Cleopatra Example Essay Example

Cleopatra’s role as queen is reduced further upon marrying Mark Antony, she appears to accept the loss of her power: “I’ve seen a god come to life.

I’m no longer a queen… I’m a woman. ” (‘Cleopatra’, 2008; see transcript p. 2), enforcing the double standard that says men may marry and retain positions of power but women may not. Conservative 1930s America sought to keep women in their role as homemakers; this film appears to use Cleopatra as a vehicle for promoting that vocation by suggesting Cleopatra gave up her role as Queen for love. This film was made at a time when the traditional role of women was in constant flux, women could now vote and many worked, premarital sex and divorce were becoming more socially acceptable.

Fear of licentiousness saw the implementation of the Hayes Code which would “actively promote marriage and the home as valuable social institutions” (‘Cleopatra’, 2008; see transcript p. 3). Historical films could reinforce morality without exposing viewers to undesired ideas because their actions were confined to the past. The famous 1963 adaptation with Elizabeth Taylor strikes a balance between the 1917 and 1934 film. Taylor succeeds in blending the epic romantic story with Cleopatra’s political life.

Cleopatra is shown as an opulent cunning stateswoman who uses her imperious nature to subdue opponents. Taylor’s Cleopatra demonstrates modern influences from institutions such as the United Nations and contemporary figures like John F. Kennedy when talking to Caesar where she wishes for greater cooperation with other countries “one people on Earth, living in peace” (Cleopatra, 1963, in ‘Cleopatra’, 2008; see transcript p. 4). Romance is still prominent in

the film; Taylor and her co-star Burton’s romance seemed to blur the lines between the historical and the contemporary.