Becoming Cleopatra - by F Royster (Hardcover)

About the Book

From Liz Taylor to Queen Latifah, a provocative examination of the afterlife of Cleopatra in popular culture

Book Synopsis

Cleopatra. Sexy, sultry, political, and racially ambiguous. Moving fluidly from Shakespeare's England to contemporary LA, Francesca Royster looks at the performance of race and sexuality in a wide range of portrayals of that icon of dangerous female sexuality, Cleopatra. Royster begins with Shakespeare's original appropriation of Plutarch, and then moves on to analyze performances of the Cleopatra icon by Josephine Baker, Elizabeth Taylor, Pam Grier (Cleopatra Jones) and Queen Latifah (in Set It Off ). Royster argues that Cleopatra highlights a larger cultural anxiety about women, sexuality, and race.

Review Quotes

'...a dense but readable book, especially appropriate for 'Women in Film' courses.' - Publishers Weekly Annex

About the Author

FRANCESCA ROYSTER is Associate Professor of English at DePaul University, where she teaches courses on Shakespeare, film, and black feminism. She is one of the leading young African American feminist Shakespeare scholars.