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    Caesar & Cleopatra: History's Most Powerful Couple
    Caesar & Cleopatra: History's Most Powerful Couple
    Caesar & Cleopatra: History's Most Powerful Couple
    Ebook46 pages57 minutes

    Caesar & Cleopatra: History's Most Powerful Couple

    By Charles River Editors

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    “I would rather be the first man in a humble village, than the second man in Rome” – Caesar

    “Her beauty, as we are told, was in itself not altogether incomparable, nor such as to strike those who saw her; but converse with her had an irresistible charm, and her presence, combined with the persuasiveness of her discourse and the character which was somehow diffused about her behaviour towards others, had something stimulating about it. There was sweetness also in the tones of her voice; and her tongue, like an instrument of many strings, she could readily turn to whatever language she pleased...” – Plutarch

    Possibly the most important man of antiquity, and even all of history, was Julius Caesar. Alexander Hamilton, the famous American patriot, once remarked that “the greatest man who ever lived was Julius Caesar”. Such a tribute, coming from one of the Founding Fathers of the quintessential modern democracy in reference to a man who destroyed the Roman Republic, is testament to the enduring mark that Caesar left upon the world. The ultimate conqueror, statesman, dictator, visionary, and opportunist, during his time in power Caesar expanded the borders of Rome to almost twice their previous size, revolutionized the infrastructure of the Roman state, and destroyed the Roman Republic for good, leaving a line of emperors in its place. His legacy is so strong that his name has become, in many languages, synonymous with power: the Emperors of Austria and Germany bore the title Kaiser, and the Czars of Russia also owe the etymology of their title to Caesar. His name also crept further eastward out of Europe, even cropping up in Hindi and Urdu, where the term for “Emperor” is Kaisar.

    Cleopatra was a legendary figure even to contemporary Romans and the ancient world, as Plutarch’s quote suggests, and she was a controversial figure who was equally reviled and praised through the years, depicted as a benevolent ruler and an evil seductress, sometimes at the same time. Over 2,000 years after her death, everything about Cleopatra continues to fascinate people around the world, from her lineage as a Ptolemaic pharaoh, her physical features, the manner in which she seduced Caesar, her departure during the Battle of Actium, and her famous suicide. And despite being one of the most famous figures in history, there is still much mystery surrounding her, leading historians and archaeologists scouring Alexandria, Egypt for clues about her life and the whereabouts of her royal palace and tomb.

    Caesar & Cleopatra chronicles the amazing lives of both famous leaders and lovers, and it explores some of the mysteries and legends surrounding their lives while also analyzing their long-lasting legacies, which has only grown larger over 2,000 years and promises to last many more. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Caesar & Cleopatra like you never have before, in no time at all.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCharles River Editors
    Release dateAug 10, 2012
    ISBN9781475316605
    Caesar & Cleopatra: History's Most Powerful Couple

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    Reviews for Caesar & Cleopatra

    4/5

    85 ratings9 reviews

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    • 3/5
      An entertaining but inaccurate account of Caesar's brief foray with Cleopatra during the Alexandrian War in Ptolemaic Egpyt. Shaw's style is simple and engaging, and sometimes humorous. A good (and brief) read, but better to get your history elsewhere.
    • 4/5
      Shaw presents us with truly human characters, a Caesar with strength, wisdom, humanity and a little vanity. A Cleopatra who acts her age -- unsure and frightened and superstitious as she surely must have been in the presence of the Romans.
    • 5/5
      Delightful play on the interaction between J. Caesar, here presented by Shaw as a wise avuncular idealist, and Cleopatra, the giggly teenage queen of Egypt. Caesar teaches her to be a real queen and to use her power wisely. Shaw's wit was much in evidence throughout. For comparison I read the text at the same time as I viewed the 1945 Rains/Leigh movie. The script kept the dialogue nearly intact. I regretted the deletion of the stage directions from the movie; I thought them equally as clever as the dialogue with Shaw's sardonicism. This is one not to be missed, a double treat if you read/view it as I did.
    • 3/5
      Interesting take on Cleopatra. My favorite parts, though, were in the stage directions and commentary. For example, in setting the scene of the first act (my underlining of bits I liked):"A great radiance of silver fire, the dawn of a moonlit night, is rising in the east. The stars and the cloudless sky are our own contemporaries, nineteen and a half centuries younger than we know them; but you would not guess that from their appearance. Below them are two notable drawbacks of civilization: a palace, and soldiers."and a bit later:"Belzanor is a typical veteran, tough and wilful; prompt, capable and crafty where brute force will serve; helpless and boyish when it will not: an effective sergeant, an incompetent general, a deplorable dictator. Would, if influentially connected, be employed in the two last capacities by a modern European State on the strength of his success in the first. Is rather to be pitied just now in view of the fact that Julius Caesar is invading his country."
    • 4/5
      Lovely play but I was at a loss to imagine a successful staging. This is vast and epic while insistently self aware, emplacing it’s own sense of history upon a lineage we believe to know from another play by that one guy.

      The characterization of Cleopatra as a petulant teen was remarkable—especially in contrast to a stolid weariness from Julius Caesar. The role of vengeance as a historical engine is explored as is the all too human notions of sovereignty.

      I should read more Shaw.
    • 5/5
      Jung
    • 4/5
      Review of two audio recordings: BBC 1980 and Caedmon 1965. The former is a studio production, and the later a recorded stage performance. The Caedmon performance is better due to a veteran stage production, and Claire Bloom as Cleopatra. This is a grand story that follows well known historical events including the affair between the title couple, the invasion of Alexandria, burning of the library, and some murders. It is Shakespearean. Checking the Wikipedia plot summary (tagged as "too long") one can see how much is in this under two-hour play. The intellectual themes Shaw is aiming for are now mostly dated. Enjoy as an entertaining if not a little dense retelling of historical events, it would have made a magnificent contemporary production with costume and sets.
    • 4/5
      This was a great play, rife with action and drama, by Shaw. He manages to reach for complex themes and deep character development, primarily of Caesar and Cleopatra but also of the surrounding characters which populate this play. So much was done in such a short space of time and the dialogue had a ring of truth and literary prowess that I was impressed with. Overall, it was an exceptional work of drama.4 stars and well earned at that!
    • 4/5
      I can see why this isn't performed often. It has a large cast and an elaborate set and not much happens that the audience doesn't anticipate. However, I really enjoyed reading it for Shaw's wry wit and his portrait of Caesar. The end-notes were also worth reading.

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