To what extent Classical Receptions reflect the literacy, artistic and/or socio-political concerns of the modern days? Classical Receptions reflect the literacy, artistic and socio-political concerns of the modern era in an enthusiastic and fascinating way. I think the study of classical reception might be important and in the same time compelling, because it helps us to understand wisely, the ancient language and it also helps us to explore the effect of past on today`s days. The study of classical reception is highly significant to us because it supports our inclination, for finding out people`s attitudes and different perspectives p towards ancient culture and late antiquity. I believe it is exciting to learn about important and influential individuals who shaped our past and marked a symbol in our history, such that we are still engaged and sometimes challenged by their attitudes. By reading and absorbing ancient books we are able to discover something from the history s approach, learn it and using it in the modern society. Arguably, some people would disagree with my view point, indicating that classical receptions are about years ago-old times- and we do not have to worry about past, ironically which led to a deeper understanding in character and our humanity. In this essay, I am going to write about Cleopatra, taking in consideration- beauty, character, myth and femininity and how this compares with masculinity, humanity and heroism: Achilles. I will discuss about how the time in the hero s life is treated in passages from ancient and modern times, using some evidence from `
Madeleine Miller s the Song of Achilles`. Also, I will give examples of different adverts, talking about how and why companies in our days, use references to the ancient world in order to market their products. I will try to talk about classics in 21
st Century Media and advertising by using carefully selected and convincing evidence to expand my arguments and how the past relates to the future. Firstly, Cleopatra is arguably the most famous woman from classical antiquity, and one of the most familiar personalities in human history. Throughout history, Cleopatra is been depicted decidedly debatable in both ancient and modern times. I think that in ancient times, Cleopatra is portrayed in a negative and quite aggressive way. For example, an Augustan poet- Lucan in his poem
Pharsalia has described her: shame of Egypt , with her melting deadly eyes . This show us, that in Augustan poetry she is being humiliated and presented as being a wicked and deceitful woman. Also, he uses very aggressive language and same does Horace in his `Odes` poem saying: `while the mad queen/ with her contaminated flock of men/ diseased by vice was preparing/`. This means that she is a sensual woman who uses her beauty and charm to manipulate men. However, I think they have chosen to portray her like this because she was their enemy, going to war against Romans (who were Latin race). Though the modern historians have described Cleopatra as a powerful, famous Egyptian, I want to imagine her through the Roman eyes because she is their enemy. During her lifetime and in the century after her death, Roman propaganda, most of it originating with her enemy Octavian, painted Cleopatra as a dangerous person who employed sex, witchcraft and cunning as she grasped for power beyond what was proper powers for a woman. My opinion is that in the modern times, the attitudes towards Cleopatra are more enthusiastic and quite admirable compared to the past. For example, in Plutarch s
Lives, he says an inevitable fascination combined with the persuasive charm of her conversation . The adjective: persuasive , has connotations of an influential and impressive person. This makes the reader to feel the writer s sympathy towards Cleopatra in a kind and friendly way. Although, he says I don t think that s an exaggeration , we should keep in mind that Plutarch is a biographer who is writing over one hundred years after the death of Cleopatra. The Augustan poet Lucan has been in the war, where Cleopatra went against Romans, and so this might be the reason he perceives her as more gracious and respectful. According to different legends and myths, Achilles was extraordinarily powerful and strong, courageous and loyal. Homer s epic poem
The Iliad tells the story of his adventures during the last year of the Trojan War. Homer sets all this out in the opening line of
The Iliad: "Achilles` rage, black and murderous." Here, he shows that Achilles was quite aggressive and smart knowing excellent to fight. Even if, there are used negative-emotional words like: "black", "murderous", this only shows his masculine strength and determination defined by the ancient world. This reminds me of Madeleine Miller s
the Song of Achilles. In Miller s work, the writer does not shy away from showing his unattractive qualities-(e. aggressiveness), she also reveals that Achilles is human. He is capable of love. He is deeply conflicted. He has a sense of humour and a gentle side. Her 2001 novel,
