I, Claudius: Studies in Villainy

Bryon and I waited a long time to get I, Claudius sent to us via Netflix. A costuming buddy had recommended it years ago, and I put it in my queue. I expected something fairly melodramatic and cheesy, along the lines of Upstairs, Downstairs or The Forsythe Saga.

Instead, I've received bloody Roman empire, literally. I also am seeing amazing acting out of the likes of Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Patrick Stewart, and John Hurt, just to drop the names of a few luminaries. Bryon and I have just started reading Claudius to each other in the car, and we'll follow up with Claudius the God.

There's a lot that makes Claudius good. I root for the clueless underdog, Claudius, watching him balance ethics and self-preservation tenuously. I am appalled at some of the things this family does to their relatives. But, and writers in the room should perk up their ears, what chiefly recommends Claudius are its villains.

And the villains are good enough that each deserves their own discussion. So, over the course of a few entries, I'll be analyzing Livia, Tiberius, Sejanus, and Caligula. Each of them represents a very different kind of representation of the antagonist, and each is portrayed with vulnerability and sensitivity, as well as delusion and self-deception.

After I get back from Madison this weekend (and I will tell you the highlights of the Maass workshop), I'll start in with an analysis of Livia. Poison will be queen!

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.