Meris Hulcher
November 12, 2002
Honors 141
I. Complete Bibliographical Reference
Chase-Riboud, Barbara. Portrait of a Nude Woman as Cleopatra.
New York: William Morrow, 1987.
II. Brief Biographical Sketch of the Author
Barbara Chase-Riboud was born in Philadelphia, PA on June 26, 1939.
Her parents were Charles Edward and Vivian May Chase. Her father
was a building contractor, and her mother was a medical assistant.
On December 25, 1961, she married Marc Eugene Riboud, a photojournalist.
She divorced him in 1981. On July 4, 1981, she married Sergio Tosi,
an art expert, publisher, and historian. She had two children with
her first husband. She attended Temple University and Yale University.
She won many awards not only for her work as an author but also
as an artist.
III. Brief Account of Historical/Cultural Background of the Work
Barbara Chase-Riboud is an African-American. When portraying Cleopatra,
though, she never mentions the color of Cleopatra's skin. This really
shows how Chase-Riboud was trying to make Cleopatra as universal
as she could.
IV. Principal Sources Used or Traditions Followed
Chase-Riboud mainly uses Plutarch's description of Cleopatra and
the events in Cleopatra's life. She says she has taken some artistic
liberty, especially with the death of Cleopatra. For that, she uses
an early English tradition as told by John Lygate, an English poet
and monk.
V. A Summary of the Plot or Thesis
Chase-Riboud uses a type of poem called the melologue. A melologue
is a poem that is supposed to be acted out by one person imitating
both male and female voices. It is also supposed to be set to music.
Going along these lines, Portrait of a Nude Woman as Cleopatra basically
shows the relationship Cleopatra has with Caesar and Antony. It
also attempts to give insight into Cleopatra as an ordinary woman,
not as the Queen of the Nile or the Last Pharaoh of Egypt.
VI. Evaluation of the Historical/Cultural Accuracy
The poem is fairly historically accurate. However, there really
aren't many facts in this poem. Instead, the poem focuses more on
what was felt by Cleopatra, Caesar, and Antony. Instead of trying
to produce a historical poem, Chase-Riboud tried to produce a side
of Cleopatra that most people can relate to. The poem was not based
on facts so much as it was based on emotions.
VII. Characterization of the Portrait of Cleopatra
Cleopatra is portrayed as strong and willful. She knows what she
wants and will do everything she can to get what she wants. She
seems more power-driven in her relationship with Caesar and more
romantic with her relationship with Antony.
VIII. Representative Passage Illustrating the Above
I shall be Venus Genetrix and greet
With chaste lips this Dionysus I first saw at fourteen
I shall trap his quintessent heart and waltz it round
My own Gods quivering in unmarked graves.
For so long as one dank breath escapes from Karnak,
So long as on brace of bones, churns like rolling dice,
Away from Delphi's oracle, so long as one
Handful of red earth crumbles under the
Saturnine & Equatorial sun of Ethiopia's Pharaohs
I refuse to be eclipsed by Caesar's shadow & Caesar's sex,
For, so long as Egypt rests its shaven head
On my Cleopatrian breasts,
Caesar's manhood curled loosely in my hand,
Rome, don't cross me.
(pg. 24)
IX. Overall Evaluation as a Work of History
This book isn't necessarily a bad work of history, but it's definitely
not the best one out there. Chase-Riboud includes passages from
Plutarch, which is where a lot of information about Cleopatra comes
from, but even that is not as accurate as it could be. This is not
a book that should be used to write a history paper.
X. Overall Evaluation as a Work of Art/Literature
While this book might not be the best work of history, it is a very
good work of literature. The poem captures emotions that may have
been felt by Cleopatra. It really makes her life come alive. If
you don't like poetry though, then you would probably not like this
book very much. It doesn't have a specific plot. The focus is on
the feelings and the surroundings. All in all, I really enjoyed
it.
XI. Bibliography
Gale Library Databases, Contemporary Authors. Gale Group, Thomson
Corporation Company; November 5, 2002.
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