英国文学课件Word文档.doc

Her name is synonymous with beauty, power, intrigue and ultimately tragedy. In 69 B.C Cleopatra was born into Egypts Ptolemy Dynasty, a dynasty in decline and under the protection of Rome. At the age of 18, she assumed the throne along with her younger brother as husband Ptolemy XIII according to Egyptian royal custom. But these royal siblings were hostile to each other and Cleopatra was soon forced from power. Down but not out, Cleopatra waited for the right opportunity to prove her political cunning.That opportunity came when Julius Caesar, the newly minted victor in Rome civil war arrived in Alexandria Egypt in pursuit of a renegade Roman general. As legend has it, Cleopatra smuggled herself into his inner sanctum, rolled up inside a rug. Caesar was captivated and they soon fell in love. He took arms against Cleopatras rivals and restored her to the throne. Shortly after she gave birth to a boy, Caesarion, whom she claimed was Caesars son.Egypt was a vastly wealthy country and Cleopatra sought to keep it independent of Rome. Her affair with Caesar kept the Romans from taking direct control of Egypt, but his assassination made her status and that of her country uncertain.Searching for allies among Romes new leaders, she was delighted when Mark Antony, one of Caesars heir apparents sent for her. Mark Antony fell head over heels for the Egyptian queen and her richness. Together they set up court in Alexandria, an arrangement that elevated Cleopatra from protected sovereign to a fully independent monarch.Cleopatra and Antony shared a legendary love matched by their insatiable appetite for empire. They eventually married and became the “Power Couple” of the eastern Mediterranean. Antony tried to bring some Roman territories under her domain and he declared Cleopatras son Caesarion to be the son and rightful heir to Julius Caesar.That infuriated Mark Antonys Roman rival Octavian, who went to war against them. Antony and Cleopatra were quickly defeated at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Legend tells us that Cleopatra spread false rumors of her death. Consumed by grief over her death, Antony stabbed himself. But word came she was still alive and Antonys followers carried him to Cleopatra where he died in her arms.After 22 years as queen, Cleopatras fortunes were fast unraveling. She tried in vain to make peace with Octavian. Rather than be humiliated by the Romans in defeat, she took hold of an asp, permitting it to inflict the poisonous and mortal wound. With her death, the fate of the Ptolemy Dynasty was sealed and Egypt fell firmly into Roman hands. Although her ambitions were never realized, Cleopatra has achieved immortality through her personal story of love and tragedy.(transcribed by sophieann)sibling N-COUNTYour siblings are your brothers and sisters. (FORMAL)His siblings are mostly in their early twenties.Sibling rivalry often causes parents anxieties. cunning N-UNCOUNTCunning is the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people.one more example of the cunning of todays art thieves.He tackled the job with a great deal of imagination, skill and cunning.newly/freshly minteda newly minted word, phrase, idea etc has been invented or produced very recently some newly minted theatrical storiesrenegade N-COUNTsomeone who leaves one side in a war, politics etc in order to join the opposing side - used to show disapproval a renegade army unit heir apparent N-COUNT: usu sing, oft the N to n, poss NThe heir apparent to a particular job or position is the person who is expected to have it after the person who has it now. (JOURNALISM).a man who was once the heir apparent to a media empire.He was seen as Mr Olsens heir apparent. send forIf you send for someone, you send them a message asking them to come and see you.Ive sent for the doctor.head over heelsmadly in love.insatiable ADJIf someone has an insatiable desire for something, they want as much of it as they can possibly get.A section of the reading public has an insatiable appetite for dirty stories about the famous.They were insatiable collectors.infuriate VBIf something or someone infuriates you, they make you extremely angry.Jimmys presence had infuriated Hugh.The champion was infuriated by the decision.It infuriates us to have to deal with this particular mayor.asp C a small poisonous snake from North Africa inflict VBTo inflict harm or damage on someone o