Well for starters, it was much more entertaining to watch what we read about in Plutarch,
especially on such a grand scale. Watching the same moments on a low budget
production would not have the same effect. When we think of this era of Rome,
we think about lavishness and extravagance and the show did not disappoint when
it came to this. For example, the celebration of Caesar being appointed
dictator was very grand in scale and fun to watch. However, the scene where
that poor guy was hung in front of everyone was a little difficult to watch.
Another scene that was difficult to watch was Caesar’s
assassination. Though it was quite brutal, it is what actually happened and as
a viewer, we were able to capture the emotion experienced by the murders,
particularly Brutus, that was not captured in our reading. The emotion of the
character’s made them seem like real people as opposed to just someone we are
reading about in a historical text.
This just brings it back to our discussion of how we
interact with different types of media. Reading Plutarch was challenging, but
watching the same stories unfold in Rome was
entertaining and engaged my interest. Additionally, I saw these “lives” we read
about actually become lives! Watching the characters we get a much better sense
of their attitudes and their emotions, which make them much more real than
reading about them.
Another aspect of the show that I found really interesting
was the focus on the women, Servilia and Atia. There is not an in depth mention
of them in Plutarch, but they did, at least according to the show, played a
large in role in how a lot of the events played out, like Servilia’s subtle
urging for Brutus to kill Caesar. I think this added an interesting dynamic to
the show, as well as to the history of the events. Too bad Plutarch did not
write a Lives about the women of
ancient Rome. Those would have been great stories to tell!
Hey Krystle!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you mentioned the women's role in the show! When we read these stories about Caesar, Antony, Brutus and even Richard III, we barely get a glimpse into what role the women played. It can be easy to forget that the women are playing the political game just as well as the men but aren't given the opportunity to be well-known just because of their gender.
Everyone knows about Cleopatra and her political maneuverings with Antony and Caesar, but Atia and Servilia played huge roles as high born ladies in Rome. Servilia could have influenced Brutus in the stabbing of Caesar (the show says so, but not so much in real life); Atia is the mother of the next Caesar. These two women play huge roles in making their sons do different things and are completely overshadowed by those same sons.
I would also love to have seen some sort of written "history" about the women of Rome but, alas, we are left to guessing and using our imaginations! :)
I have to disagree with you on the level of brutality in the scenes, but maybe it's because I'm accustomed to the gore of shows like American Horror Story and The Walking Dead.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think we all can all agree that it better to watch than it was to read, however I'm not quite sure we would have received the same story had we only watched the show. I don't think that's really a matter of interacting with different media as much as it is a matter of what the viewers wanted to see.
And finally, I want to applaud you for mentioning the women's roles in the show. During this time, women were really involved politically and, like Amy said we don't get that through the readings at all. I think it would be best to watch the show, read as much literature as possible and find any other forms of media so that we can see and learn about Caesar from all kinds of perspectives.
It most definitely a grand reproduction! Love it!!
ReplyDeleteI also loved the female perspective of the events. This was not something I had even imagined. The idea that the women were silently influential made such a cynical and intense sub story. I really appreciated the additional facet to the story.