
drawing attention both to key differences
and the core similarity. This clearly
responds to the question.
Simon Wicker AA100 (C2723194)
(491 words.)
Bibliography
‘Cleopatra’ (narrated by Trevor Fear) (2008) (AA100 DVD) Milton Keynes, The
Open University.
Comment [AJB10]: Even if you have
not refer to it explicitly, you should also
include the course chapter here.
Part 2 Christopher Marlowe, Dr Faustus
Read the following passage from Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. Discuss how the passage
contributes to the portrayal of Faustus as a tragic hero, paying particular attention to
Marlowe’s use of language.
Aristotle describes a tragic hero as “a socially prominent main character, neither evil
nor morally perfect, who moves from a state of happiness to a state of misery because
of some fatal error of judgement.”( Pacheco, 2008, p.52)
Comment [AJB11]: Good – important
to start with some definition of what the
tragic hero is, as this gives you a model
against which to compare your detailed
analysis later on
In my interpretation of the passage we find these criteria. Faustus has certainly made
Comment [AJB12]: Try to avoid using
first person. In this case, saying “in my
interpretation” suggest that you are wary
that there is another point of view that
could be had, and make sure argument
seem less confident. This is a small point
here, but one which you must bear in mind
when constructing more complex and
contentious essays later in the course.
no greater error of judgement than signing his soul to the devil, and even after the
appearance of the Old Man at the start of act five, who tried to show Faustus the error
of his ways and offered to guide him to redemption if only he would show his faith in
god, he has still not chosen the correct path.
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At the beginning of the passage Mephistopheles only reinforces what the old man has
said, “his faith is great. I cannot touch his soul”(Marlowe, in AA100 Assignment
Booklet, 2013, p.19). In my opinion there is no misinterpretation of this line, if you
believe in god the devil cannot touch you, and I wonder if Mephistopheles was giving
Faustus one last chance to make the right choice.
Instead, Faustus asks Mephistopheles to “glut the longings of my heart’s
desire”(Marlowe, in AA100 Assignment Booklet, 2013, p.19) by conjuring up his
Comment [AJB13]: Make sure you
copy quotations down accurately. Here, the
full stop is significant because it is a
midline pause. This lends a sense of
definitive must to Mephistopheles’
statement that “His faith is great.” and his
conclusion which results, that, “I cannot
touch his soul.”
Comment [AJB14]: As at 12, avoid
first person here. Simply say, decisively,
that Mephistopheles statement ironically
shows that Faustus would have an
alternative if only his soul was stronger
than his body (or bodily lusts).
Simon Wicker AA100 (C2723194)
mistress Helen so he may cleanse himself of any thoughts that may stop him from
keeping his promise to Lucifer.
Comment [AJB15]: Indeed so. How
might the fact that it is Faustus who says
this, not Mephistopheles who prompts him,
emphasise him as a tragic hero?
Marlowe’s use of the word “Glut” I believe is significant as it shows Faustus to have a
greedy almost addictive craving for the pleasures the devil can offer him and this is
his frailty. Faustus just cannot get enough of the devil’s temptations and the greatest
Comment [AJB16]: Yes – it is a small
word, but clearly a significant one opening
up wider themes of Faustus’s character.
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addiction he has found so far is Helen.
Once Faustus has made his decision Mephistopheles gives him no chance to redeem
himself, conjuring up Helen in an instant. Marlowe’s description of Helen is perfect:
“was this the face that launched a thousand ships / And burnt the topless towers of
Ilium?” (Marlowe, in AA100 Assignment Booklet, 2013, p.19). Immediately we
picture a woman of incomparable beauty and destructive force. Faustus’ infatuation
with her beauty blinds him from seeing her destructive side, which is leading him to
his doom.
Comment [AJB17]: What other effect
does it have? The fact that Mephistopheles
can do this in the “twinkling of an eye”
implies that this is no more than a
conjuring trick, a trivial request.
Comment [AJB18]: Use a / mark to
indicate a line break when quoting poetry
or verse drama.
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Comment [AJB19]: Absolutely –
might you turn this point more explicit
leaves the question, by observing that this
is a classic “error of judgement”?
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When Helen and Faustus kiss Marlowe still shows Faustus seeking heaven as he asks
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Helen to “make me immortal with a kiss” (Marlowe, in AA100 Assignment Booklet,
2013, p.19). He believes he has found heaven in her lips. This shows Faustus is not
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inherently evil and for another kiss from Helen he shows his preoccupation for doing
Comment [AJB20]: Very perceptive –
again, perhaps you could say explicitly that
this lack of inherent evil but flawed
perception is intrinsic to the notion of the
tragic hero.
what he believes is good, telling Helen he will transform into her lover Paris in the
form of a knight and do battle with Menelaus and Achilles.
Simon Wicker AA100 (C2723194)
Tragically, we know the route Faustus has taken and Marlowe leaves a little moral to
end the passage by comparing Helen and Faustus to Jupiter and Semele. Which I
interpret as “if you get to close to the fire you are going to get burnt.”
Comment [AJB21]: Could you cast
this in a less colloquial way?
Unfortunately for our tragic hero Faustus, these fires are those of hell and he is going
Comment [AJB22]: Ditto here.
Talking of “our tragic hero” is a bit
personal. The more objective way of
looking at this is to say that a
contemporary audience (especially a
Calvinist one) would be able to perceive
the irony that these fires are those of hell.
to burn in eternal misery.
(510 Words.)
Bibliography
Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, Anita Pacheco, 2008, Chapter 2, AA100 The
Arts Past And Present, Milton Keynes, The Open University.
Christopher Marlowe in AA100 Assignment Booklet, 2013, The Open University.