A Comparison Study of Concubine Yu and Cleopatra

Concubine Yu and Cleopatra can be regarded as one of the few progressive female figures in Peking Opera and Shakespearean plays. Concubine Yu is an intellectual and elegant woman who is influenced by Confucian views on women; Cleopatra is a typical humanist character in Shakespeare’s plays, and also she is a naughty queen from Egypt. The wisdom, devotion and courage of these two women have made them become one of the most colorful female characters in the history of Chinese and foreign drama. Concubine Yu and Cleopatra have been inspiring countless readers to awaken female consciousness and realize self-worth.