The Triumph Of Love During Handel s Giulio Cesare

The Triumph of Love in Handel’s Giulio Cesare An Examination of the Character Cleopatra Through Motive and Music In George Frideric Handel’s masterful 18th century opera, Giulio Cesare, one may find many examples of the classic operatic archetype of power, particularly in relation to love and fear in how they are both tools that are oftentimes used to gain power. In this specific opera, Handel heralds the greater power-seizing potency of love when compared to its counterpart-- terror. In this essay, I plan to examine how the Egyptian character Cleopatra utilizes the power of love in order to achieve her own political and personal gains. I shall use text examples from the libretto to show how she triumphs over the darker forces of her enemies, Ptolemy and his great general named Achillas. In order to demonstrate the success that was achieved by Cleopatra in her quest to take power over Egypt as well as to take the hand of the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar, it is necessary to show exactly what kind of individual she was required to take power over-- namely the tyrannical emperor of Egypt n amed Ptolemy. Ptolemy also happened to be Cleopatra’s brother. In the first act of the opera, Ptolemy has his general Achillas present Caesar with the disembodied head of Caesar’s enemy-- Pompey. Caesar had originally planned on allowing Pompey to live as long as he asked for Caesar’s pardon. This was at the request of Pompey’s wife, Cornelia, and his son, Sextus, who both came to Caesar