Achilles, Elizabeth Cook recounts the life and death of the eponymous hero. Born of the sea-nymph Thetis and the mortal King of Phthia, Peleus, at the start of the Trojan war, a young Achilles is hidden as a girl on Skiros until discovered by the cunning Odysseus, who brings him to Troy, where he becomes the Greeks greatest warrior.Also, in all the modern and ancient sources, Achilles is described in a positive and heroic way. And we understand that his elegant image infers what one of the greatest heroes in the Greek army might have looked like. For example, in
Plato Symposium, it says: "there is no courage which the gods value more highly than the courage of love"- he is portrayed as simultaneously charming, brave and romantic in the same time, just how a real leader should be. However, his sexuality might affect our idea of him as this great, hyper-masculine hero because some people might interpret this as an unmoral and uncommon thing. Alternatively, this shows that classical heroes` masculinity is received as attractiveness and strength in contemporary culture. This reminds me of Professor Matthew Perry discussing about gender issues. He says that:" Gender roles in ancient Greece were extremely different back then. Women and men had their respective roles in their societies. Women were supposed to have kids and stay home to take care of the family and the household. Everywhere they went, they were accompanied by men because if they weren`t, the women were seen as a lower, less respected class." I think that was a wrong perspective, because all people should be equal. Also, as we know women didn`t really have any rights. The men had all the power over them. Professor Matthew Perry also mentions that: "In fact, this system is called a patriarchy, when the father of the oldest male figure is the head of the household. Women were not even allowed to eat and sleep in the same room with men. Rich women often had to take care of their slaves as well as their own children and the household chores." In modern days, representations of gender in publicity and advertisements actually provide powerful models of behaviour to emulate or react against. Masculine images typically convey power, strength, virility, athleticism, and competitiveness while feminine images show beauty, submissiveness, nurturance, and cooperation. Such themes appear repeatedly in popular culture (including advertisements) and are often accepted by those who see them as natural aspects of the human condition. In science, the understanding of gender, however, is at variance with such representations of human nature This links to how masculinity is represented in contemporary marketing and advertising. Historically, Shakespeare s play Antony and Cleopatra begins after the assassination of Julius Caesar that spurred on Marc Antony to kill Cassius and Brutus, an act which heralded him as a hero. Although it is clear that rumours are circulating when the play begins that Cleopatra is pulling Antony away from his responsibilities as a leader, he is still largely held in high esteem by the majority of people in the Roman Empire. Even Octavius, who later goes to battle against Antony, talks highly of him in regard to his heroic feats in the past. However, these heroic feats do seem to be firmly in the past a part of Antony s character that has been curbed by the passions and female wiles of Cleopatra. As a result, he is constantly in turmoil over his public and personal duties. His desire to be with Cleopatra frequently forces him to dismiss his more duties as a triumvir, Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch / Of the ranged empire fall (I.i.35-36). Soon after expressing such a blatant disregard for the future of the Roman Empire, Antony questions his loyalties and vows to face up to his responsibilities, a decision that involves distancing himself from Cleopatra, must from this enchanting queen break off (I.ii.117). Antony becomes trapped in this cycle of conflict in which Rome represents his duties as a Roman leader and hero, and Alexandria his desires related to passions and pleasure. His movement between the two areas enhances this symbolism.Although Cleopatra does appear to return Antony s love, she also displays qualities of manipulation and demonstrates a theatrical nature throughout the play that perhaps suggests other reasons for her partnership with Antony. Enobarbus, Antony s loyal follower, notices these characteristics in Antony s Egyptian wife and states that, her beauty is so incomparable, her charms so strong that the vilest things / Become themselves in her, that the holy priests / Bless her when she is riggish [sluttish] (II.ii.243-245).This suggests that she has a talent for transforming the vilest things into things of beauty, and for subverting whole systems of morality so that even priests alter their views of what is holy or sinful. Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare s most powerful female characters and it seems only fitting that she should desire an equally powerful husband. In many ways, on Cleopatra s part, her relationship with Antony seems more of a political alliance, with their intimacy always having public consequences outside of the private sphere. However, if Cleopatra aims to better herself through Antony then it is unclear why she flees the battle of Actium, forcing him to follow her and so concede defeat. On this and other occasions, Cleopatra s actions and opinions have such an effect on his image as a powerful leader that he betrays the side of him that was known as a noble hero unfortunately Antony realizes this a little too late, If I lose my honour, / I lose myself. Better I were not yours /Than yours so branchless (III.iv.22-24).If Cleopatra loves Antony only for the power he holds then it seems strange that she would allow him to decline so far in status through his relationship with her.This analysis of the various images of Cleopatra and the way in which Cleopatra manipulated her image, and allowed her image to be manipulated, as a way of gaining and maintaining power over her people and over foreign rulers has shown, ultimately, as we have seen, the necessity for Cleopatra to act in the way she did, in terms of ruling over a land that many people wanted to gain control of, from a city that the Romans wished to rule. The debates over Cleopatra s supposed beauty is rather peripheral to the life that Cleopatra led, as ruler of Egypt and as over-seer of the Hellenistic world. As this study has shown, images of Cleopatra were created not with the task of conveying her beauty, but with conveying her power and her abilities to rule, and her willingness to continue to rule. By looking at the adverts for Paco Rabanne`s Invictus fragrances, I can clearly see that everyone is being portrayed as gods and heroes from the ancient world. The background looks very luxurious and magical, as everyone`s physical appearance is being pictured very seductive. As, we can deduct that several jewellery come from the magical, fabulous, even outrageous style of classical receptions in mythology. Figurative and yet hyper-realistic, the film brings to life a fantasy in flesh, blood, and muscle. Also, there is Olympea perfume advert who surprisingly is dressed as Cleopatra, who had nothing to do with goddesses, even if she pretended to be one. In both clips, everyone has a special and unique sensuality. I can see that she is using her beauty to manipulate people to use this perfume so at least we (women)to get the satisfaction to look like her -Just like Cleopatra did. By using her beauty which is her body, make up and her gentle smile makes her to look more high and superior than others, considering herself being more respected. The environment around her looks ancient, however this has been mixed with modern things- a white expensive car. The main ideas about all these adverts is to actually make you feel terrible about your life style and your appearance. So, at least, buying the product, in this case the perfume - will make you feel more attractive with the illusion of appearing a little bit more wealthy, confident and emotionally powerful. It creates an enormous desire. A high sense of esteem. However, these products differ at men where in most advertising clips, on the first place is considered to be famous and successful living. Also, the men define success -looking very destructive, whereas, at women is the way they look (beauty), they are dressed and what feminine fragrance they give out. In our society, the most famous brands in marketing use beauty as it is the most visually attracting thing for a person, for example like buying that expensive perfume, or it can be a bracelet/ring, should make you feel a lot more important and self-assured than you really are. Most of them also use references to the ancient world because no one from the modern days, ever met them, so they are mystical and with the help of this spell they can brainwash people to get the effect they aspire to. Unfortunately, most advertisements are also openly or secretly racist, including only white models or famous people which can actually mean that to look gorgeous you shave to be a specific colour. In conclusion, I have talked about gender roles, masculinity and femininity that had a big positive and negative impact on the world from past continuing to present. Gods and goddesses are now used, to create a more effective image to persuade and manipulate people to buy things to make a better profit. Comparing femininity and masculinity, they differ through appearance, but they hold in common the power to control the past present and future world. Also, I spoke about the reception of women in ancient world, how ancient and modern sources portray Cleopatra, including myth, and beauty. Also, I discussed on heroism, masculinity Achilles. I used some examples of different adverts, talking about how and why companies in our days, use references to the ancient world in order to market their products, and debating gender issues.By Elizabet Ciochina
ReferencesAustin, M.M, 2006. The Hellenistic world: from Alexander to the Roman conquest. A selection of ancient sources in translation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.BBC - History - Cleopatra
Dictionary of Classical Receptions(Library)Classical Encounters The Scholars Programme (book)Ancient Greece: Religion and Gender Roles- http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/contentgroups/sasp/poster_gallery/pg58.pdf This resource was uploaded by: ElizabetOther articles by this author
