Questions:

1. How did Cleopatra gain her role as the Queen of Egypt? Support your answer.
Cleopatra gained her role as the Queen of Egypt after her father, Ptolemy XII,
died in 51 BCE. The throne went to her and to her ten-year old brother, Ptolemy
XIII, in accordance with their fathers wish. They were married to ensure that the
rulership never leaves the royal family. Cleopatra is about 18 years old and had
ruled for a short time as a co-regent with her father. She was determined to rule.
She used her youth, beauty, charm, intelligence and wealth just to be protected by
strong Roman leader and gain power and rule as Queen of Egypt. She also has
selfish motives and desires to reign as Queen of Egypt to the extent of ordering the
death of her younger brother who was supposed to reign as King of Egypt.
In 49 BCE, the guardians of Ptolemy XIII instigated a revolt against
Cleopatra's rule and expelled her from Alexandria. Eager to take advantage of
Julius Caesar's anger toward Ptolemy and recognizing in Caesar her chance to
regain power, she had herself rolled in a rug, ostensibly a gift for the Roman
general, and carried through the enemy lines to the palace and presented to
Caesar. She and Caesar seemed to strike up an instant affinity for each other. In 47
BCE, Cleopatra became Caesar's mistress and Caesar uses his army to defeat and
destroy Cleopatra's rival for power in Egypt, her brother-husband Ptolemy XIII.
Ptolemy XIII dies of drowning while trying to escape the field of battle. Caesar
establishes Cleopatra and another younger brother, Ptolemy XIV, as the rulers of
Egypt.
Cleopatra was beautiful and fascinating still, but she began to grow selfish,
heartless, and designing. Her little brotherhe was but eleven years of age, it will
be recollected, when Csar arranged the marriage between themwas an object
of jealousy to her. He was, of course, too young to take any actual share in the
exercise of the royal power, or to interfere at all in his sister's plans or pleasures.
But then he was growing older. In a few years he would be fifteenwhich was the
period of life fixed upon by Csar's arrangements, and, in fact, by the laws and
usages of the Egyptian kingdomwhen he was to come into possession of power
as king, and as the husband of Cleopatra. Cleopatra was extremely unwilling that
the change in her relations to him and to the government, which this period was to
bring, should take place. Accordingly, in 44 BCE, a month after Caesar's
assassination, Cleopatra left Rome and returned to Egypt. Ptolemy XIV died of
poisoning, undoubtedly upon Cleopatra's orders. She wanted to make her son,
Caesarion, co-regent with her as Ptolemy XV. Ptolemy XIVs death released her, as
she had intended, from all restraints, and thereafter she continued to reign alone
as Queen of Egypt.
2. How does Cleopatra fare as a queen? What do you think makes a good and wise queen?

Queen Cleopatra was a powerful ruler, a skilled diplomat and negotiator. She
was a great politician who knew how to show off her and her countrys power and
influence. At the height of her rule more than two thousand years ago, she
controlled Egypt and other lands including most of the eastern Mediterranean
coast. She was also one of the richest people in the world. She was known for her
striking personality, charm, sweet alluring voice, sharp intelligence and alliances
with the two most powerful men of her time. She used her charms to influence the

most powerful men in the Western world. Cleopatra was very intelligent that she
could speak at least nine languages and rarely had need of an interpreter. As
queen, she availed herself, accordingly, of the revenues which poured in very
abundantly upon her, to enter upon a career of the greatest luxury, magnificence,
and splendor. The injuries which had been done to the palaces and other public
edifices of Alexandria by the fire, and by the military operations of the siege, were
repaired. The bridges which had been broken down were rebuilt. The canals which
had been obstructed were opened again. The sea-water was shut off from the
palace cisterns; the rubbish of demolished houses was removed; the barricades
were cleared from the streets; and the injuries which the palaces had suffered,
either from the violence of military engines or the [183] rough occupation of the
Roman soldiery, were repaired. In a word, the city was speedily restored once
more, so far as was possible, to its former order and beauty. The five hundred
thousand manuscripts of the Alexandrian library, which had been burned, could
not, indeed, be restored; but, in all other respects, the city soon resumed in
appearance all its former splendor. Even in respect to the library, Cleopatra made
an effort to retrieve the loss. She repaired the ruined buildings, and afterward, in
the course of her life, she brought together, it was said, in a manner hereafter to
be described, one or two hundred thousand rolls of manuscripts, as the
commencement of a new collection. The new library, however, never acquired the
fame and distinction that had pertained to the old.
However, she became very lavish, extravagant, materialistic and greedy
for power. She expended her royal revenues in plans of personal display, and in
scenes of festivity, gayety, and enjoyment. She adorned her palaces, built
magnificent barges for pleasure excursions on the Nile, and expended
enormous sums for dress, for equipages, and for sumptuous entertainments. In
fact, so lavish were her expenditures for these and similar purposes during the
early years of her reign, that she is considered as having carried the
extravagance of sensual luxury and personal display and splendor beyond the
limits that had ever before or have ever since been attained.
Whatever of simplicity of character, and of gentleness and kindness of spirit
she might have possessed in her earlier years, of course gradually disappeared
under the influences of such a course of life as she was leading. She was beautiful
and fascinating still, but she began to grow ambitious, self-centered, merciless,
rude and deceitful just to be able to continually reign as Queen of Egypt.
Moreover, she engaged herself in immoral affairs with powerful leaders in order to
be protected. Despite her great success as Queen of Egypt, she did not have a
good ending as a queen. As such, I find her not a good and wise queen.
A good and wise queen does not use evil desires and selfish motives in order
to lead and gain power and her role as queen. Despite her overflowing wealth, a
good and wise queen knows how to live morally and boldly, seek after truth, look
after the good of others and honor the Lord above all.
3. Which local political icon could you find closely compares to her?
I find Mrs. Imelda Marcos, the wife of the late President Ferdinand Marcos,
similar to Queen Cleopatra. During the Marcos regime, while many Filipinos lived

