Cleopatra

Cleopatra is an often-used monarch when talking about woman-rulers. Her rule was mighty, and firm, even though most of the monarchs of her day were men. She ruled because she was smart, not simply because she was pretty. In the article/essay, 'Becoming Cleopatra' the author decides to introduce race and symbolism into the world of cleopatra. The Author opens the essay by talking about a video involving Eddie Murphy, Michael Jackson. She speaks about the symbolism involved in the video. Then the author begins to read very heavily into race. She speaks about Cleopatra possibly being black and how this would 'Change' History. How publications would fight to have Cleopatra on their side, for an example of a successful icon of their race. Who cares if cleopatra was black? Except for records of science and perhaps a little of racial history. In the essay, the author explains that both white's and blacks play off of cleopatra's 'racial ambiguity'. It is true that no one REALLY knows what cleopatra looked like, but it is preposterous that one race is trying to 'Take' cleopatra as a point for their 'team'. Both 'White' and 'Black' culture is something that totally turns me off. I see culture as something that divides, rather than something that unites. If one becomes engulfed in "white culture" for example, than they are more divided than if they involved blacks in this culture as well. I agree that blacks and whites are different, but I dispose culture either way. I believe it excludes and divides.