The Effect of Caesar and Cleopatra's Affair on Calpurnia
Isra Mahmood
BA English Hons
II – B
599
Paper IV Project
The Effects of the Affair of Caesar and Cleopatra on Calpurnia
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Introduction
After Hatshepsut, Cleopatra was the only Queen of Egypt who was seriously referred to as “Pharaoh”. The torrid love affair between one of the highest regarded Queens in history and that of the phenomenal Julius Caesar is considered to be one of the most romantic and grand ones in the world. Cecil B. Demille seems to agree in the trailer to his 1934 film "Cleopatra". Maybe this notion is true after all, but when falling head over heels with the idea of this romance, one tends to overlook many disreputable components of the affair. One of those elements if looked upon practically serves to radically reduce the grandeur of the torrid romance, and that is of the ill-treatment of Caesar’s wife Calpurnia.
Sadly, audiences, readers, historians, poets, basically all lovers of the arts, rarely have a problem ignoring or throwing aside the plight of Calpurnia, and Caesar and Cleopatra aren’t usually looked upon with negativity. People probably choose to neglect the casual throwing aside of Calpurnia in an attempt to reduce the guilt felt by those who are starry-eyed with the apparent glamour of the love affair between Caesar and Cleopatra. I strongly feel that the people who are surrounded by this “glamour” ought to realize and be aware of Calpurnia’s situation. History is filled with extra marital affairs, but how often do we stop to think of the abandoned “Other”? If one just pauses to give attention to the woman thrown aside, one realizes that the affair that appears to be so grand may not be so grand after all.
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Virtuous Calpurnia
Of the feeble little that we know of history, we are told that Calpurnia was married to Caesar for twelve years. Even though the marriage was a political one, Calpurnia had a caring attitude towards Caesar which
BA English Hons
II – B
599
Paper IV Project
The Effects of the Affair of Caesar and Cleopatra on Calpurnia
-------------------------------------------------
Introduction
After Hatshepsut, Cleopatra was the only Queen of Egypt who was seriously referred to as “Pharaoh”. The torrid love affair between one of the highest regarded Queens in history and that of the phenomenal Julius Caesar is considered to be one of the most romantic and grand ones in the world. Cecil B. Demille seems to agree in the trailer to his 1934 film "Cleopatra". Maybe this notion is true after all, but when falling head over heels with the idea of this romance, one tends to overlook many disreputable components of the affair. One of those elements if looked upon practically serves to radically reduce the grandeur of the torrid romance, and that is of the ill-treatment of Caesar’s wife Calpurnia.
Sadly, audiences, readers, historians, poets, basically all lovers of the arts, rarely have a problem ignoring or throwing aside the plight of Calpurnia, and Caesar and Cleopatra aren’t usually looked upon with negativity. People probably choose to neglect the casual throwing aside of Calpurnia in an attempt to reduce the guilt felt by those who are starry-eyed with the apparent glamour of the love affair between Caesar and Cleopatra. I strongly feel that the people who are surrounded by this “glamour” ought to realize and be aware of Calpurnia’s situation. History is filled with extra marital affairs, but how often do we stop to think of the abandoned “Other”? If one just pauses to give attention to the woman thrown aside, one realizes that the affair that appears to be so grand may not be so grand after all.
-------------------------------------------------
Virtuous Calpurnia
Of the feeble little that we know of history, we are told that Calpurnia was married to Caesar for twelve years. Even though the marriage was a political one, Calpurnia had a caring attitude towards Caesar which
Bibliography: 2. "Cleopatra", 20th Century Fox, Joseph Mankiewicz, 1963 3 4. Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar, Cambridge Press, 1954 5 6. Butts Mary, Scenes from the Life of Cleopatra, Sun & Moon Press, 1994 7 8. Ripley, John. Julius Caesar on Sage in England and America, Cambridge Press, 1980