Classical Studies 2900 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Vivien Leigh, Egyptomania, Dominatrix

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 2900
• Professor: Kelly Olson

Document Summary

In the 19th century, cleopatra is displayed as the orient . This is the image that the westerners had of the east and cleopatra. It is also the reason why images of cleopatra change in the paintings as we go on. Before the 1800s, writers and painters didn"t care about cleopatra"s association with her egyptian background. This is why she was depicted as a caucasian in contemporary garbs. However, exoticism attached to cleopatra occurred in the 19th century where cleopatra was viewed as an exotic person. Two factors influenced this exoticism attached to cleopatra (as an egyptian, oriental other, exotic): romantic poets who desired utopia, and pictured the east to be a place of utopia. This fueled exoticism in the east and of cleopatra: imperialist politics was when the west became fascinated and suspicious of the east (e. g. egypt). Orientalism is a discourse of empire and also of desire. Cleopatra embodies the east, exoticism, and romantic taste.