| Entry: Cleopatra’s Vision |  | = Official Comment |
|
|
|
From Sean Stubblefield
Website: http://www.geocities.com/exastra/home.htm |
Despite what christianity might tell you, the serpent is a cross-cultural symbol of power, knowledge and continuity-- particularly in the Ouroboros (an image i am so keen on, it was my first tat and the cover on one of my books- which i designed).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_(symbolism) |
| IP Logged. |
|
| From Stef |
| I had a dramatic lit prof who was not a huge Shakespeare fan. He thought Marlowe was a far better writer, which I can kind of agree on. Of course there are some people that say Marlowe really wrote Shakespeare's plays, but whatever. I haven't read Shakespeare in forever. You have me wanting to read "The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra" now though. |
| IP Logged. |
|
| From Todd K |
Hi Jess -
I hope that you learned of Cleopatra's fate from the HBO series "Rome". When I watched it with a group of people many of them were suprised to learn that she took her own life, after tricking Anthony to take his. Very Romeo and Juliet.
Lover your site, and you.
Kisses. T. |
| IP Logged. |
|
| From Jessica |
Dear Todd K, you are too kind: It must be a trick. 
And you've caught me in that I did indeed learn How it Ends from ROME. I've only seen the end of the series. (I was traveling and took advantage of the hotel HBO/On Demand.) Will likely Netflix the DVDs at some point.
PS: Did you people totally notice that I have footnotes now? I'm wicked excited about that JSDC addition. You should be, too.
PPS: I am at Le Starbucks/Portal because SBC Global sucks and the Internet at my home office is out. :-( Look, I can use my amazing magic to prove it. |
|
|
| From Jameson |
| She's a witch! Burn her! |
| IP Logged. |
|
| From Jessica |
Sir Bedevere: What makes you think she's a witch?
Peasant 3: Well, she turned me into a newt!
Sir Bedevere: A newt?
Peasant 3: ...I got better.
Crowd: Burn her anyway!
The Witch: I'm not a witch I'm not a witch!
Sir Bedevere: But you are dressed as one
The Witch: They dressed me up like this!
Crowd: We didn't! We didn't...
The Witch: And this isn't my nose. It's a false one.
Sir Bedevere: [lifts up her false nose] Well?
Peasant 1: Well, we did do the nose.
Sir Bedevere: The nose?
Peasant 1: And the hat, but she is a witch!
Crowd: Yeah! Burn her! Burn her!
Sir Bedevere: Did you dress her up like this?
Peasant 1: No!
Peasant 3, Peasant 2: No!
Peasant 3: No!
Peasant 1: No!
Peasant 3, Peasant 2: No!
Peasant 1: …Yes.
Peasant 2: Yeah, a bit. |
|
|
From Sean Stubblefield
Website: http://www.geocities.com/exastra/home.htm |
So, getting back on point:
"Always a serpent with us girls, isn’t it."
Thematic archetypes occur for a reason. What's the origen of this one? Outside of Christianity, Women are historo-religiously regarded as "divinity", being closer, more connected or in tune with nature and the primitive state... because she is the vessel of life. Gnostic Christianity elevates the female. So the serpent communes with Woman because she can better hear nature. Hence, Mother Nature. Oracles/ witches are typically female. Most tarot/palm readers are, too.
Combine that with the symbolism of the serpent, and you have a potent unity. |
| IP Logged. |
|
| From Jessica |
It's an interesting evolution of myth. I first became aware/interested when reading Arthurian Literature, some of which spoke to the Pagan/Christian transformation and all the symbolism and meaning that was changed, deleted and updated in the switch.
I skimmed the following and it has the basic ideas broken down:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/5789/serpent.htm
In related science:
http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=7822 |
|
|
From Steve
Website: http://www.toicreative.com |
| I call shenanigans. |
| IP Logged. |
|
From Sean Stubblefield
Website: http://www.geocities.com/exastra/home.htm |
"Life goes strange, backward".
I keep coming back to that phrase, its double meaning. As in: Life is strange, looking backward through the past; Life is strange, because it's going in the opposite direction is should.
"Rome now rises in the west, Egypt sets to the east—O eastern star!"
Western Civilization has become as Rome, supplanting more eastern sensabilities of Egypt? Like the moon replaces the sun?
"O eastern star"? Lowercase eastern, suggesting direction rather than culture. Egypt as a star (a shining beacon on a hill)? Or referring to Serius or Ra?
"This world is no longer livable."
Egypt is no longer livable? Or the world is no longer livable because it has moved away from Egyption ideals? |
| IP Logged. |
|
