Just like all other famous historical
figures, Cleopatra is a reputable person and her opinions and portrayals
dominate the ways we interpret other female characters. Television and cinema
have stereotyped Cleopatra to entertain the audience in an exotic and romantic
way (Marlowe, 2003).
Her character in these clips emphasizes
Cleopatra’s determination and interest to win favor with both Mark Antony and
Julius Caesar. Plutarch has portrayed Antony as a seductive and beautiful
person, while Caesar is known to be controlled and manipulative by the mates
and family members. In contrast, Cleopatra is a woman with lots of spirit,
dedication, and stamina. She was able to captivate the two great Romans of her
time, and Plutarch states that Cleopatra’s personality is not of that
incomparable kind which quickly captivates the beholders. However, her presence
has always been irresistible for anyone (Clapson, Dobbin and Waterman, 1998).
Plutarch’s words depict that Cleopatra was
not necessarily a beautiful woman; she didn’t have a great sense of humor, but
these clips show that Cleopatra was a remarkable lady with an impressive and
adorable personality. She possessed all the features and characteristics that
could make her win everyone’s heart in no time (Vlastos, 1991).
In early times, the presence of the women was
considered annoying, but Cleopatra was able of casting a spell over the
youngsters, and that’s evident from these clips. Her traits were utilized
perfectly and efficiently by 20th Century Fox when Elizabeth Taylor happily
played the character of Cleopatra in a popular movie. In 1963, Taylor depicted
a more complicated version of Cleopatra and won the hearts of global audiences
in no time (Clapson, Dobbin and Waterman, 1998).
It’s safe to mention that Cleopatra is one of
the richest and most famous female characters of all time. As a lover, she is
amorous and fierce and gets angry instantly. Her character in the clips is far
different from her depiction by Plutarch, and that’s evident from the fact that
Cleopatra is quite passionate about her beloveds. For Antony, she has lots of
love in her heart, and she would love to die without him rather than living
alone (Vlastos, 1991).
Furthermore, Cleopatra is a powerful woman
and has ruled Egypt for several years. She is widely known for her unique
sexuality and had relationships with the most powerful and hottest men in the
world. Shakespeare believes that Cleopatra is the woman who cannot live without
sex. Plutarch does not highlight anywhere whether Cleopatra considers sex as a
testament to her glory or not, but these clips reveal that she has always been
in love with men who want to sleep with her (Ellis, 1995).
As a sensual and earthy lady, Cleopatra
represented Egyptian culture and introduced new trends to engage her audiences.
Her death was not the death of a body and a soul but was the end of a lifestyle
and culture in Egypt (Marlowe, 2003).
The image of Cleopatra tumbling out of an
unfurled carpet has always been dramatized in all films about her, from the
black-and-white movies to the latest TV miniseries. Even Plutarch did not speak
about Cleopatra’s talent from the moment she ruled Egypt as a leader, but
Cleopatra was a great lady and possessed all the features and traits to
dominate the world (Ellis, 1995).
Also, these clips clarify that Cleopatra was
a bold and beautiful lady; she had all the abilities to attract men and was
able to make them fall in love with her anytime, anywhere. Christopher
Marlowe’s play titled Doctor Faustus belongs to the Renaissance in its fusion
and depicts both Christian and classical ideas. Years ago, Renaissance
Christians believed that Christianity was the only truth of humanity and the
Renaissance literature drew on the Roman and Greek classics to reinforce the
Christian messages (Marlowe, 2003).
Though the sources share a single story of a
scholar selling himself for power and knowledge, Marlowe has complicated the
story with unique ideas and has incorporated contemporary debate about
knowledge, power, human interests, and faith. Just like Shakespeare and other
similar contemporaries, Marlowe has included different references and allusions
to support his arguments in the Roman and Greek literature (Vlastos, 1991).
To enhance the play in this extract, Marlowe
has shed light on the fact that humanism (an intellectual and cultural
movement) had rejected medieval scholasticism and did not favor the Roman and
Greek philosophy. Some productions of this play depict Mephistophilis as an
evil thing, but Marlowe’s text highlights that Mephistophilis is an ordinary
demon who is tasked to collect the souls from different bodies (Vlastos, 1991).
Furthermore, Mephistophilis is condemned by
his choice to follow Lucifer in a fight against God. First of all, he warns
Faustus about the negativity and terrors of hell; and then he acts as a
companion of Faustus and grows ill till the end. Thankfully, Marlowe has
depicted everything concisely and beautifully and has emphasized on the fact
that Mephistophilis always appears empathetic to Faustus’s suffering and fear
(Clapson, Dobbin and Waterman, 1998).
Marlowe has certainly pushed back the
boundaries of the play. His depiction of different characters, challenges, and
behavior of God has been outstanding. At
some points in Doctor Faustus, Marlowe’s ideas have echoes of Chaucer’s
Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale from The Canterbury Tales, such as the questions
asked at the end, the names of different characters, and the language used
throughout the play (Clapson, Dobbin and Waterman, 1998).
In order to enhance the play in this extract,
Marlowe has compared Heaven to Hell and has clarified a lot of new concepts and
things. He has also talked about Elysium, a listless and faceless afterlife and
has compared it to the Christian concepts of Paradise. He has used very simple
and user-friendly language to suggest that Faustus is actually a Stoic rather
than a renaissance or medieval Christian. Also, Marlowe’s descriptions of Hell
and Mephastophilis are similar to the ideas of St John Chrysostom, a
fourth-century Christian preacher who stated that God was separated from Hell.
Most of Marlowe’s audiences are aware of the blasphemous parody of the Gospels
(Ellis, 1995).
The way that Marlowe has introduced Doctor
Faustus and the play’s protagonist, both are significant as they reflect a
commitment to the Renaissance values. The European Renaissance of 15th century
emphasized on literature and painting and saw interest in classical learning.
In short, Marlowe has said everything clearly and has helped lay the foundation
of modern culture and literature. Unlike Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei,
Marlowe has contributed to history and culture (Ellis, 1995).
