The Real Cleopatra

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: Why do some leaders become legendary while others fade into history?

2. List Vocabulary
Share some of the challenging vocabulary words in the article (see below). Encourage students to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• adept (p. 19)
• banished (p. 19)
• ambitious (p. 21)
• denounce (p. 21)
• outmaneuvered (p. 21)
• foe (p. 21)

3. Engage
Have students share what they know about Cleopatra. Then ask: Was Cleopatra Egyptian? How did she win the power struggle with her brother? How was she able to stay in power for nearly 20 years? Explain that students will learn the answers to these questions in the article.

4. Read and Discuss
Ask students to read the Upfront article about Cleopatra. Review why the article is a secondary source. (It was written by someone who didn’t personally experience or witness the events.) Then pose these critical-thinking questions:

• According to the article, what is the story many people know of Cleopatra? How is this story a product of political maneuvering? (According to the article, the story many people know of Cleopatra is that she was a dangerous seductress who used her beauty to increase her power. This idea of Cleopatra started with Octavian, who waged a smear campaign against her when he feared that he might lose power over Rome as Cleopatra’s alliance with Marc Antony grew stronger.)

• The author describes Cleopatra as one of the most adept rulers in history. What evidence does he provide to support this claim? (The author includes information about how Cleopatra kept Egypt independent from Rome for nearly 20 years. She outmaneuvered her brother for power, maintained Egypt’s wealth, forged important alliances, expanded Egypt’s territory, oversaw a complex farming system, and learned the language of the people she ruled. After her death, Egypt became a province of Rome.)

• Why would Octavian have been alarmed by Cleopatra and Marc Antony announcing that Cleopatra was to be known as “Queen of Kings” and her son with Julius Caesar as “King of Kings”? (Octavian was a ruler of Rome. He wanted Rome to have dominance over Egypt. These titles suggested that Egypt was rising again and that Cleopatra’s son might one day claim Rome as his to rule.)

• Octavian painted Cleopatra as a dangerous seductress who had corrupted Antony. What are some other reasons Antony might have wanted an alliance with Cleopatra? (Responses will vary, but students should support their ideas with text evidence. Students might note that Antony recognized in Cleopatra a brilliant political strategist who could help him increase his own power.)

5. Use the Primary Sources
Project or distribute the PDF A Famous Encounter (or assign it in Google Classroom), which features excerpts from Plutarch’s account of Marc Antony and Cleopatra meeting in Tarsus after Antony became co-ruler of Rome. Discuss what makes the account a primary source. (It provides firsthand evidence concerning the topic.) Have students read the excerpts and answer the questions below (which appear on the PDF without answers).

• Based on these excerpts, who seems to have control of their interactions—Cleopatra or Antony? Explain. (Cleopatra seems to have control of their interactions. She initially ignores Antony’s orders to appear in Tarsus, with no negative consequences. She then says that Antony should come to her for supper and he agrees. She also tricks him into revealing his lack of skill in fishing.)

• According to Plutarch, how did people react to Cleopatra’s trip up the Cydnus to meet with Antony? (People were happy about it. They cleared the area, perhaps out of respect or reverence. And they described the meeting as being between a goddess and a god that would result in good things for the region.)

• What does Plutarch compare to “an instrument of many strings”? What does this comparison help emphasize? (Plutarch compares Cleopatra’s ability to speak many different languages and easily switch from one to the next as “an instrument of many strings.” This comparison helps emphasize how rare it was for a leader to speak so many different languages and to speak directly to foreign leaders and representatives, rather than through an interpreter.) 

• What do you think Cleopatra was trying to achieve when she told Antony to leave the fishing to her and her people? (She was probably trying to build up his ego again after having fun and making him look like a bit of a fool while fishing. She probably wanted to make sure that he didn’t get angry; otherwise, their relationship might sour and she might fail in achieving her political goals.)

• Consider what the Upfront article says about how Cleopatra was portrayed by Octavian and his supporters. How does Plutarch’s account perpetuate this perspective while also veering from it? (Responses will vary. Students might note that the details about Cleopatra dressing as Venus perpetuate that perspective, while discussing her knowledge of languages and her talent in strategy veer from it and paint her as a skilled leader.)

6. Writing Prompt
Imagine that you’ve written a biography of Cleopatra. Write a description of your book that will go on the back cover. In your description, give your main thesis and seek to entice readers to buy the book.

7. Quiz
Use the quiz to assess comprehension.

8. Classroom Debate
Was Cleopatra a danger to Rome—or merely to Octavian?

9. Write a Short Play
Have small groups select a text by Plutarch, Lucan, or Josephus about Cleopatra and Caesar or Antony and adapt the text into a one-act play. A narrator in each play should provide modern commentary on the scene. After each performance, lead a discussion comparing the original writer’s point of view and the commentary.