Refiguring an Eloquent Egyptian Queen-Monarch : M.L. Ananchanok Pahnichaputt’s I, Cleopatra

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Published: Jan 1, 2008

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Sanguansri Khantavichian

Abstract

This article seeks to point out that M.L. Ananchanok Pahnichaputt’s poem I, Cleopatra simultaneously draws on and differs from Shakespeare’s portrayal of his heroine in Antony and Cleopatra.  Taking its point of departure in Pahnichaputt’s Cleopatra’s appropriations of Shakespeare’s text, the article examines in some depth the thematic contents and language of I, Cleopatra. Like Shakespeare’s creation, Pahnichaputt’s Cleopatra takes great pride in her royal and semi-divine status. Unlike the Bard’s heroine, however, the disincarnate Cleopatra of this poem set great store on her motherhood, was strong on patriotism, and took great pride in discharging her monarchical duty during her mortal life-span.  This study also seeks to explain how Cleopatra manages to subvert the male colonial ethos and Roman patriarchy through her play on words. A postcolonial-cum-feminist approach is applicable to a close examination of the poem and has been employed. The true concern of this paper, however, is for the most part with the exuberant, rich, and resonant linguistic detail of Pahnichaputt’s I, Cleopatra.

Article Details

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No. 1 (2008): Thoughts 2008
Section
Articles

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Author Biography

Sanguansri Khantavichian

Sanguansri Khantavichian is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Chulalongkorn University. A former recipient of the King’s scholarship, she earned an Honours degree in English Studies from Stirling University in 1978. Afterwards she obtained an M.A. in 1981 and a Ph.D. in English and American Literature in 1985 from Tulane University. In 1989, she was elected Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge University, England, where she did postdoctoral research for one year. Her interests include Shakespeare, Romantic poetry, and contemporary writing.

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