Agrippina the Younger was the third wife of Claudius and the mother of Nero. Ancient writers have perceived her as a manipulative woman, controlling her husband and doing anything to place her son Nero upon the Imperial throne. Agrippina has gone down as one of the most powerful and most ruthless women in history. However modern historians have reviewed the images of Agrippina, free from the sexual bias of the Ancient writers. The histrorian James Romm portrayed Agrippina as a woman who was simply trying to escape the restrictions imposed on her by society.
The unflinching pessimism in regards to this matter help to support one of the main themes in Phaedra: passion is a dangerous thing that must be controlled at all times. At the beginning of the play, the reader discovers that Theseus – king of Athens and husband to Phaedra – is assumed dead. Phaedra is suddenly thrust into close proximity with Theseus’ bastard Hippolytus. She panics and begins acting in manner that everyone thinks strange for her. Finally, she admits to her nurse and confidante that she loves “the son of that Amazon mother” (Kline 264).
Agrippina the Younger, also known as Julia Agrippina and Agrippina II, was a Roman Empress and one of the most influential women in Rome. She was part of the Julio-Claudian bloodline, and was the great granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus, the great niece and adoptive granddaughter of the Emperor Tiberius, the sister of the Emperor Caligula, the niece and fourth wife of the Emperor Claudius, and the mother of the Emperor Nero. It was undisputable that Agrippina the younger had great influential power due to her heritage; however, it was her cruel and ambitious nature that was behind both her ascension to power and her eventual downfall. She was described as violent, ruthless, ambitious, greedy and domineering by various ancient and modern sources. Agrippina’s calculated and at times, violent actions stemmed from her desire of becoming a powerful and influential figure in the Roman society.
Agrippina’s attempted removal of Emperor Gaius which (Ledbetter) considers a failed experiment was to ensure Nero’s ascension as Emperor and to gain influence for herself. This plan led to exile for Agrippina yet her willingness and ambition to interfere with the Judio-Claudian line and gain influence was shown. After the death of Messalina Claudius chose Agrippina as his wife, for the first time Agrippina had political influence in Rome and began her plan to manipulate the line of succession, according to Tacitus she devoted herself to scheming for her son. Agrippina’s influence emerged mainly from her relationships with Seneca and Burrus who enabled her to ascend her power. Agrippina’s influence is clearly shown through her decision to recall the exiled
She was despised by the Russian people because of the way she advised her husband on government matters and because of her devotion to Rasputin who ‘cured‘ her son of haemophilia. Alexandra was a strong woman and she easily influenced the Tsar. Richard Pipes once wrote, “without her influence, Nicholas might have yielded to public pressure and agreed to play the role of a ceremonial monarch, which could have avoided the
Furthermore, the possession experiences of female Genji protagonists may not only be a conflict among women, but also centers on Genji, who was a target of male predominance. The formidable power of jealousy arises as soon as the story begins. Since Genji’s mother Kiritsubo enjoys exceptional favor among all the consorts, she suffers from the “nasty surprise” and “humiliations”( 4) while later “The growing burden of resentment” (3) affects her health and become a fatal bow. Apart from Kokiden’s malice, we may catch a glimpse of the polygynous Heian court. The denouement of Kiritsubo seems to foreshadowing the fates of Genji’s ladies who later would be dragged into the swirl of jealousy.
A Woman’s Portrayal in “To the Troops at Tilbury”, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, and The Tragedy of Mariam As the Renaissance began, we find that, much like the ancient days, women gain and then lose rights as the historical and political faces of Europe change. Even during Queen Elizabeth’s rule, as the de facto King of England, she was forced to uphold the standards given to a woman during the time. However, as we see in her speech “To the Troops at Tilbury” Queen Elizabeth also blurred the lines of masculinity and femininity as she to the role of a true king and all the masculine responsibility and strength that came with the title. As a male writer Shakespeare was able to quietly ask for change in society’s view of women in his satirical sonnet 130. Throughout the entire sonnet he mocks the ideas of women’s perfection in the Renaissance, and shows that no woman is perfect.
Utilizing their time alone, the mothers compared their own adventures in Rome when they were their daughter’s age. They point out that their own mothers were very overprotective of them and this behavior comes from a long line of family mothers who were just as protective over their daughters. Roman fever was used as a way to prevent people from venturing out at night. The setting of Wharton's Roman Fever is very important to the story's blatant theme about love, considering the fact that Rome is one of the most romantic spots on earth. Not only does it play an important role in respect to the mother/daughter relationship, but also regarding illness.
In Act IV, Desdemona portrays both loyal characteristics and qualities of innocence. In Act I she tells her father “You are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband…” (1.3.184-185). As Othello’s perspective and motive changes throughout the play, Desdemona’s characteristics alter minimally. Desdemona’s innocent, loyal, and honorable traits contribute to the theme that things are not always as they seem due to Othello’s failure to recognize them in his moments of jealous accusation.
Mrs. Slade knew Mrs. Ansley had liked her husband, Delphin Slade. She believed that pointing out the fact that she was the one he married and that she lost out on him would show her superiority over her. In an attempt to put Mrs. Ansley in her place, she tells her that the letter calling for a secret meeting at the Coliseum was in fact written by her. She says that it was a ploy to trick her into waiting for him, which caused her to get sick. After this first round of surprises Mrs. Slade assumes she is