Antony and Cleopatra, Act V, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1999.

Frances de la Tour as Cleopatra, Rachel Joyce as Charmian, Hermione Gulliford as Iras. The Director Steven Pimlott and Designer Yolanda Sonnabend went to some length to deprive Cleopatra of the conventional sexual attractions of earlier Cleopatras - by the end of the play (above) she looked almost unappealing. By contrast, historically and on stage, Cleopatra has always been presented as Cassius Dio describes her, as “a woman of surpassing beauty”, and her successive conquests of her world's three greatest men offers proof of her aesthetic and sexual appeal, as Shakespeare makes Enobarbus testify. Pascal argued that Cleopatra's beautiful profile changed history: "Cleopatra's nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed.”

Perhaps modern productions might also remember that Cleopatra was a mere 39 years old when she died. However, the RSC and its reviewers seem to be committed to this view of an aged Cleopatra, for its 2010 production's heroine was described by the Daily Telegraph (5/11/10) as also being played by an older if versatile actress who: "over the years has played King Lear and Richard III, a remarkably plausible and touching ape in KafkaÂ’s Monkey, and every now and again a womanÂ’s role, too. Diminutive in stature, and slightly lame, she has a deep, guttural voice, eyes like black olives and the most expressive of faces." This does not seem to be too close a match with her protype or the idol of Shakespeare's Antony. Photographer: Donald Cooper, via http://ahds.ac.uk/performing arts