in poverty, Imelda Marcos became known for her lavish spending. She traveled to
New York City and other destinations to buy expensive fashions, high-end jewelry
and other luxury items. She had to have the finest of everything for the
presidential residencethe Malacaang Palace. But all of this splendor was gained
at the cost of the Filipino people. It is believed that the Marcos family and their
cronies took billions from the country's coffers. In addition to theft and corruption,
the Marcos regime also known for its oppressive rule. Ferdinand Marcos declared
martial law in 1972, basically making himself the country's dictator. This move
allowed him to crush growing resentment among the people and prevent his
adversaries from unseating him from power. The Marcos government could be
brutal to those who opposed it. Some were tortured and others were executed
without trial.
With assassination of vocal Marcos opponent Benigno Aquino in 1983, the
Marcos government began to lose its hold over the Filipino people. Imelda ended
up fleeing the country with her husband after he was forced from office by the
"people power" movement in 1986. In the rush to leave, she left many items
behind at the presidential palace. Her impressive collection of roughly 1,200 pairs
of designer shoes made headlines. These fancy pieces of footwear became
international symbol of the former ruling couple's flamboyant spending habits and
wealth.
Imelda and her husband eventually settled in Hawaii. The pair seemed to live
quite comfortably despite facing legal problems and pressure to return the funds
allegedly plundered from the Philippine government. Not long after her husband's
death in 1989, Imelda Marcos faced fraud and racketeering charges in an American
court. Marcos was charged in connection with the misappropriation of roughly $200
million from her country, which was used to buy real estate in New York City.
Heiress Doris Duke posted the bail for Marcos and actor George Hamilton testified
in her defense. Marcos was acquitted in this case.
In 1991, Imelda returned to the Philippines. She was allowed to come back to
her native country because the government hoped to recoup some lost funds held
by Marcos. Marcos soon sought political power for herself, running for president the
following year. Marcos lost her election bid to military leader Fidel V. Ramos and
soon found herself in another court battle. Convicted on corruption charges in
1993, she received a lengthy prison sentence. But her conviction was later
overturned.
A first lady no longer, Imelda has struck out on her own as a political force.
She won her first election since returning from exile in the mid-1990s. She served
as a member of the House of Representatives for several years. In 2010, she won
election to become the representative for Ilocos Norte province. This area is where
her late husband was born and where the Marcos family still wields some political
clout. Two of her children are in politics as well. Her daughter Imee won the post of
governor of Ilocos Norte in 2010, and her son Ferdinand Jr., or "Bongbong," was
elected to the country's senate that same year.

Imelda, however, may never fully emerge from the shadows of her past. She
continues to face legal challenges regarding funds allegedly taken from the
Philippine government. Some estimates indicate that the Marcos family amassed a
roughly $10 billion fortune during their time in power.
How do decisions made by political leaders affect or influence the people?
The decisions made by political leaders greatly affect or influence the people.
People are inspired by vision. They want to follow a leader who shows concerns
and values that are important to them. A positive leader with positive decisions will
inspire 100 percent effort from everybody. Political leaders who lay out a decision
with a vision that people buy into and a strategy that they understand will create a
culture of engagement. People know where the organization is headed, how it will
get there and their role in helping achieve the vision. When leaders demonstrate
values through their actions, they lead by example and create an ethical culture.
Leaders who empower people to make decisions that affect their lives, give them
the authority to act and make them take responsibility for consequences create
leadership on all levels of the community.