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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Chaosmancer" data-source="post: 8211892" data-attributes="member: 6801228">I think there is a difference between emotionally affecting people who survived a tragedy, by portraying the horror of that event as horrific, and affecting people emotionally because they feel like you are misrepresenting a cultural hero. I agree that using real world inspiration is important, but I think there are ways to do it well, and ways to do it poorly. Just for another example that personally grinds my gears, now that I am better educated in history. Portrayals of Cleopatra as a promiscuous woman whose only role is the seductress of men ignores the fact that in her own time, her people actually didn't think she was remarkably beautiful. What she was was one of the most educated and intelligent people around. Part of what drew Caesar to her, as I have heard, was the fact that she spoke dozens of languages and could hold an intelligent conversation about any topic he cared to discuss. Her overtly sexual portrayal was Roman Propaganda to disenfranchise her, because "her womanly witchery was the only way she could have held sway over such a great man". Should we use Cleopatra as a real world inspiration? Of course we should. But I also think it is fair to criticize versions that are solely the flat propaganda used against her. There are many many historical figures that could be portrayed by only the view of their enemies who would get people up in arms and furious.</blockquote>

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