Cleopatra's Political Power

Why do we remember Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, more commonly known as just Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt made famous for her seduction and love affair with Marc Antony? It seems to be pointless to remember one specific person who lived only for pleasure, as many other people acted in the same manner only to be forgotten. The answer lies not in the tragic tale we tell of her today, but in the political power she held as a woman in a male dominated world. Cleopatra was one of the few Egyptian Pharaohs who was female, including Neithhotep, Merneith, Sobeknefru, Nefertiti, and, of course, Hatshepsut (Mark). Cleopatra is influential in society today because her political power and intriguing story interest people still. In this essay, the thesis will be proven through an explanation of her political power, how the allure of her story caused many adaptations, which interest people still today, to be made, and an analysis of her intriguing character.

Cleopatra is widely remembered today because as one of the few female Pharaohs of Egypt, Cleopatra was as widely revered as one of her male predecessors. Cleopatra was the last in line of the Ptolemies, a family known for being great leaders and reformers. After the death of her father, Ptolemy VII, Cleopatra ascended the throne as her brothers were too young (Tyldesley 43). Cleopatra ruled Egypt solely for an estimated year, as shown when Tyldesley writes, “The earliest documents from this period suggest that Cleopatra ruled alone