"Cleopatra is the most complete woman ever to have existed, the most womanly woman and the most queenly queen, a person to be wondered at, to whom the poets have been able to add nothing, and whom dreamers find always at the end of their dreams" -- so wrote the famous Orientalist, Théophile Gautier, in 1845.  But have the poets really added nothing to our conception of Cleopatra in two thousand years?  Whose dreams are we talking about here? And what is a "womanly woman," anyway?  We will be asking such questions as we explore the "Oriental" mystique of Cleopatra in a wide-ranging survey of literature and film, from Plutarch, Boccaccio, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dryden, Sarah Fielding, and Shaw, to the Cleopatras embodied by Claudette Colbert, Vivien Leigh, and Elizabeth Taylor. Asian plaything, faithful lover, dominatrix, femme fatale, prankster, child, murderer, monster, mother, slut, slave-girl, proud queen, incestuous sister, the Orient incarnate, spectacle, hedonist, flapper, camp icon, and super-shopper -- there are as many Cleopatras as there are European fantasies of women and of Asia.  But does all this add up to the "most complete woman"?  In addition to literary and historical material, we will read excerpts from the critical work of Said, Bernal, Hughes-Hallet, Hamer, and others.  Reading and writing assignments will address how historical and cultural contexts shape such subjects of writing, ethnic identity, and desire.

Responsibilities and Grades Participation Since this is a seminar, an essential component of the course is to demonstrate that you can function at a high level of social and intellectual activity within a small community. Thoughtful participation, mature and respectful dialogue with your peers, cooperation with your peers, and perfect attendance are expected of everyone. (In other words, don't act out an attitude even if you don't like someone.) At the end of the course, I will ask you to assess your own involvement in the group -- so you should be conscious of your participation. You will be responsible for at least two presentations over during the term. More than two unexcused absences will be penalized. Writing You will be responsible for seven formal pieces of writing this term, including one on-line critique and a final paper & presentation. We will also be doing occasional "quick writings" to brainstorm and practice articulating our ideas. All assigned writing must be completed. Most -- but not all -- of your writing will be posted on our webpage for all the world to see. Keep that in mind as you proofread! Please suggest good links as you discover them (send me an email). Viewings We will be viewing and discussing a number of films this term. I will try to be as flexible as possible in their scheduling, but you may occasionally have a conflict. If you cannot screen a film with the rest of us, you must arrange to view the film before we discuss it in class (that will usually mean that you must see it over the previous weekend). All of the films (except for the ABC miniseries) are available at the Media Center in Sunderlund. Description of Grades for Essays Even though the descriptions below pertain primarily to formal essays and may not apply to some of the more informal writing that we will be doing this term, you should understand this as the rough scale on which I will be marking. Don't panic if you start out with low B's. "Improvement" is heavily weighted in a course like this. (A) Thoroughly excellent work at every level from style and mechanics to the depth of the discussion. The essay states its objectives clearly and compellingly at the start then pursues the argument succinctly through detailed observations on well-chosen quotations from the text. The essay has an impressive complexity and abundance of ideas presented in precise language without unnecessary repetition. The essay maintains a high level of discourse, never slipping inappropriately into colloquialisms or vague terms. (A-) An otherwise excellent essay with occasional shortcomings in phrasing or in pursuing points to their fullest conclusion. (B+) A very fine essay that needs a little polishing: a final rough draft of an excellent paper. (B) A good essay that either falters on a point of interpretation or that seldom comments directly on the language of the text, and which may also be in a need of a good proofreading for solecisms or confusing sentences. The writer has obviously thought carefully about the topic and has presented a number of good ideas, though they may not be organized to the best advantage. (B-) What seems as though it ought to be a good essay but for something puzzling about the way that it is written. The essay may be severely disorganized; it may lack a clear argument or an intelligible frame; it may continually defer any sort of conclusion on any point but the most obvious. The writer has evidently worked carelessly or in excessive haste and may also benefit from some additional coaching by a writing tutor. (C+) An essay that is dissappointing in more than one respect or that makes a serious error of interpretation that affects the entire argument. The essay may be re-written once after a discussion with me. (C) An essay that only seems to fulfill the assignment, perhaps an experiment that went awry. The essay may be re-written once after a discussion with me. (C-) Dangerous territory. The writer should not have thought that the essay was acceptable for a course at Middlebury College and should talk to me as soon as possible. On rare occasions an essay may be awarded an A+ for stunning work that exceeds even the highest expectations. Breakdown of Grades Written Work 70% Participation 20% Final Presentation & Paper 10%

A Note on Due Dates and Absences  In my years of teaching I have observed a wonderous phenomenon:  the highest percentage of absences mysteriously coincides with the due dates of papers.  But you should know this:  I would rather be missing your paper than be missing you and your paper; so if for some reason you have not completed your assignment, come to class and talk to me afterward.  If you do not submit your paper on time and you also fail to show up for class, you lose twice.

billings@middlebury.edu

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