Cleopatra's Death

Character Analysis

Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, had a nation to rule and a family to support. Today she is a role model to many, learning about what was once her nation and her proposals to “encouragement and achievement” (“Cleopatra and Her Influence on the Ptolemaic Dynasty Essay”). It is believed that a letter written by Cleopatra herself, a beautiful, intelligent queen who had ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years, even as a pharaoh, and was believed to have the complexion that Wallenfeldt described “…was a woman of surpassing beauty…” was sent to Caesar, her lover at the time, announcing she was going to end her life (Jarus and Wallenfeldt). Cleopatra supposedly made her decision based upon her dispute with Octavian who was soon going to be ruling above Cleopatra (“The Death of Cleopatra”). She was found lying lifeless on the floor accompanied by her two servants, also dead. Today, it remains a mystery as to if she really poisoned herself with a snake or if Octavian made that up as a cover story. 
Cleopatra was very charismatic and brainy, which she used both traits to help Egypt progress politically, according to doctors and historians who have studied the mystery of the beautiful queen of Egypt (Tyldesley). Catherine Agati states “Cleopatra was smart; she did what no other general, king, or any person looking to have higher power thought of doing, mostly because she was a woman” (Agati). When Cleopatra took on the role as the queen of Egypt, she knew her responsibility was to keep Egypt safe and strong. Well, she married her brother and because she was older, she became the dominant ruler, however Ptolemy still had power (Tyldesley). Shortly after she took reign, Ptolemy forced Cleopatra to leave Egypt and go to Syria, where she would begin to construct her own army and return to Egypt to battle her brother, whom she defeated and would now reign the queen with her newfound lover, Caesar (Tyldesley). Family was a huge part of her life but, her job as the queen became more important. 
Cleopatra was a trustworthy queen. Stacy Schiff says “A capable, clear-eyed sovereign, she knew how to build a fleet, suppress and insurrection, control a currency. One of Mark Antony’s most trusted generals vouched for her political acumen” (Schiff). The relationship between her and Caesar was strictly mutual in the sense they were both using each other for something one another had. Cleopatra needed his roman might and armies meanwhile Caesar needed Cleopatra’s grand wealth. Caesar trusted Cleopatra to grant him with what he asked for and in return he would supply her with his armies. Cleopatra promised to finance Caesar’s return to power in Rome as she was believed to be the world’s richest woman at the time (Land). Their relationship was simply a “mutually beneficial” affair and nothing more. 
At this point in Cleopatra’s reign, we have proved she was intelligent, but she also became naïve. She thought that no one would use her the way she used others for her own good. Octavian was the one who proved all of that to be wrong. When Cleopatra could normally “seduce” men with her charm and intelligence, it triggered Octavian’s desire to keep her to use to his power instead of his mistress (Klimczak). Mind you, Octavian was the adopted son of Caesar and after he had been killed, Octavian wanted to control of the Roman Empire, but Mark Antony became a threat to Octavian’s power being that he was a close ally of Caesars and was older. Cleopatra knew that if she wanted to keep the benefit of the Roman Empire, she needed to develop a relationship with Antony behind Octavian’s back. Soon enough Antony divorced his wife, Octavia, and married Cleopatra (Klimczak). According to an excerpt from a magazine “In 33 BC, allegedly in relation for Antony divorcing his sister, Octavian did the unthinkable: he declared war on the Egyptian Queen” (“Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony: how the last pharaoh’s love affairs shaped Ancient Egypt’s fate”). This started major conflict between Octavian and Cleopatra which some believe would soon lead to her death. 
Cleopatra was described as smart and responsible, so it was unbelievable that she let a conflict of this sort arise. Shortly after the dispute, Octavian went to war against the two lovers and became the official ruler of the Roman Empire after his defeat and captured Antony. (Klimczak). It is believed that once Cleopatra returned to Egypt after the war, she wrote Antony a letter discussing her death and when he received the letter he fell upon his own sword (Pruitt). Supposedly Cleopatra killed herself with the poison of Asp’s but unfortunately, that may not be the whole truth.